Abstract
The dimensions “unity” and “catholicity” in the ecclesiology of the Netherdutch Reformed Church since Ottawa 1982
 
 This article examines the current ecclesiology of the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa (NHKA) with reference to the extent to which the church understands unity and catholicity as biblical indicatives and imperatives. The article argues that the church’s understanding of unity and catholicity is prejudiced and influenced by the prominence the church awards to the tenet of an ethnic “peoples church” (“volkskerk”). This has lead to the NHKA’s ecumenical isolation. It is hence argued that the abolition of the church’s “ethnic church theology” will result in the abolition of its ecumenical isolation and will enable the NHKA to confess anew with the “church of all ages”, the “one, holy, apostolic and catholic Church”.
Highlights
This article examines the current ecclesiology of the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa (NHKA) with reference to the extent to which the church understands unity and catholicity as biblical indicatives and imperatives
Hierdie artikel beredeneer die tese dat die skeiding tussen die NHKA en die WARC verband hou met die voortgaande koestering van die volkskerklike denke in sekere kringe van die NHKA, soos wat dit destyds in Artikel III van die Kerkwet geïmpliseer is en sedert 1997 in Ordereël 4 van die huidige Kerkorde ook eksplisiet verwoord is
Onder die begrip “volkskerk” word verstaan: “’n kerk wat in die volk ingroei, nie om die volk en volkslewe by voorbaat te sanksioneer nie, maar juis om dit in kritiese solidariteit en met die profetiese appèl van die Woord, tot verheerliking van God te kersten” (NHKA 1985:4)
Summary
Die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (hierna NHKA) verkeer veral die afgelope 25 jaar in ’n posisie van grootskaalse isolasie ten opsigte van internasionale ekumeniese liggame. In hoofstuk 1 van die agenda van die 68ste AKV, is daar ’n beskrywingspunt wat vra dat die NHKA ’n uitspraak sal maak aangaande die wyse waarop die kwessie van kerklike eenheid en diversiteit in terme van die belydenis verstaan kan word. In die beskrywingspunte oor lidmaatskap by die WARC kom sake voor soos die NHKA se standpunt ten opsigte van Apartheid, die NHKA se eertydse teologiese begronding daarvan, die NHKA se verhouding met die MRCC asook die vraag of die volkskerkbegrip in die Kerkorde (Ordereël 4) nog hoegenaamd bruikbaar is en of dit nie steeds aangewend word – of minstens verstaan word – om lidmaatskap van die NHKA alleen tot blankes te beperk nie (vgl die Addendum van die 67ste AKV se agenda).
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