Since the Second World War South African society has become more and more complex. The uniformity of life style, value systems and religious mind has faded away. Ministry has become a pluriform and heterogeneous praxis. The diaconiological approach to Practical Theology, stressing knowledge of the Word of God as vital for theorising about the ministry, is a valid one. In the light of the complex situation in the practice of ministry, knowledge of this field is also vital. A contextual approach to praxis has left us with biased insights because its interests are profoundly political. A theological-empirical approach for research of the practical side of ministry is proposed in order to obtain a balanced relationship between Word and reality. A theological-empirical approach implies the study of ministry in which the Word of God can be heard through the ministry in the real situation of the contemporary South African life-world.