Ecclesiastico-pastoral care for social security grant holders in South Africa

This article aims to address the gap in research on ecclesiastical and pastoral care for congregational members dependent on government grants from the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). It emphasises the impact of the dire socio-economic circumstances of congregants, and the role it plays in the life of the ordained pastor of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA), navigating through the dynamics on their daily realities. The primary question addressed is: What amount of care is possible from the side of the church and the pastor to deal with SASSA related problems experienced by congregants? It is based on two types of data: firstly, five semi-structured interviews conducted with five women, three of them mothers who receive a Child Support Grant, and two grandmothers whose teenage daughters receive this grant. A second data set consists of recollections by a pastor who ministers in a community where the only income of most of the inhabitants is SASSA Grant related. Seven stories are told of pastoring needs related to SASSA Grant holders. Applying Narrative Therapy as method, data was analysed and nine themes emerged: (1) The church acknowledging and managing the needs of mothers; (2) the church providing a ‘haven’ for young mothers harassed by the father of the child; (3) pastoring domestic unrest among older grant holders; (4) pastoring congregants who are scammed out of a SASSA Grant; (5) supporting congregants who escape domestic violence through SASSA; (6) the church co-ordinating between significant others; (7) pastoring honour and shame; (8) protecting the elderly; and (9) pastoring conflicting cultural expectations vis-à-vis the SASSA Grant. This article concludes with a summary of and recommendations on ecclesiastico-pastoral care for SASSA Grant holders.Contribution: This article emphasises the importance of a multi-dimensional, non-theoretical approach in providing insight into the reality of ecclesiastical-pastoral care of congregants – care that extends beyond spiritual well-being to the livelihoods of vulnerable communities with various socio-economic needs, particularly those solely dependent on government grants.