Structural and Functional Assessment on the Readiness of The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Providing Pastoral Counseling
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2018-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to assess the structural and functional readiness of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) to provide pastoral counselling. As to the methods, the study employed Rapid Assessment and Action Planning Process (RAAPP). Thus, the process was conducted as per the manual developed by WHO (2015) which includes three phases, Phase One: The Planning phase; Phase Two: The Orientation and Data Collection phase; and Phase Three: The Analysis and Action Planning phase and twelve (12) procedural steps. The area sampling was limited to Addis Ababa through purposive sampling where the criterion was availability of information. Five types of data sources were employed, namely, The Holy Synod; The Holy Trinity Theological College; EOTC Patriarchate Office; Members of the Likawent Guba’ae (Council of Church Scholars); and Members of a core-team with personal closeness to the functioning of the EOTC and specialized knowledge in psychology, law, management, economics, and theology. The sampling of all respondents except the members of the core-team, was purposive sampling where the criteria were access to relevant information and willingness to participate as data source, and the sampling of the core-team was conducted through snowball sampling method. Two types of data collection instruments, namely, semi-structured interview and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) were used as data collection tool. Interviews were conducted with scholars at Holy Trinity Theological College, Church scholars in the Likawent Guba’ae (Council of Church Scholars), and with Members of the administration at EOTC Patriarchate Office. Focus Group Discussion was held with members of the core-team. Concerning qualitative data analysis, thematic analysis method were employed to analyse qualitative information collected through semi-structured interview and focus group discussion to generate concepts, key themes and patterns and triangulation was made and all conclusions were presented to the core-team for consistency and contradiction. Findings are presented across the four study questions, which read as: (i) Is there pastoral guidance and counselling service in the EOTC? (ii) What are the nature and characteristics of pastoral guidance and counselling service in the EOTC? (iii) What is the level of structural readiness at the EOTC in providing pastoral counselling; and (iv) What is the level of functional readiness at the EOTC in providing pastoral counselling? The conclusions of the study are arranged, again, across the study questions, thus, (i) Regarding the 1st question, the research concluded that the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church does provide guidance and counselling services to its followers, however, the service does not meet with the nature of pastoral guidance and counselling; and (ii) the 2nd question, the research concluded that the guidance and counselling service provided by the EOTC is not pastoral since (a) it is fully biblical-based in nature; is delivered by the clergy with no specialized training to provide pastoral counselling; and (iii) Concerning the 3rd question, the research concluded that primarily, since the nature of guidance and counselling that is provided in the EOTC is not ‘pastoral’ in nature but ‘Christian or Biblical’ one cannot talk about structural inputs for ‘pastoral counselling’; (iv) Finally, regarding the 4th question, the research concluded that (i) again it would be fallacious to discuss on the availability and nature of functional inputs for ‘pastoral counselling’ in the EOTC since the nature of guidance and counselling that is provided in the EOTC is not ‘pastoral’ in nature but ‘Christian or Biblical’ and secondarily, regarding the availability and nature of function inputs for the prevailing Christian or Biblical counselling, the study has concluded that there is no functional inputs such as policy material, strategic document, guideline, protocol, minimum standard, code of ethics.
Keywords: The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Pastoral guidance and counselling.
Description
Keywords
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Pastoral guidance and counselling