Articles
Finding Willing Hands for the Work of God
Though we have not yet seen the corresponding growth in student numbers, Explore is excellently positioned in various countries—all praise be to God. We can confidently point to the various…
TDA: Providing Busaries Beyond Our Borders
The Theological Development Africa Programme (TDA) was pleased to extend bursary support to two new campuses of its Gospel Partner Colleges: Alexandria School of Theology (AST) and…
Heritage Day Celebrations
We enjoyed a vibrant GWC community celebration on Heritage day. What a joy it was to be gathered together for fellowship. Principal Mark Dickson encouraged us to remember that our unity…
Hold Your Plans Loosely: Surprising Reflections From Theological College
I was born and raised in the Eastern Cape. In 2008 I moved to Gauteng to study at the University of Johannesburg. That’s where I came to faith through the ministry of Campus Outreach. After my Honours in Financial Management, I moved to Cape Town to work in the finance department of an oil company. After working there for five years, I started my undergraduate degree at GWC. When you first started your undergraduate at GWC, what were your reasons? I had come to college for the Higher Certificate, which was meant to be just one year. I’d initially come because I wanted…
Buildings: Creating Spaces That Are Both Accessible And Sustainable
GWC’s various buildings in Muizenberg are the spaces where our students live and learn together. They’re indispensable to the residential theological community. But they’re also not cheap, and things tend to break down over time. So I want to tell you about two building-related projects that are presently underway: the Hope solar panel system and the Morris House elevator. Firstly, Hope’s solar panels: This student residence consists of four floors, each approximately 400m2. The ground floor has parking facilities for 15 vehicles, a reception, and a student lounge…
GWC’s Commitment To Higher Theological Training On The Continent
In August 2018, we partnered with GWC to run a non-accredited three-phase introductory course across Africa in teaching and learning for higher theological education (TALHITE). When lockdown prevented us from travelling, we moved online and managed to extend the scope of the training across the continent and beyond. The impact has been life-changing for many new and existing lecturers in theological institutions, who have previously had to struggle with no training and little assistance. As one participant writes, “This introductory course in Teaching and…
Explore: Progress, Plans, And All Praise Be To God
At the heart of the Explore program are small groups of believers meeting together under the guidance of a trained facilitator. The last two years of COVID-19 struck at that heart, making those groups at times incredibly difficult and others impossible. But thanks be to God that Explore isn’t merely still going but growing. As the graph shows, though the total number of module enrolments dropped in 2020, we registered slightly more module enrolments last year than we did in 2019. Furthermore, 2021 saw our largest number of graduating students to date. So, Explore…
Theological Training: A Risk Worth Taking In Service Of The African Church
A few weeks ago, I shared a reflection on my undergraduate studies at the Gospel Coalition Africa. I unpacked three pitfalls that students must beware of as they pursue theological studies. Theological training is so enticing that one faces the danger of missing the purpose of engaging in the discipline of theological study. Most students enter theological training because they desire to serve the church, helping God’s people to grow in their knowledge and love for him. However, as one’s brain starts to be massaged with deep theological thoughts, it’s easy to…
The Legacy and the Future of the Church in Africa: Part 2
In my previous article, I looked at the criticism common among black millennials within the South African context that calls Christianity a white man’s religion. I tried to answer that common objection by looking at the past, particularly the role that the Ethiopian church played in Martin Luther’s imagination of the church, during the Reformation. Though I have slightly modified the aims for this follow-up article alluded to in the previous one, I will continue to look at the legacy of the African church, especially the role of theological education. In dealing…
A Tribute to Melvin Tinker from REACH SA and GWC
The Reformed Evangelical Anglican church of South Africa records with great sorrow the passing of Melvin Tinker from his labours on earth. Although we rejoice in the fact that he is present with his Lord, we grieve with his family and friends and pass on our sincere condolences to Heather and her family.
Melvin had been a regular visitor to our shores for many years.
Boy child, please speak out!
written by Absolom Gumoshabe (GWC Past Student)
You see, tradition and culture have taught you that “you have to be a man”. Unfortunately, it hasn’t prepared you to be one. Who said you shouldn’t speak out if you have an issue as a man? Is crying normal or not? It’s an involuntary action. Does feeling too low prove that you’re half a man? Does looking up to someone…
The God of the Bible
A lot of news today is fake news. So, if you see a news report online or on a news channel, you always have to ask yourself: Is it real, is it made up, is it true? A lot of what we think is true about the world we live in is not based on our personal experience. A great deal of our knowledge is not something we ourselves picked up first hand. Instead, the bulk of it has come to us from what our parents told us, or from our friends, or from our teachers at school or university, or from social media and from Netflix series, or from our friends, or from…
Heading for ministry in Ireland but God had other plans
On their way to minister in Ireland, alumnus, Ivan de Lima Goncalves and his wife, Adina, and their daughter were grounded indefinitely, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, while visiting family in Adina’s home town of Moreni in Romania. As a result, they have settled in Moreni and are ministering in the local church and their community. Here is an extract from Ivan’s August 2021 newsletter. “We are thankful to be here in Romania. We are serving in a village church in Bratasanca, a village 20 minutes away from Moreni…
Alumnus in Africa
A doctoral student under the auspices of GWC’s Evangelical Research Fellowship, Tekalign Negewo, returned to his home country of Ethiopia in September 2021 having submitted his doctoral thesis in New Testament studies for examination. Tekalign wrote to us in thanks and brought us up- to-date with his current ministry work. “Greetings from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, I am writing this email to acknowledge the enormous support I received from George Whitefield College through the Evangelical Research Fellowship to undertake…
New Testament Lecturer – Masimba Yuba
GWC alumnus, Masimba Yuba, finished his Master of Theology degree at the end of 2019 and is currently doing his curacy at St. James Church in Kenilworth as assistant to the Director of Campus...
Incoming Lecturer – Ikho Poswayo
Since retiring, faculty member, Ross Anderson, has registered at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) to do a PhD in missiology (church and society). His preproposal was accepted at the end of last year and he subsequently completed and submitted his Research Proposal in September 2021. This has been accepted by the University Committee for Higher Degrees and he will begin to write up his thesis, which he aims to complete by November 2024. His PhD title is The attack on St James Church: Assumptions on church-and- society in responses…
Incoming Faculty – Dr Jake Griesel
Since retiring, faculty member, Ross Anderson, has registered at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) to do a PhD in missiology (church and society). His preproposal was accepted at the end of last year and he subsequently completed and submitted his Research Proposal in September 2021. This has been accepted by the University Committee for Higher Degrees and he will begin to write up his thesis, which he aims to complete by November 2024. His PhD title is The attack on St James Church: Assumptions on church-and- society in responses…
Recent addition to lecturing staff – White Zibophe
Since retiring, faculty member, Ross Anderson, has registered at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) to do a PhD in missiology (church and society). His preproposal was accepted at the end of last year and he subsequently completed and submitted his Research Proposal in September 2021. This has been accepted by the University Committee for Higher Degrees and he will begin to write up his thesis, which he aims to complete by November 2024. His PhD title is The attack on St James Church: Assumptions on church-and- society in responses…
Remote Faculty – Steve Rockwell
Since retiring, faculty member, Ross Anderson, has registered at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) to do a PhD in missiology (church and society). His preproposal was accepted at the end of last year and he subsequently completed and submitted his Research Proposal in September 2021. This has been accepted by the University Committee for Higher Degrees and he will begin to write up his thesis, which he aims to complete by November 2024. His PhD title is The attack on St James Church: Assumptions on church-and- society in responses…
Recent addition to Tutoring Staff – Thapelo Khumalo
Since retiring, faculty member, Ross Anderson, has registered at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) to do a PhD in missiology (church and society). His preproposal was accepted at the end of last year and he subsequently completed and submitted his Research Proposal in September 2021. This has been accepted by the University Committee for Higher Degrees and he will begin to write up his thesis, which he aims to complete by November 2024. His PhD title is The attack on St James Church: Assumptions on church-and- society in responses…