The significance of vocational training among neo-Pentecostal pastors in South Africa: three modalities of Jesus applied to theological education

Abstract

The current theological training of pastors is done in different institutions of higher learning, such as universities, seminaries, and bible colleges. However, among some pastors in neo-Pentecostal churches, this type of training is not impactful, as some do not even have the matriculation to enrol in such institutions. This presents a challenge to theological education among the neo-Pentecostal pastors in South Africa, such as its inability to cater to non-matriculant pastors or pastors who are not cognitively oriented. Despite recent studies on Pentecostal theological education, none offer a vocational pathway mapped to South Africa’s skills development legislation. To fill this gap, this article used an integrative literature review of relevant peer-reviewed sources and the relevant SETA policy documents to propose vocational training as an alternative to the cognitive theological training offered in institutions of higher learning in South Africa. The background to vocational training is introduced to apply it to the training of neo-Pentecostal pastors using Jesus’s three modalities of coaching, observation, and experiential training. These three modalities are applicable in the bible colleges and the sector of education, training, and authority. In addition, vocational training can prepare neo-Pentecostal pastors for enrollment in universities. This article argues that a competency-based education, vocational pathway grounded in Jesus’s coaching–observation–experience model, offers a viable alternative for South African neo-Pentecostal pastors lacking matric certification.