The Berlin Mission Society and its theology: The Bapedi Mission Church andthe independent Bapedi Lutheran Church

The Berlin Mission's theology was a distinct world view that informed simul taneously the research, pedagogy, and behavior of pupils, missionaries, and African converts, especially leaders known as 'national helpers'. The theo logically based methods of understanding, on the one hand, and the behavior al manifestations or attitudinal indices looked for in those who were becom ing Christian, on the other, resulted in tensions and conflicts between mis sionaries and national helpers. One could say that Berlin missionaries were empathetic to things African in their methods of understanding, but prusso centric to things Christian in their delegation of responsibilities. This a rticle reviews the variable emphases of the mission director Wangemann's an d his son-in-law Winter's theology and shows how their theological predilec tions played into the church independence process in the larger context of competition from numerous little charismatic movements started by, especial ly, Black Wesleyans.