Occupational Certificate: Christian Religious Professional NQF level 5

Why work towards an Occupational Certificate: Christian Religious Professional NQF level 5?

Embark on a Transformative Journey in Christian Leadership

In today’s dynamic world, the demand for skilled Pentecostal church and community leaders is more critical than ever. The Occupational Certificate in Christian Religious Professional offered by AFMTC provides a unique opportunity for individuals to cultivate comprehensive competencies in ministry. Here’s why you should consider pursuing this qualification:

Holistic Ministry Preparation: Our program prepares learners to operate as Christian Religious Professionals, guiding faith communities towards spiritual formation, fellowship, and mutual care. You’ll develop skills to nurture a Christian lifestyle and provide visionary leadership, contributing to the well-being and sustainability of your faith community.

Accessible Online Learning: Designed for convenience, the program is offered online under the guidance of experienced facilitators. You can study from anywhere, provided you have internet access and a computer. Our commitment to accessibility ensures that learning is within reach, regardless of your location.

Real-world Experience: With workplace agreements in place, AFMTC facilitates hands-on experience through workplace modules and credit hours. You’ll have the opportunity to apply your knowledge in a practical setting, enhancing your readiness for real-world ministry.

Personalized Learning Path: The structured curriculum, totaling 237 credits at NQF level 5, allows for flexibility. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) offers exemptions based on your existing skills and knowledge, streamlining your path to completion in 24 to 30 months.

Pathway to Further Studies: Upon completion, you’ll be well-prepared to pursue further studies in an undergraduate program if you choose to expand your academic journey. The program is conducted in English, ensuring broad accessibility.

Professional Recognition: This qualification aligns with industry standards and is accredited by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupation (QCTO), South Africa. Graduates must register with a professional body for Christian Religious Practitioners to practice legally, demonstrating compliance with regulatory standards.

Embark on this transformative journey, and be equipped to lead with excellence in the ever-evolving landscape of Christian religious leadership.

Occupational Certificate: Christian Religious Professional Overview

Empowering Leaders for Modern Ministry

The Occupational Certificate in Christian Religious Professional, offered collaboratively by AFMTC and WNL Training Network Academy, addresses the evolving needs of religious leadership in Southern Africa. Here’s a comprehensive overview:

Diverse Religious Landscape: Southern Africa’s religious leaders hail from both formal historic churches and more recent development-based groups. With a significant contrast in numbers, there’s a crucial need for a qualification that caters to the diverse demands and dynamics of the modern religious landscape.

Closing the Training Gap: Traditionally, religious practitioners within the Christian tradition lacked formally recognized qualifications. The Occupational Certificate bridges this gap, offering a transformative step forward for both existing spiritual leaders and newcomers to the profession. Its accessibility ensures inclusivity, reaching individuals without access to traditional tertiary training.

Partnership for Excellence: AFMTC’s collaboration with WNL Training Network Academy provides an affordable, accredited, and online learning platform. These value-driven, skill-based qualifications fill the training vacuum that universities and private higher education institutions may be unable to address, ensuring practical and work-based learning.

Quality Assurance and Accreditation: The program, accredited by QCTO and registered on the National Qualification Framework, is developed under the supervision of the South African government. Learners undergo a thorough evaluation, including a final National Exam, to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.

Professional Recognition and Compliance: Upon completion, graduates must register with a professional body for Christian Religious Practitioners, aligning with new regulations for independent pastors. This ensures that our learners not only possess essential knowledge and skills but also meet the industry’s regulatory standards.

Embark on a journey that goes beyond a qualification – it’s a commitment to excellence in service, shaping leaders who are well-prepared to navigate the complexities of today’s spiritual landscape.

Do I Qualify?

Your journey to AFMTC begins with understanding the specific admission requirements for your chosen qualification. Here’s a guide to determine your eligibility:

General Admission Requirements

To register for this programme, prospective students require one of the following:

1. National Senior Certificate, as certified by Umalusi, without a bachelor’s pass.

If you do not have a National Senior Certificate, you can start with an Occupational Certificate: Christian Religious Practitioner NQF Level 2.

Please start with the Theological Training programme if you have a National Senior Certificate with a bachelor’s pass.

Programme Specific Admission Requirements

To register for this programme, particularly for those aspiring to qualify for ordained ministry in the AFM academically, the following steps are required:

1. Church Approval Processes:
   • Prospective students must comply with the church’s approval processes. This ensures alignment with the values and standards upheld by the AFM community.
2. AFM Ministry Ordination
   • Aspiring ministers must complete an NQF Level 6 qualification and register for AFM-specific subjects (History, AFM Liturgy, Dogmatic, and Governance) to qualify for Ministry Integrated Learning (MIL) and AFM Ministry Ordination.

Certified or notarized proof of these requirements should accompany the application form, along with a certified or notarized copy of the student’s identification document or valid passport.

Acceptance Criteria:

All individuals meeting these criteria and possessing sufficient proficiency in English are welcomed into the programme. AFMTC values diversity and ensures an inclusive environment for academic and spiritual development.

AFM Church’s Approval Procedure:

The AFM church approval process is a crucial part of the online application for admission to the programme. Follow these steps:

1. Character Reference Form:
   • Complete the character reference form online.
2. Recommendations/Report Forms:
   • The candidate’s Senior Pastor/Assembly Leader completes the recommendations/report form of the Governing Body and the Senior Pastor/Assembly Leader online.
   • The Regional/Network Leader/Secretary/Administrator completes the Regional/Network Committee recommendation form online.
   • An interview will be conducted with the applicant and spouse (if married) by the Regional/Network Committee to facilitate the completion of their recommendation.

The AFM reserves the right to accept or reject applications. The National Leadership Forum’s decision is final, and no negotiations will be entered into.

Application Process:

All applications for admission must be submitted online during the prescribed application period.

All applications for admission must be submitted online during the prescribed application period. For more information on application and enrollment, please visit the Application Instructions Page.

Join us in the pursuit of academic and spiritual excellence at AFMTC.

Curriculum

The curriculum is organized into three components: Knowledge Modules (KM), Practical Modules (PM), and Workplace Modules (WM). It features nine courses, each spanning a three-month term and grouped into three stages. Each course is offered twice a year, pending sufficient enrollment. You must complete all courses within a stage before progressing to the next stage. Please keep in mind the terms in which courses are presented.

STAGE 1	Course	Modules	Description	Credits per Module	Term
	Course 1	Module 01	Essentials and characteristics of religious practitioners	6	Term 1 & 3
		Module 03	Basic Christian concepts	8
		Module 04	Christian Ethics	8
		Module 05	History of the church and an overview of a variety of Christian traditions	6
	Course 2	Module 02.1	The Bible and Bible interpretation	5	Term 2 & 4
		Module 02.2	The Bible and Bible interpretation	9
		Module 02.3	The Bible and Bible interpretation	8
		Module 02.4	The Bible and Bible interpretation	8
	Course 3	Module 06	Principles of building the faith community	8	Term 3 & 1
		Module 07	Principles of preaching	8
		Module 08	Principles of conducting services	6
		Module 09	Spiritual formation, life skills training and value system development	10
	Course 4	Module 10	Principles of pastoral counseling in a Christian context	12	Term 4 & 2
		Module 11	The missional calling of the Church	7
		Module 12	Principles of church leadership and ministry management	8
		Module 13	Church administration, accountability and financial management	6

STAGE 2	Course	Modules	Description	Credits per Module	Term
	Course 5: Principles of preaching and conducting services	PM-01	Prepare sermons that will address the spiritual and contextual needs of the faith community	5	Term 1 & 3
		PM-02	Conduct worship services within the faith community	5
		WM-01	Conduct a worship service and deliver a sermon	15
	Course 6: Principles of building the faith community	PM-03	Interact with groups and individuals in order to facilitate spiritual growth	4	Term 2 & 4
		PM-04	Nurture fellowship among members of the faith community	4
		PM-05	Lead the faith community to show loving care in times of need or crisis	6
		WM-02	Observe and describe the existing relationships in the faith community. Conduct at least 3 ministry activities to enhance the quality of fellowship and mutual care in a specific faith community.	15
	Course 7: Spiritual formation, life skills training and value system development	PM-14	Initiate and/or participate in interventions to deal with needs and emergency situations in the community.	3	Term 3 & 1
		PM-06	Lead the faith community to live according to a Christian value system and Christian virtues	4
		PM-07	Develop pro-active and reactive (coping) life skills in the faith community through preaching and teaching and mentoring	5
		WM-03	Identify, in consultation with leaders in the faith community, the main issues related to the holistic well-being (socio-economic, physical, emotional and spiritual health) and Christian values of faith community members. Prepare programs and present of conduct interventions to cultivate pro- and reactive life skills and spiritual disciplines. Prepare and present programs and interventions to nurture a Christian value system.	10
	Course 8: Principles of church leadership and ministry management. Church administration, accountability and financial management.	PM-08	Lead a faith community through visionary spiritual leadership (strategic management as a spiritual discipline)	4	Term 4 & 2
		PM-09	Build the spiritual leadership capacity of the congregation/faith group	4
		PM-10	Facilitate stewardship processes in the faith community (operational management as a spiritual discipline)	4
		PM-11	Facilitate stewardship processes in the faith community (stewardship as a spiritual discipline)	4
		WM-04	Engage a faith community on aspects of visional leadership. Engage a faith community on aspects of operational management, administration, financial management and accountability practices.	5

STAGE 3	Course	Modules	Description	Credits per Module	Term
	Course 9: The missional calling of the Church	PM-12	Mobilise the faith community to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world	4	Term 1, 2, 3, 4
		PM-13	Plan and execute outreach programs to deal with socio-economic and other relevant needs in the wider community.	3
		PM-15	Participate in inter-faith community development initiatives	3
		PM-16	Plan and manage the effective use of media	2
		WM-05	Plan an outreach or community development project in a community. Implement an outreach or community development project in a community. Promote awareness and advocacy to address a specific issue.	5
	EISA Exam		Register		Term 1 & 3
			Write		Term 2 & 4

The minimum duration of the programme is 2.5 to 3 years.

Timetable

Term 1	Term 2	Term 3	Term 4
1 Feb. to 30 Apr.	1 May to 31 July	1 Aug. to 31 Oct.	1 Nov. to 31 Jan.

The minimum duration of the programme is 2.5 to 3 years.

Pricing

Course Fees – Christian Religious Professional NQF level 5
Application Fee	Free
Registration Fee	R2 000 (Non-Refundable)
Reactivation Fee	R500  Note: The student will need to pay a reactivation fee if the student has been inactive for more than 6 months or has not enrolled for any course for more than 6 months period.
Per Course	R2 400 (Online study material is included. Cost of printed books will be charged separately)
Final Exam (EISA) Fee	R1000 (the EISA fee will be revised annually)
Cost per Study Manual: NQF Level 5 consists of 16 learner’s manuals (R200 per manual)	R3 200
RPL Fee	R1 200 (Non-refundable and excluding RPL Assessment fee) Note: The RPL assessment fee will be charged separately depending on number of Assessments and Credits. For more detals please contact [email protected]
Administrative tasks (for instance, transcript issuance or provision of specific official documentation)	R200
The provision of a duplicate official transcript	R200

Note: The fee per course is R2,400, which must be paid before the start of the term. Students are required to enroll and pay for courses two weeks before the start of the term in which the course is presented.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected]

Rules for Assessment, Credit Accumulation, Progression and Qualification

Assessment

All assessment is conducted online. Unless otherwise indicated, the pass mark for all assessment tasks is 50%. To pass a course, you must maintain a grade average of 50% or above.

External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA) and Certification

EISA is the final national exam after the full course (all the modules) has been successfully completed and learners received full competency credits for all modules. After the successful completion of the EISA exam, learners will qualify for the learners will qualify for the Certificate for Religious Pactitioners/Professional and the certification will be done by and under the supervision of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupation. For more information, please visit https://www.qcto.org.za/services/certification-and-verification/certification

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