All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source. |
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY |
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: |
Occupational Certificate: Religious Associate Professional (Christian Religious Practitioner) |
SAQA QUAL ID | QUALIFICATION TITLE | |||
101997 | Occupational Certificate: Religious Associate Professional (Christian Religious Practitioner) | |||
ORIGINATOR | ||||
Development Quality Partner - HWSETA (Social Work) | ||||
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY | NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK | |||
- | OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework | |||
QUALIFICATION TYPE | FIELD | SUBFIELD | ||
Occupational Certificate | Field 07 - Human and Social Studies | Religious and Ethical Foundations of Society | ||
ABET BAND | MINIMUM CREDITS | PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL | NQF LEVEL | QUAL CLASS |
Undefined | 156 | Not Applicable | NQF Level 02 | Regular-ELOAC |
REGISTRATION STATUS | SAQA DECISION NUMBER | REGISTRATION START DATE | REGISTRATION END DATE | |
Reregistered | EXCO 0425/24 | 2018-07-01 | 2025-12-30 | |
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT | LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT | |||
2026-12-30 | 2029-12-30 |
In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise. |
This qualification replaces: |
Qual ID | Qualification Title | Pre-2009 NQF Level | NQF Level | Min Credits | Replacement Status |
48891 | National Certificate: Theology and Ministry | Level 2 | NQF Level 02 | 120 | Complete |
PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION |
Purpose:
The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to operate as a Christian Religious Practitioner. A Christian Religious Practitioner facilitates the effective practice of ministry work within a specific congregation/faith community to encourage spiritual formation, to nurture fellowship and mutual care within the congregation/faith community, to help members developing a Christian lifestyle, to provide Christian leadership, to ensure organisational well-being, and to facilitate appropriate responses of the congregation/faith community to needs in the wider society. A qualified learner will be able to: Rationale: Recent estimates indicate that there are about 186,000 Pastors (Ministers of Religion) in informal churches who do not have access to formal ministry training. The South African Council of Churches, through their Secretary General indicated a significant number of these Pastors, who are already in ministry have little or no training, and have difficulty in reading and writing. For this group, a qualification at Level 2 is required that addresses the basic elements of Christian Ministry. There is also a large group of these Pastors that have well developed reading and writing skills, for which a Level 5 is required. The Level 5 qualification is also required for people that want to join the Ministry fraternity. Such a qualification at Level 5 would not only address their training needs, but also provide access to Higher Qualifications. A distinction between a Level 2 and 5 is necessary at different levels of complexity, whilst still addressing the essential elements of Christian Ministry. Needs that the qualification will meet: There are many religious ministers in rural areas, and often even in urban settings, with low literacy ability, yet they function as ministers and as leaders of their faith communities. A need to assist these leaders by means of a qualification that will provide them with the competencies to minister has been expressed for many years. The Christian Religious Practitioner (Level 2) qualification aims at fulfilling this need. It will provide appropriate training to leaders who do not have the literacy ability to access any other qualification, without trivialising the competencies required to effectively function as Christian Religious Ministers. The qualification focuses on all the aspects of Christian Ministry, but at a level that will make access possible for people with no or little schooling or literacy. Church representatives involved in the development of the qualification foresee that the qualification will ultimately be used as a baseline for preparing ministry leaders to be formally recognised as ministers or spiritual leaders in their churches. Benefits for society: With the introduction of the new qualification at Level 2, society will benefit from the assurance that large numbers of spiritual leaders who did not have a proper training opportunity in the past, will now have a common set of competencies, despite their numeracy and literacy level of competence. Two aspects are important in this regard: Firstly, there is a growing concern in South Africa about moral degeneration and the loss of positive values in our communities, with the concomitant loss of hope, increase in crime levels, degeneration of our social fibre, etc. As South Africans have been shown to be a religiously inclined population, and as the people adhering to the Christian faith form the vast majority in the country (about 80% of the population according to the latest census information), Christian ministers of religion can play a significant role in turning these negative tendencies around. Well-formed and trained religious leaders in the community are needed for this to transpire. The new qualification that aims at providing quality training with the appropriate content and focus, and that will be accessible to large numbers of presently untrained ministers of religion will make a huge contribution to the turning around of negative tendencies. Secondly, there is a growing concern in our country about religious leaders, including leaders in the Christian tradition, whose conduct is unprofessional and detrimental to the community. This can, inter alia, be ascribed to a lack of proper training and inadequate training standards and professional oversight. Although this problem does occur in all spheres of the religious community, it is certainly also a serious issue in the informal church environment. Quality training, linked to the development of professional standards and a system of professional oversight will go a long way to protect communities against irresponsible persons who misuse their position as spiritual leaders in the community. |
LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING |
Recognition of Prior Learning:
RPL for access to the external integrated summative assessment: Accredited providers and approved workplaces must apply the internal assessment criteria specified in the related curriculum document to establish and confirm prior learning. Accredited providers and workplaces must confirm prior learning by issuing a statement of result or certifying a work experience record. RPL for access to the qualification: Accredited providers and approved workplaces may recognise prior learning against the relevant access requirements. Entry Requirements: |
RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? |
Y |
QUALIFICATION RULES |
This qualification is made up of the following compulsory Knowledge and Practical Skill Modules.
Knowledge Modules: Total number of Credits for Knowledge Modules: 59. Practical Skill Modules: Total number of Credits for Practical Skill Modules: 37. This qualification also requires the following Work Experience Modules: Total number of Credits for Work Experience Modules: 60. |
EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES |
1. Share the gospel in a specific context and to a specific audience.
2. Build caring relationships in the faith community and respond to the spiritual and physical needs of members. 3. Provide spiritual leadership and develop leaders in a faith community. 4. Arrange and oversee the day to day running of ministries and the administrative and accountability processes of the faith community. 5. Help people in the faith community to share the gospel, support people in need and speak out for what is right and fair. |
ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA |
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5: Integrated Assessment: Integrated Formative Assessment: The skills development provider will use the curriculum to guide them on the stipulated internal assessment criteria and weighting. They will also apply the scope of practical skills and applied knowledge as stipulated by the internal assessment criteria. This formative assessment leads to entrance into the integrated external summative assessment. Integrated Summative Assessment: An external integrated summative assessment, conducted through the relevant Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) Assessment Quality Partner is required for the issuing of this qualification. The external integrated summative assessment will focus on the Exit Level Outcomes and Associated Assessment Criteria. |
INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY |
Most countries have qualifications in the Higher Education Band. In addition, churches have seminaries that qualify their ministers to be ordained. No example could be found anywhere, except in Australia, of a formal accredited qualification at Level 2 or similar for Christian religious ministers. Faith Community leaders that function at this level are usually referred to as lay ministers, which implies little or no training.
Evangelism, missionary and other outreach organisations offer courses for people that want to pursue a calling in ministry, but these programmes are not accredited. The following equivalent qualifications were found for a comparison with the qualification developed: Australia: Course accrediting body: The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). Course Owner: Health and Community Services Workforce Council Inc. Course Title: 10432NAT Certificate III in Christian Ministry and Theology. Course Purpose: The course is intended to provide participants with the following knowledge and skills to deepen their understanding of Christian theology and to perform limited functions associated with serving in a Christian church group or ministry context: Core Units Covered: Elective Units Covered: The certificate registered in Australia is compatible with the Occupational Certificate: Christian Religious Practitioner, there are significant overlaps. It furthermore caters for providing a start to a learning path for people that do not meet the entry requirements of Higher Qualifications. The qualification is also allowing for denominational unique theological nuances and it covers a large chunk of the skills as set out in the Occupational Certificate. USA: Course accrediting body: Not formally accredited. Course Owner: U.S Alliance (https://www.cmalliance.org). Course Title: Ministerial Study Program (MSP). Course Purpose: The emphasis of this course is on growing in Christ-like character and developing practical ministry skills. Candidates for the program must be approved by the local congregation and recommended by their respective district superintendent. The student will study under the supervision of a coach appointed by the district. MSP fulfils the academic requirements of The Christian and Missionary Alliance for licensing and ordination or consecration. Course Content: Year One: Year Two: Year Three: Though the course outlined above is not accredited, it serves to equip ministers to work in 67 countries across the world. The Christian Religious Practitioner Occupational Qualification content overlaps with this qualification, it even uses similar terminology as titles to the various modules. Admittedly, The Alliances course has a stronger mission focus than the Christian Religious Practitioner Occupational Qualification and is much longer. Conclusion: The Occupational Qualification: Christian Religious Practitioner compares favourably with the international qualifications reviewed. |
ARTICULATION OPTIONS |
No horizontal articulation is currently possible due to a lack of available or related qualifications.
Vertical articulation is possible to: |
MODERATION OPTIONS |
N/A |
CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS |
N/A |
NOTES |
Qualifying for external assessment:
To qualify for an external assessment, learners must provide proof of completion of all required modules by means of statements of results and work experience. This is a Level 2 qualification and completion of the FLC is not required. Additional legal or physical entry requirements: None. Criteria for the accreditation of providers: Accreditation of providers will be done against the criteria as reflected in the relevant curriculum on the QCTO website. The curriculum title and code is: 263601004: Christian Religious Practitioner. This qualification encompasses the following trades as recorded on the NLRD: Part Qualifications: None. |
LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: |
When qualifications are replaced, some (but not all) of their learning programmes are moved to the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replaced qualification. |
NONE |
PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: |
This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here. |
NONE |
All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source. |