Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk Van Afrika Research Articles

Ecclesia reformata semper reformanda: W.A. (Wim) Dreyer and the reformation of the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa

Prof. W.A. Dreyer played an important role in the continuous reformation of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA). This contribution to his Festschrift is not about him. He would not want that. It is about the church and how his understanding of reformed ecclesiology became the basis on which the transformation from ‘Volkskerk’ to missional church took place. According to himself, that was his calling and his life’s work. The importance of his contribution cannot be understood without the historical background in which it played out. Neither is it possible to envisage what really happened without acknowledging the theologians who played an important part in his life. This article therefore starts with a short overview of the history of the NHKA. It then proceeds with an overview of how important theologians in the NHKA influenced his ecclesiology. It concludes with three specific contributions that Prof. W.A. Dreyer made which makes him a key role player which led the NHKA on the way of Ecclesia reformata semper reformanda.Contribution: Prof. W.A. Dreyer became an important church leader in the Netherdutch Reformed Church. His leadership resulted in important changes in the church and especially in the ecclesiology of the church. This article, which is part of his Festschrift, gives an overview of his theological contribution through the lens of semper reformanda. By doing so, it indicates how important is the role of church leaders. All the research is based on his scholarly work.

South Africa’s Reformed Churches improved aspects of the Dutch church polity in the 19th century

Systematic theology determined church polity, and that had an influence on church history. Thus, the Church Order of Dordt (1618/19) was for centuries the standard of church polity within the Reformed Church in the Netherlands until it was replaced by the General Regulation (1816). Because this church played a major role in the development of the reformed churches in South Africa, the assumption was that the mainline churches in South Africa closely followed the example of the Netherlands. This article aimed to evaluate the development within the mainline churches in South Africa regarding three aspects: the delegation by a church council to broader (major) assemblies; the naming of the presbytery as a circle; and finally, the composition regarding a synodical commission. A comparison was made between the densely populated Netherlands and the scantily populated South Africa. For a comprehensive view, both demographical and geographical differences, as well as political and historical developments were considered. The outcome clearly showed that church polity cannot be applied in the same manner in different locations. The majority Reformed Churches in South Africa (the Dutch Reformed Church – the whole family of churches); the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa (Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika) followed the same route. The only exception was the Reformed Churches in South Africa (Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika).Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This paper contributes to a new appreciation for these three aspects as still being regarded as true church polity, but in a ‘decolonised’ way from the Dutch situation during the first half of the 19th century.

Iustitia: Teologies-etiese perspektiewe op die begrip geregtigheid met besondere verwysing na die standpunt van Augustinus en sy verreikende invloed

Iustitia: Theological-ethical perspectives on the concept of ‘justice’ with particular reference to the position of Augustine and his far-reaching influence. Last year, at a conference of the ‘Kerkhistoriese Genootskap’ of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA), the theme of ‘geregtigheid’ [righteousness] was investigated from various angles. The author of this article was invited to present on the views of the church father, Augustine, within a broad perspective. The objectives were to explain, illuminate and evaluate the views of Augustine and to focus on their relevance today. The customary methodology was followed: studying Augustine’s main texts about the subject and applying both classic and modern methodologies of Dogmatics. This implied an investigating, interpreting, comparing and evaluating Augustine’s ideas. Attention was also given to developments after Augustine as well as their implications for the South African situation. A short interlude on biblical perspectives was included. The result showed how much Augustine has influenced theology through the ages; how many positive perspectives he has brought forward, but also how many questions his theology has raised. The article concludes with views which clarify the fact that the theme of righteousness is of utmost importance in Christian theology and ethics, and cannot be understood without reference to God in Christ, reference to man and reference to the earth. The article ends with a final eschatological perspective: the concept of righteousness characterises the future hope of a new creation (2 Pt 3:13).Contribution: The main contribution of this article is contained in the last two pages which summarises its essence: Righteousness is imperative and indispensable for meaningful life on earth.The article ends with a final eschatological perspective: The concept of righteousness characterises the future hope of a new creation (2 Pt 3:13).

The priesthood of believers: The forgotten legacy of the reformation

This contribution revisits the priesthood of believers. It is placed within the current discourse on relevant ecclesiologies and ecclesial praxis for 21st-century reformed churches. Luther placed much emphasis on the priesthood of believers in his rejection of the Roman Catholic differentiation between ordained clergy and laity. This was taken up by Calvin, but not to the same extent as Luther. The limited attention given to the priesthood of believers in reformed ecclesiologies, confessions and church orders is challenged in the current discourse on ecclesiology, especially by theologians working in the field of missional ecclesiology. Much emphasis is placed on the role of the ‘ordinary’ church member in terms of ministry. It is proposed that a continued reformation of the church would inter alia imply a renewed appreciation of the priesthood of believers. The shift in ecclesiology must be visible in reformed church polity and church orders. The interrelatedness of ecclesiology, church polity, church order and ecclesial praxis makes this unavoidable. A church order should not be regarded as an immutable historical document with everlasting authority, but rather as an instrument that could facilitate change and ecclesial praxis in the spirit of ecclesia semper reformanda. As such, church polity could even be regarded as a ‘practical ecclesiology’. Recent changes to the Church Order of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika are used as a case study and to illustrate the point. Contribution: The primary contribution of this manuscript contributes to the historical and systematic analysis of the concept ‘priesthood of all believers’, as well as its relevance to the current discourse on missional ecclesiology. It falls within the scope of HTS Theological Studies in terms of original theological research.

Die opbou van ’n missionale gemeente: ’n Verkenning van die invloed van Godsbegrip en liturgiese ervaring

The building up of a local missional congregation: The understanding of God and liturgy. The purpose of this article is to investigate the understanding of God by members of the Netherdutch Reformed Church (Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika [NHKA]), their liturgical experience and its influence on the development of a missional congregation. The world is currently in the midst of a wave of changes that have far-reaching implications for the church and, specifically, for the NHKA. In a changing world it is imperative that church members understand the value of the different metaphors of God as well as its value for the development of the missional congregation. From a practical-theological approach, this article aims to look at the influence of the liturgy of life on the development of a missional congregation.

Van buite bekyk: Die teologie van die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika tussen 1938 en 1950

This article depicts the theology of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika as embodied in especially influential ecclesiastical publications, namely Die Hervormer , the Almanak van die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika and the Hervormde Teologiese Studies . These sources indicated the period between 1938 and 1950 to be of significance in the history of the formation of the theology in this church. Hence the delimitation 1938–1950. The memorial dates in 1938, 1939 and 1942 offered the church the opportunity to shape its historical existence theologically. This was done along clear-cut ecclesiastical lines. As the Voortrekkerkerk , the Hervormde Kerk was in fact a Christ confessing church of the (Afrikaner) people. By 1950 a shift in this theological image occurred: from historical identity to a contextual insistence: the racial issue. The traditional theology of the Church was accordingly adapted and contextualised in a praxis of separate development and separate churches. From its own ranks this theology was also critically questioned. The interrogation did not take its departure in either history or context, but argued the case in terms of the church of Christ.

Hervormde voetspore op die Tukkie-kampus: ’n Kroniek van die eerste 50 jaar

In 2017 the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA) celebrates its centenary of theological education at the University of Pretoria (UP). In this article the focus is on the build-up to setting up the first 50 years 1917– 1967 at UP. From as early as 1909 there was a yearning for our own theological seminary; however, some of the church leaders expressed their desire for theological education at a university. At the dawn of 1916 everything was in place for the NHKA and the Presbyterian Church of South Africa, as the first two partners, to start a faculty of theology at the Transvaal University College (TUC). On 01 April 1917 the Faculty of Theology commenced its work with prof. J.H.J.A. Greyvenstein of the NHKA and prof. E. MacMillan from the Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian link with the faculty was broken in 1933. From 1938 the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (NGK) joined the NHKA and two independent sections were established: Section A for the NHKA and Section B for the NGK. There was a steady growth in the number of students and professors and on 13 June 1967 the NHKA filled its sixth professorship in the person of prof. I.J. de Wet. This era was also characterised by a lot of political tension in the heyday of the policy of apartheid. The NHKA was known for Article III in its constitution that propagates that church membership was for whites only. The NHKA support of the policy of apartheid was the cause of a dispute between the Church and prof. A.S. Geyser. In the end the matter was settled in favour of Geyser. There was also a dispute between professors A.G. Geyser and A.D. Pont that ended up in court in 1967. Pont was accused of defamation against Geyser. The court ruled against Pont and Geyser was granted the largest amount of compensation up till then.

Hervormde spore op die Tukkie kampus – ’n Kroniek van die tweede 50 jaar

This article is about the 2nd half (50 years) of the centenary of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA) at the University of Pretoria (UP). The NHKA was the first church to join the Faculty of Theology at UP in 1917. The previous article ‘Hervormde footprints on the Tukkie campus – a chronicle of the first fifty years’ contains the humble beginnings, the steady growth, the political background during the apartheid years, and the NHKA’s role in justifying apartheid. The 70s and the 80s was a flourishing time for the Church with a steady growth in membership, an increase in the number of lecturers and students, and more or less enough money to sustain theology education at UP. During the nineties there was a decrease in membership numbers with the pivot point in 1992: from thereon there was a steady decline which was accelerated by the church schism in 2011 and onward. The two Sections of the NHKA and the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (NGK), Section A and B, became one in 2000. The Reformed Theology College (RTC), with the aim of church specific education for students of the NHKA, was also established in 2000 with prof. T.F.J. Dreyer as the first head. In November 2015 a student protest action #FeesMustFall rocked the foundation of higher education in South Africa. The issue of language and curriculum as aftermath of the protest actions was also at stake during 2016. During 2017 the centennial celebration of the Faculty of Theology at UP will take place. It coincides with REFO 500 – the commemoration of 500 years of the Reformation.

Kerkwees in die voetspore van Christus volgens Efesiërs 4 en 5

This contribution contains a sermon delivered as opening address to the 71st General Assembly of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA). For the last twenty years the NHKA had been involved in a process of ecclesial transformation, based on fundamental shifts in ecclesiology. This opening address reflects on the nature and calling of the church in light of Ephesians 4 and 5, with the specific focus on ‘being church in the footsteps of Christ’. Much emphasis is placed on the verb ‘peripateo’ which appears five times in these two chapters. It is suggested that it could be translated as ‘following in the footsteps of someone’ and that this has very specific implications for being church in the 21st century. Ephesians 4 and 5 articulate being church in the footsteps of Christ in terms of unity, holiness, love, light and wisdom.

Institusioneel vasgeloop? Die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika

The Netherdutch Reformed Church (Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika) finds itself in a precarious situation. It could be described as a watershed moment in the life of this denomination. The impasse developed due to various factors such as the loss of membership, the economic situation, ecumenical isolation and various other influences, which eventually resulted in a strong institutionalised organisation. Institutionalisation necessarily resulted in a shift of focus from the essence of being Church towards institutional continuation. As a result, the organic growth of the church suffered. This article investigates the institutionalism of the Netherdutch Reformed Church from an open (living) systems perspective, thereby identifying the dysfunctionality between form and function and ending with certain perspectives in respect of a change in focus by the church to realise the true essence of being Church of Jesus Christ.

Honderd Jaar Hervormde Teologie

The Faculty of Theology of the University of Pretoria is celebrating its centenary during 2017. Since its inception in 1917, the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (by agreement) appointed lecturers in the Faculty and more than a thousand ministers of the Hervormde Kerk received their theological education at the University of Pretoria. As such, the centenary of the Faculty is also a celebration of hundred years of ‘Hervormde theology’. This contribution reflects on two publications (by M.J. Goddefroy and P.J .Muller, respectively) which appeared in 1890 and 1908, firstly to give an overview of the prehistory of the establishment of the Faculty of Theology and secondly to illustrate the diverse origins and nature of Hervormde theology as reflected in the publications of Goddefroy and Muller.

Die <i>Fresh Expression</i> beweging en die Hervormde Kerk – ’n nuwe manier van kerkwees?

The Fresh Expression movement is well-known in Great Britain and other Western countries like the USA, Australia and lately South Africa. During 2013, a task team launched two pilot courses in Cape Town and George that marked the beginning of Fresh Expressions in South Africa. The Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa – NRCA) exposed 125 of her pastors to the Fresh Expression movement by means of the annual continuous theological training program during 2015. Three of the pastors underwent the ‘Train the Trainer’ course and are currently involved in the presentation of courses in the Pretoria region. The Fresh Expression movement hold the possibility for pioneers in church planting to reach the people who have no ties with the established church. By entering a certain context, faith communities are established by means of listening to the people in their context, serving them in a loving way, creating a community, evangelise and discipling them and starting their own unique way of worshipping. The new faith communities are not in competition with the established church but it is rather a question of a mixed economy where different types of church exists alongside each other in mutual respect and support. This study tries to establish basic criteria to distinguish a Fresh Expression from random missional outreaches by a congregation. Two potential Fresh Expressions in the NRCA were evaluated by the set criteria.

Partners in history: The Dutch Reformed Church and theological training at the University of Pretoria: 1938–2000

The Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria celebrates its centenary in 2017. Theological training at the university started in 1917 when the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika decided to train its own ministers. In 1937 the Dutch Reformed Church decided to establish a faculty of its own at the university. This led to a faculty with two sections: Section A for the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk and Section B for the Dutch Reformed Church. This was the situation until 2000 when the two faculties merged to become one. Although theological training by the Dutch Reformed Church only started in 1938, their faculty, Section B was an important partner through the 100 years of theological training. This article gives a chronology of the history of the Faculty of Theology Section B as partner in the history of theological training at the University of Pretoria.

Die Wêreldbond van Gereformeerde Kerke, die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk en ’n <i>status confessionis</i> teen die teologiese en morele regverdiging van apartheid

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the Dutch Reformed Church and a status confessionis against the theological and moral justification of apartheid. In 1982 the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) announced a status confessionis against the theological and moral justification of apartheid. It expelled two member churches, the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) and the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa (Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika) because of their known support of apartheid. This situation could only be changed if these two churches were to unequivocally reject apartheid on the basis of a status confessionis and show specified practical examples of this rejection. The meaning of a status confessionis as applied by the WARC is analysed. The reason why the WARC came to a status confessionis is historically investigated. The reaction of the DRC to this resolution and its readmittance as a member of the WARC is clarified. Attention is also given to the condition that accepting a status confessionis against the support of apartheid does not mean – for the WARC at least – that a new confession of faith should follow from this.

Onderskeid (בין) in die Ou Testament

Discernment () in the Old Testament. Discernment is one of the concepts that urge each and everyone to think critically and anew. The concept of a never-ending spiral of thinking is very familiar in the circles of reformed churches. This concept is also known from the wisdom literature in the Old Testament. The realisation that you do not know, means approaching the ability to grasp something of wisdom. In order to find out what the Old Testament is saying about ‘discern’, I did a textual research on the two Hebrew words: and I apply the results of this research to the context of the church (with specific reference to the ‘Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika’ [NH Church]) attempting to find out what the church’s responsibility is with regards to what is really important (i.e. discernment).

Wanneer een twee word: ’n Perspektief op resente gebeure in die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika

When one becomes two: A perspective on recent events in the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa. On 28 July 2013 13 congregations of the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa (Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika) declared themselves independent and constituted as the ‘Geloofsbond van Hervormde Gemeentes’. This contribution examines the recent historical background to this event as well as several contributing factors such as the role of the media, the role of organisations, differences in theology as well as ideological differences. The conclusion is reached that a tension-filled discourse between confessional and critical theology, linked to clear ideological views, were the main contributing factors to divisions in the church. The contribution concludes with a discussion of some implications of these events from the perspective of church polity.

Die Hervormde Kerk en apartheid

The Reformed Church and apartheid. This contribution examines the changing attitude of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA) towards apartheid, specifically since the Second World War. The NHKA’s views started with a theological justification of apartheid and the complete identification of the church with Afrikaner nationalism, moving to a position of critical solidarity and eventually the rejection of apartheid and its own theological justification of apartheid in 2010.

Missional ecclesiology as basis for a new church order: A case study

In this contribution the author looks at the ecclesiology and church polity of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA) as a case study. Different approaches to ecclesiology and church polity by different NHKA theologians are examined. The conclusion is reached that a paradigm shift is required, to assist the church in the process of transformation. Part of the transformation process, is the creation of a church order with a stronger missional orientation. It is argued that, in the context of the 21st century, the missio Dei paradigm and missional ecclesiology could be a suitable point of departure in the creation of a new church order for the NHKA.

Journey from isolation

Since the Ottawa Consultation in 1982, the relationship between the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA) and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) was nonexistent. In the NHKA it became progressively clear that it would be impossible to travel the road of faith alone. This article examined the factors which contributed to the growing isolation of the NHKA, especially nationalism, a particularistic ecclesiology and the rejection of Apartheid by international ecumenical bodies. It also reflected on efforts of the NHKA to return to the international ecumenical movement.

Die vorming van ‘n eietydse ampsbegrip: Jesus se oproep tot dissipelskap

The forming of a contemporary understanding of church office: Jesus’ calling to discipleship This article aimed to examine the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika’s (NHKA) understanding of church office, and measure it against ‘office’ or ministries in the New Testament, and more specifically against Jesus’ calling to discipleship in Mark 8:34. The relevance of the historical Jesus for contemporary church theology is indicated by the ‘essential’ (Sache) continuity that exists between the historical Jesus and the church today. The article concludes that Jesus’ calling to discipleship in Mark 8:34 implies a certain understanding of office. The essence of this calling is servitude based on self-denial, the taking up of one’s cross, and the following of Jesus.Subsequently, a few remarks are made on the NHKA’s understanding of church office, as described in the NHKA church ordinance. The aim is for these remarks to serve as a guideline for the NHKA to form a contemporary understanding of church office. The concluding remarks have been derived from the results of the study on Jesus’ calling to discipleship, with the aim of ensuring that the NHKA serves and works in correspondence with the Word of God. This service occurs in a world very different from the one in which Jesus lived and served.