Apartheid and theological education: an investigation of the theological education provided at St. Bede’s Theological College in Umtata, 1950-1992.

Abstract

The Church of England came to South Africa with British missionaries, and settlers who had a hard time with indigenous people whom they tried to evangelize. The Church grew under Robert Gray the first Bishop. Before Gray, the bishops from India managed the South African places. Bishop John William Colenso came with a follower named Henry Callaway whom he inspired to do good work among the natives. Callaway had a passion for the growth of the Church to other parts of the country. He became the first bishop in the new diocese called the Diocese of St. John, which was established in Transkei. The National Government could not allow whites to mix with blacks. The early Anglican missionaries realized the need for the growth of the church which depended on the establishment of colleges. Three theological colleges were established, St. Peter’s in Rosettenville, St. Paul’s in Grahamstown and St. Bede’s in Umtata. The first two were for whites, while St. Bede’s was specifically for native students for ministry. So, the establishment of the theological colleges was racially-based. Apartheid had a huge impact on theological education in the Anglican Church. This research looked at St. Bede’s Theological College as a case study on the separation of races in the Anglican Church of South Africa. The primary and secondary sources, used for the study are, the archives and the interviews with former students of St. Bede’s and people who had closer contact with St. Bede’s Theological College in Umtata. The aims of the study to understand the impact of apartheid, with its racial separation of people, on theological education and know more about Transkei as a homeland, whose independence was only recognized by South Africa. The used Critical Race Theory analyses race and matters around race, power, justice and equity. Participants did not observe racism in the college but rather in the effects of apartheid on the college.