The church's missionary efforts among domestic workers with special reference to Johannesburg West

Abstract

This research deals with the role of the church in its efforts to bring the gospel to domestic workers with reference to five church denominations in Johannesburg-West namely, the Methodist, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Anglican and the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa. Church leaders of the above mentioned church denominations used the integrated ministry by introducing programmes, projects and skills training along side the preaching of the gospel to empower domestic workers spiritually and socially. The aim is to expose especially the younger generation among domestic workers to the new technologies like the computer and information technology to make them marketable in the modem economic systems. The work of church leaders among domestic workers in Johannesburg-West is not void of challenges. Often their conditions of employment are appalling and unbearable and they feel isolated and unprotected by the law. In spite of the challenges, the mission of the church of God has to go on as it is stated in the scriptures that the gospel of Jesus Christ has to be preached under all kinds of situations. According to scriptures it is the function of the church to bring to the attention of the relevant authorities any plight, need or injustice that may occur to domestic workers as an integral part of the larger society. Christianity, as well as other faiths, is in many respects responsible for the development, establishment, and maintenance of moral social responsibility. The church with its available resources has the capacity to empower, inform, and expose domestic workers to literacy and counseling. Positive results could be achieved through workshops and continuous participation and interaction.