Tenth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

The Church still plays a significant role in a democratic South Africa. By virtue of Stats SA 2011 which states that just under eighty percent of South Africans have Christian affiliations. However, democratic South Africa has secular constitution which clearly indicates the separation between church and government. Clergy find themselves in an ambiguous situation in a ‘secular state.’ What exactly is the broader role of the Church and in particular clergy in democratic ‘secular’ South Africa? The ambiguity is also fueled by politicians who often request clergy’s participation in the political process and on other occasions state that clergy should keep to “church business” Part of this inquiry is be answered by asking clergy what they believe their role is. In 2014 a selection of Christian leaders in the Nelson Mandela Bay area decried the governance in the NMBM and South Africa in general. It is to be seen as awakening of clergy in the political process. The objective of the study is to look at how Christian religious leaders construct their role in a post-apartheid context with a specific focus on the NMBM.