The birth of Coram Deo
On this page you will find a video and text by Dr Andre Botha, reflecting on the birth of Coram Deo. It was used during the twentieth year celebration service in March 2023. The text is originally submitted in Afrikaans that we present here after the translation in English.
Coram Deo Pastoral Centre turns 20 – A look back at the birth of the centre
8 Feb 2023, Dr Andre Botha
It’s quite a nostalgic, sentimental experience to think back on the stories of Coram Deo’s beginning.
In 1999, a social worker and I started putting together a one-year course for housewives who would like to help with hospital and home visitation.
We teach in the Old Youth House where Caritas stands today. It was a neglected building with dirty carpets. About 14 women enrolled. After that year, these very women insist on studying further – and we never stopped compiling a new curriculum year after year. Every year new people wanted to join.
It was in 2000 or 2001 that a lawyer and his family were hijacked in their garage. He asks me to come and help with trauma. I went to them that night. After the hour and a half I was busy with the family, I greeted and made my way to the car, the lawyer in tow. He just desperately wants to know, “How did you do that?” I ask, “How so?” He says: “I was changed in the conversation. How do you do that?” I then shared with the lawyer some principles of narrative therapy.
A few weeks later, the lawyer called me. He vacated his attorney offices built on top of his home. He says: “I give you 10 days to decide if you want to start a pastoral centre in the venue on top of my house!”
The first group of women and I started designing a centre right there: Name; Vision; Mission and Core Values. Thus, the name Coram Deo Pastoral Centre was born. Coram Deo means before God or in the presence of God. That group of women had a kind of enthusiasm that was totally contagious and over the years intensely affected each individual student, lecturer and staff member. These were people, a community of people who gave birth to this centre.
And here is the first vision statement:
Coram Deo is an experience of taking hands that bring hope.
And here’s the first mission statement:
We want to be a professional Pastoral Centre that offers all people in our area the opportunity to develop new ways and hope. This we want to do by:
1. respectful pastoral conversations,
2. excellent training and
3. great organization.
We design a logo and a nameplate and 10 days later we put the board up and start teaching there. And there, we began to see the first clients. This was the birth of Coram Deo.
And so, our Father bent a violent hijacking at a lawyer’s house to the service of his Kingdom.
In 2002, we began negotiations with the CB Baden-Powell Bible Centre at UNISA for Academic Recognition. A few years later this recognition would move to the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Contextual Ministry.
On the 16th of May 2002, the Church Council of Pretoria-Oosterlig approved the construction of Coram Deo’s buildings.
And the Section 21 company was approved in January 2003. This year, it’s twenty years later. What a blessed journey it has been!
Congratulations Coram Deo. And thank you to the Coram Deo board of directors for continuing this precious work. All blessing and prosperity.
And another thank you to every lecturer and student who carries this vision with dedication.
Regards, Dr Andre Botha
Coram Deo Pastorale Sentrum word 20 jaar – ‘n Terugblik op die geboorte
28 Feb 2023
Dr Andre Botha
Dit is nogal ‘n nostalgiese, sentimentele ervaring om terug te dink aan die geboorte-verhale van Coram Deo.
In 1999 begin ek en ‘n maatskaplike werker om ‘n eenjarige kursus saam te stel vir huisvroue wat graag wil help met siekebesoek in hospitale en tuis.
Ons gee klas in die Ou Jeughuis waar Caritas vandag staan. Dit was ‘n verwaarloosde gebou met vuil matte. Sowat 14 vroue het ingeskryf. Ná daardie jaar dring hierdie einste vroue aan om verder te studeer – en ons het nooit weer opgehou om jaar na jaar ‘n nuwe curriculum op te stel nie. En daar was elke jaar nuwe eerstejaars wat wou inskryf.
Dit was in 2000 of 2001 wat ‘n prokureur en sy gesin in hulle motorhuis gekaap word. Hy vra my om te kom help met trauma. Ek is die aand na hulle toe. Na die uur en ‘n half wat ek met die gesin besig was, groet ek en is oppad kar toe, die prokureur agterna. Hy wil net dringend weet: “Hoe het jy dit gedoen?” Ek vra: “Hoe so?” Hy sê: “Ek is in die gesprek verander. Hoe doen jy dit?” Ek beduie vir die prokureur ‘n paar beginsels van narratiewe terapie.
‘n Paar weke later bel die prokureur my. Hy ontruim sy eie prokureurs-kantore wat bo-op sy huis gebou is. Hy sê: “Ek gee jou 10 dae om te besluit of jy ‘n pastorale sentrum in die lokale bo-op my huis wil begin!”
Ek en die eerste groep vroue begin net daar ontwerp aan ‘n sentrum se: Naam; Visie; Missie en Kernwaardes. So is die naam Coram Deo Pastorale Sentrum gebore. Coram Deo beteken voor God of in die teenwoordigheid van God. Daardie groep vroue het ‘n soort entoesiasme gehad wat totaal aansteeklik was en het deur die jare elke individuele student, dosent en personeellid intens geraak. Dit was mense, ‘n geméénskap van mense wat aan hierdie sentrum geboorte gegee het.
En hier is die eerste visie-stelling:
Coram Deo is ‘n handevat-ervaring wat hoop bring.
En hier is die eerste missie-stelling:Ons wil ‘n professionele Pastorale Sentrum wees wat vir alle mense in ons omgewing die geleentheid bied om nuwe weë en hoop te ontgin. Dit wil ons doen deur:
1. respekvolle pastorale gesprekke,
2. uitnemende opleiding en
3. puik organisasie.
Ons ontwerp ‘n logo en ‘n naambord en 10 dae later sit ons die bord op en begin daar klas gee. En daar het ons die eerste kliënte begin sien. Dit was die geboorte van Coram Deo.
En so het ons Vader ‘n geweldadige kaping in ‘n prokureur se huis omgebuig tot diens van sy Koninkryk.
In 2002 begin ons onderhandel met die CB Baden-Powell Bible Centre by UNISA vir Akademiese erkenning. ‘n Paar jaar later sou hierdie erkenning skuif na die Univesiteit van Pretoria se Sentrum vir Kontekstuele Teologie.
Op die 16de Mei 2002 keur die die Kerkraad van Pretoria-Oosterlig die bou van Coram Deo se geboue goed.
En die Artikel 21 maatskappy word in Januarie 2003 goedgekeur. Vanjaar is dit twintig jaar later. Wat ‘n geseënde reis was dit nie!
Baie geluk Coram Deo. En dankie aan die Direksie van Coram Deo wat hierdie kosbare werk voortsit. Alle seën en voorspoed.
En nog ‘n dankie aan elke dosent en student wat met toewyding hierdie visie dra.Groete, Dr Andre Botha
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