09/11/2026
We take this opportunity to congratulate our Acting Chief of Staff now Dr. Busi Gaca on her academic achievement as she has been conferred a PHD on the study below:
TITLE: The Church and Political Power in South Africa: A Practical-Theological Study of Christian Public Witness from Apartheid to the Democratic Era – Exploring the Intersection between Ecclesial and Political Life from the Calvary University - USA.
The dissertation examines how the relationship between the church and political power in South Africa evolved from apartheid to democracy. It draws on the Kairos Document, Belhar, the TRC faith community report, the Constitution and the SACC's Unburdening Panel. From these, it argues that the decisive question is not whether the church engages in politics, but whether it retains the theological freedom to judge political power. Where churches surrendered that freedom, critique collapsed. Where they kept it, they could challenge apartheid and democratic governments alike. The study proposes "critical participation", a framework enabling churches to cooperate with government without co-optation and criticise it without partisanship.
