Experiences of premarital counselling among African Christians in South Africa: A practical theological study

Abstract

The latest marriage and divorce statistics reveal that South Africa is facing a marital crisis. The divorce rate is two times higher than the marriage rate. This is a matter of concern because marriage performs a critical function for both individuals and society. Divorce, on the other hand, not only threatens the future of social institutions, but also poses physical and psychological health risks to all members of the family system. Its severe negative effects cause disruption on a micro and macro level of society. As a verified method utilised to enhance relationships prior to marriage to prevent the risk of divorce, premarital counselling becomes essential. Premarital counselling is a specialised kind of counselling designed to enhance and enrich the relationship of couples approaching marriage with the intention of increasing marital satisfaction and stability, thus preventing divorce. Unlike other types of counselling, premarital counselling is preventative, equipping couples with information and skills to deal with essential matters before problems develop. The preservation of marriage in African society is significant. African life centres around the preservation of a clan and its culture, and marriage is a means of preserving and extending a clan. From a Christian perspective, marriage is a sanctified covenant between spouses which reflects the covenant between Christ and the Church. This strong connection between marriage and the gospel makes marriage esteemed. Marriage in African Christian circles is therefore a vital relationship with social, personal, and spiritual dimensions. Thus, it becomes crucial that marriage be safeguarded and strengthened against the threat of divorce by efficiently preparing those who enter it. Preparing people for marriage is an integral part of pastoral care and counselling; hence, marriage preparation was initiated in churches. To date, the majority of premarital counselling continues to be offered within religious institutions; however, little is known about the clergy's counselling approaches and techniques in premarital counselling, particularly in South Africa. The current study aimed at exploring and understanding the premarital counselling experiences of African Christians in South Africa. To do this, a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design was employed. Osmer's four tasks of practical theology were adopted to meet the research objective. Data were drawn from semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews with clergy and married individuals and were analysed using thematic analysis. The Covenant Attachment Theory was utilised as a theoretical framework. The findings demonstrate that African Christians hold a positive perception of premarital counselling, perceiving it as essential and beneficial to a couple's relationship, especially in creating awareness about marriage, ensuring readiness for marriage, gaining a better iv understanding of each other and influencing perceptions and behaviour. It emerged that pastoral premarital counselling is not a widespread practice in black South African churches, as most married individuals in this study were not provided with premarital counselling by their pastors. Black South African churches, however, are seen to uphold the African communal duty of preparing young couples for marriage because even in the absence of pastoral premarital counselling, married individuals did undergo some form of ukuyalwa by mothers and fathers in the church. Ukuyalwa is an African indigenous premarital counselling in the form of advice-giving by senior family members. Conversely, most clergy in this study indicated direct involvement in premarital counselling and that premarital counselling was mandatory in their churches. Most clergy were found to employ an unstructured approach to premarital counselling, where the counselling process is based on their own discretion, and the primary tool used is the Bible. Only a few clergy adopt a standardised program with clearly identifiable techniques and tools. As a result, this study developed a model that could be useful to clergy by outlining a framework that could be used in designing a structured premarital counselling program. This model could potentially add value to the practice of pastoral premarital counselling in the African Christian context.