SAQA

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:

Higher Certificate in Christian Ministry

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
123610	Higher Certificate in Christian Ministry
ORIGINATOR
Helderberg College
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Higher 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	120	Not Applicable	NQF Level 05	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered		EXCO 0729/25	2025-02-04	2028-02-04
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2029-02-04		2032-02-04

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 does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

Purpose:
The purpose of the Higher Certificate in Christian Ministry is to prepare learners for positions such as church elders, deacons, worship leaders, youth leaders, welfare leaders, community relief volunteers, bible-study group leaders, and related volunteer and auxiliary positions in the local church and community. It is designed to equip learners with competencies in the areas of biblical understanding and interpretation, church leadership, community outreach and development, ministry to youth groups, leading in public worship, public speaking, leading out in group discussions and group management, supervision, communication, writing skills, and basic research.

It provides training for both first-time church and community leaders, and for those who are experienced in church leadership and community activities. For those who are employed in churches in an auxiliary capacity, it provides a qualification with which they can advance their careers. Since this is a qualification which has a vocational orientation, the learners will be required to complete work-integrated learning during the two-year duration of the programme.

Upon completion of the qualification, qualifying learners will be able:

Apply the basic principles of biblical interpretation and understanding.

Explain the basic tenets of the Christian faith.

Demonstrate an understanding of church organization and management.

Demonstrate a knowledge of church history.

Develop an appreciation for the diversity of people in the community based on different cultures and generational variance, etc.

Apply the basic principles of discipleship, disciple-making, and nurturing of members in the church.

Demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics and needs of different communities.

Develop strategies for addressing the social, ethical, spiritual, and moral needs of different communities.

Lead out in worship services as a worship leader or as a person required to deliver the homily.

Rationale:
The updated Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook lists Christianity as the major religion practised by South Africans with Christianity at 86%, ancestral, tribal, animist, or other traditional African religions at 5.4%, Muslim at 1.9%, other 1.5%, nothing 5.2%. Various studies identified the need for professionalising the training of religious lay workers and professional practitioners through the formation of professional associations and qualifications registered on the NQF. The churches and ministry institutions will benefit by working in a regulated environment with reference to professionalising religious practice via the National Qualifications Framework Act.

The envisaged target audience would be church members who have held positions of leadership in their local congregations. These are members who feel the need to improve their skills in serving in their church, or who have been requested by their local churches to seek upskilling so that they may serve the congregation more proficiently.

The institution identified the need to provide the Higher Certificate in Christian Ministry to provide training for lay members to become effective leaders in local Christian communities, which comprise 86% of the population in South Africa. The Seventh-day Adventist Church's (SDA) minister-to-church ratio being 1:6 results in the church members performing a variety of responsibilities within the local church.

The qualification was developed in consultation with the Theology Liaison Committee and church members to address the need for trained ministers. The Theology Liaison Committee is a significant body representing the SDA constituency in Southern Africa. The eight regional heads covering Southern Africa, i.e. eSwatini, Lesotho, and Namibia, are members of the Liaison Committee. As the regional heads represent close to 500 000 adherents, a recommendation and request emanating from this Committee carries significant weight in terms of constituency needs. The institution is thus, through its governing and consultative boards, responding to the need to provide professional training to vocational and lay leadership for the community in general and Christian churches in particular.

The qualification will contribute to fighting corruption and enhancing accountability. One of the targets is a corruption-free society, a high adherence to ethics throughout society and a government that is accountable to its people. In this qualification, learners will be required to understand and interpret the fundamentals in scripture and will be guided to develop preaching skills which they would use to encourage ethical behaviour in their congregants. The qualification is therefore designed to train community members for effective service and leadership, moral regeneration, and ethical conduct in the local community, as per the fundamental beliefs and ethical guidelines of the SDA church, the institutional aforementioned values and the Code of Conduct, behavioural expectations and standards and moral conduct.

Graduates will lead their communities and contribute to the development of society in moral, cultural and religious areas. The modules in the programme will provide them with the requisite knowledge and skills to assist them in serving as intergenerational and intercultural mediators; grief and trauma first responders; community-programme developers, and spiritual mentors.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
The institution aspires to meet the transformational needs of the people of South Africa by providing alternative access to education in the form of the RPL. RPL refers to the formal identification, assessment and acknowledgement of the full range of an individual's skills, knowledge and capabilities, irrespective of how and where they have been acquired.

RPL for access:

RPL for access is aimed primarily at those who are over the age of 23 and do not meet the conventional matriculation requirements for admission to undergraduate programmes.

The provisions of the Higher Education Act allow for the Senate's Discretionary admission of candidates who do not meet the conventional requirements for undergraduate qualification offered by the institution. Such admissions are regulated by the additional requirements of the Matriculation Board.

The institutional policy for gaining access via RPL may be applied on condition that applicants are 23 years and older and that the number of applicants for this alternative route of admission does not exceed 10% of the cohort.

The RPL admissions policy and procedures will be used to achieve two purposes:

Learners who are over the age of 23 and do not have formal qualifications at NQF Level 4 or equivalent, or who do not qualify for relevant age exemptions, may apply to be granted access to any undergraduate qualifications by means of RPL.

Learners who have extensive but relevant experiential or informal knowledge in a particular field of learning may apply to obtain advanced standing for a qualification or to obtain credits towards a qualification providing that the institution shall not grant credits more than 50% of the total required for the qualification by this route.

The purposes of advanced standing may also be achieved through the recognition of transfer credits from another institution, although the 50% residency clause also applies to this condition.

RPL for exemption of modules:

Learners may apply for RPL to be exempted from modules that form part of the qualification. For a learner to be exempted from a module, the learner needs to provide sufficient evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that competency was achieved for the learning outcomes that are equivalent to the learning outcomes of the module.
RPL for credit:

Learners may also apply for RPL for credit for or towards the qualification, in which they must provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates prior learning through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to obtain credits towards the qualification.

Credit shall be appropriate to the context in which it is awarded and accepted.

Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:

National Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 granting access to Higher Certificate studies.
Or

National Certificate (Vocational), NQF Level 4 granting access to Higher Certificate studies.
Or

Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 without endorsement.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at NQF Level 5 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory modules, Level 5, 120 Credits:

Introduction to Research and Academic Writing, 9 Credits.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ, 9 Credits.

Biblical Interpretation, 9 Credits.

Teachings of the Church, 9 Credits.

Survey of Church History, 9 Credits.

Church Governance, 9 Credits.

Biblical Studies, 9 Credits.

Biblical Preaching, 9 Credits.

Multicultural Ministry, 9 Credits.

Christian Ministry Field Work, 12 Credits.

Church Worship and Liturgy, 9 Credits.

Church Growth, 9 Credits.

Intergenerational Ministry, 9 Credits.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. Demonstrate the ability to understand the basic principles of biblical interpretation and understanding.
2. Demonstrate the ability to understand and explain the basic tenets of the Christian faith.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of church organization and management.
4. Demonstrate a knowledge of church history.
5. Demonstrate the ability to develop an appreciation for the diversity of people in the community based on different cultures and generational variance, etc.
6. Demonstrate the ability to understand and apply the basic principles of discipleship, disciple-making, and nurturing of members in the church.
7. Demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics and needs of different communities.
8. Demonstrate the ability to develop strategies for addressing the social, ethical, spiritual, and moral needs of different communities.
9. Demonstrate the ability to lead in worship services as a worship leader or as a person required to deliver the homily.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:

Explain presuppositions arising from the claims of the Bible.

Identify and explain principles of interpreting passages of the Bible.

Explain methods of Bible study appropriate for the different individuals in society.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:

Describe the role of prayer, Bible study and witnessing in the Christian's life.

Identify the different ways of church involvement for the various age groups in the local church.

Outline the fundamental Bible doctrines and their relevance to the life of the Christian.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:

Identify the different forms of church governance and describe the relationship between the different levels of church organization within the church's hierarchical structure.

Facilitate meetings with a clear understanding of the meaning and role of agendas, and minutes, quorum, understanding terms such as quorums.

Describe basic principles of parliamentary procedure as a committee member or chairman.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:

Describe the geographical, socio-political, author and audience of the religious context of the Old and New Testament.

Narrate events in the development of the Christian Church in South Africa.

Explain the role of the Church fathers in Church History and their significance for the Church today.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:

Build a knowledge base for leadership in relating to the different generations in the community.

Relate and minister to the different generations in the local church, with a particular emphasis on Generation Z.

Explain the basic principles of forming an urban centre of influence.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:

Explain the biblical and theoretical rationale for church growth.

Identify and describe the sections of the GROW model of evangelism which deal with disciple-making and nurture.

Discuss the steps for leading a person to become a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:

Develop a knowledge base for leadership in multicultural societies.

Observe multicultural church worship in various settings.

Be familiar with the rudiments of research for ecclesiastical purposes.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8:

Observe and make notes about community engagement programmes

Discuss the basic principles of outreach in the various communities.

Describe the elements of Christ's method of reaching people and explain how Christ's method can be realised by the church today.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9:

Define worship and its nature in a church context and lead out in worship services.

Organise a preaching roster and preach Bible-based, Christ-centred sermons.

Recognise and explain the nature and structure of liturgical programmes in the varied worship services of the church.

INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT
Continuous assessment practices form an integral part of the design of this qualification. Learning outcomes are made explicit to learners and there is a coherent assessment strategy in place for each module, with a fair balance between formative and summative assessment strategies.

The modules generally have one midterm test and a summative examination, while a few modules have an additional test prescribed.
The assignments vary depending on the nature of the respective module and the module outcomes and include the following:

Sermon preparation and preaching.

Reading reports.

An online blog.

An interview; a term paper.

Reporting on observation in a church setting.

Practical projects like conducting meetings.

Summative assessments are used to certify achievements in a module and to allocate grades. Their function is to evaluate learning by comparing it to a standard as informed by the NQF Level Descriptors. Furthermore, the intention is to assess the knowledge base and meaning-making as it is related to the outcomes intended for a module. Furthermore, final summative assessments are to be both integrative i.e. integrating theory and application and comprehensive.

The learner will be expected to fulfil the requirements of the Christian Ministry Fieldwork module after having completed the four Foundation Modules, as well as Church Governance and Biblical Preaching in the Core Modules. A Portfolio of Evidence is required for the Work-based Learning module.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

Country: Scotland
Institution: Tilsley College
Qualification Title: Certificate of Higher Education in Biblical Studies and Christian Ministry
NQF Level: The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) Level 5
Duration: One year full-time

Purpose:
The qualification provides a solid foundation for the Christian life and for ministry in a local church or in a cross-cultural mission context. The qualification has an emphasis on vocational training for Christian ministry. Tilsley College has been accredited by the British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education (BAC) and the European Council for Theological Education since 2008.

Qualification Structure:

Biblical Studies comparable to Biblical Studies and The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Christian Theology comparable to Biblical Interpretation Survey of Church History and Teachings of the Church.

Personal Development comparable to Introduction to Research and Academic Writing.

Evangelism and Mission in Context comparable to Church Growth, Church Governance and Multicultural Ministry.

Christian Ministry comparable to Christian Ministry Field Work and Intergenerational Ministry.

Integrated Learning comparable to Christian Ministry Field Work.

Assessments are carried out in essays, projects and written examinations.

Similarities:

The Tilsley College (TC) and the South African (SA) qualifications are registered at level 5 on the level EQF and the SA NQF.

The TC and SA qualifications are offered over one year of full-time study.

Both qualifications provide a solid foundation for the Christian life and ministry

The TC and SA qualifications consist of compulsory modules.

Country: United Kingdom University of Oxford
Qualification Title: Certificate in Theological Studies
NQF Level: Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) Level 4
Credits: 120 Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)
Duration: One year
Entry Requirements:

Applicants must have five General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) passes at grades A-C, one of which must be in English Language, and two passes at A-level (A2 level).

Purpose:
The Certificate will introduce learners to the study of theology as a subject discipline, bringing together cognate strands of theology, especially biblical studies, historical and systematic theology, and practical theology. The qualification is designed to equip learners for further study in theology, including possible progression to the Bachelor of Theology or Diploma and enable learners to connect theology to their own pastoral or professional practice.

By the end of the qualification, learners will have acquired a sound, accurate knowledge and understanding of the beliefs, practices, texts and history of the Christian tradition. The qualification will include the study of the Bible and the development of Christian doctrine in its historical context and the thought of modern theologians and through reflection on contemporary church and religious practice. Learners will be able to make connections between faith and modern intellectual developments within their cultural contexts, and, where appropriate, to reflect on their own professional practice.

The Certificate in Theological Studies is offered and accredited by the Department for Continuing Education. The Certificate brings the learner into an introductory course in Theology.

Qualification Structure:
The qualification consists of the following compulsory and elective modules.

Compulsory Modules:

Introduction to the Old Testament comparable to Biblical Interpretation and Survey of Church History.

Introduction to the New Testament comparable to The Gospel of Jesus Christ

The History of the Church comparable to Survey of Church History

Introduction to Christian Theology comparable to Teachings of the Church, Biblical Studies and Biblical Preaching.

Elective Modules (Select any two modules):

Spirituality, Ministry and Worship comparable to Church Worship and Liturgy and Christian Ministry Field Work

Contemporary Mission and Culture comparable to Multicultural Ministry and Intergenerational Ministry.

Relationships between Christian Faith and Philosophy and Science

Elementary Biblical Hebrew and Greek comparable to Biblical Studies

Assessment: learners will be set at least one short formative piece of work in the first term (formative work means learners will receive feedback, including areas for improvement, and often a mark, but this will not count towards the final mark for the qualification. The method of assessment varies between the papers: some are assessed by essay, project or portfolio of work, others by written examinations. A few offer a choice of method of assessment. There will be an opportunity to submit assignments three times during the year, and one option to sit the written exams each year

Similarities:

The University of Oxford (UO) and the South African (SA) qualifications have 120 credits.

Both qualifications take one year of full-time study.

The UO requires applicants who completed the General Certificate of Secondary Education similar to the National Senior Certificate in the SA qualification.

Both qualifications introduce learners to theology, Christian ministry and religious studies

Both qualifications utilise formative and summative assessment methods.

The TS, OU and SA qualifications share the following learning outcomes.

Understand Scriptural principles.

Develop an understanding regarding the character of God and the impact on their biblical authority and faith.

Identify and in the process of their studying develop principles of faith, hope and love for Godly character traits.

Develop spiritual and natural gifts to their full potential.

Develop an immense understanding of who the Holy Spirit is.

Interpret the impact of the Life of Jesus Christ.

Implement principles of worship, thanksgiving and praise to the Almighty.

Develop their God-given skills of preaching with a focus on Evangelism.

Develop principles for spiritual growth in Christ.

Interpret the biblical doctrines which include the concepts of the New Birth and their right standing with God.

Differences:

The UO is registered at level 4 on the level FHEQ whereas the SA qualification is registered at level 5 on the SA NQF.

The SA qualification consists of compulsory modules while the UO qualification consists of compulsory and elective modules.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

Horizontal Articulation:

Higher Certificate in Biblical Studies, NQF Level 5.

Higher Certificate in Bible Teaching, NQF Level 5.

Higher Certificate in Christian Life, NQF Level 5.

Higher Certificate in Christian Proclamation, NQF Level 5.

Higher Certificate in Christian Worship, NQF Level 5.

Higher Certificate in Theology, NQF Level 5.

Vertical Articulation:

Diploma in Theology, NQF Level 6.

Bachelor of Arts in Christian Theology, NQF Level 7.

Bachelor of Arts in Theology, NQF Level 7.

Bachelor of Biblical Studies, NQF Level 7.

Bachelor of Theology in Christian Ministry, NQF Level 7.

Bachelor of Theology, NQF Level 7.

Diagonal Articulation:
Occupational Certificate: Christian Religious Professional, NQF Level 5.

MODERATION OPTIONS

N/A

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

N/A

NOTES

N/A

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS 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.

1.	Helderberg College