THE CHRISTIAN AFRIKANERS - The Works of F. N. Lee

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Whitney continues: "Once again, I was impressed with the bond that is quickly established betweenmen who both believe in the authority of the Word of God. Our discussion covered a wide range oftheological subjects and contemporary theologians as well as missionary and evangelistic outreach.It covered Dr. Wurmbrand's visit to South Africa and his fight against communism -- against whichDr. Vorster, too, is likewise wholeheartedly committed. We also discussed South Africa's potentialfor revival."Before Dr. Vorster drove me home from his residence on Devil's Peak -- a rather ambiguous place,I laughingly reminded him, for a Minister of Christ to live on -- I left him with a copy of my bookon John Calvin and the Institutes, with authority to bring out a paperback edition in Afrikaans forhis people if he wished. Later, Dr. Swart of the Andrew Murray Reformed Church in Johannesburgwanted a copy -- to bring out a paperback edition in English for his new English-speakingcongregation."One of the more memorable visits I had, was to the university city Stellenbosch where seventhousand students are said to worship in the various Reformed churches on Sunday, with sixhundred of these students teaching in Sunday schools and doing evangelistic work on Sunday.From the scholastic angle, Stellenbosch reminded me very much of Heidelberg in Germany, withits long tradition of scholarship. But only in this respect. When I visited Heidelberg a few yearsago, I entered the ancient castle on the hill and saw some of the gigantic beer casks (124' x 20')there -- eloquent testimony to the convivial habits of a city dedicated to knowledge. And this,though Heidelberg is said to be the place where the Reformation first broke out in the sixteenthcentury!"Stellenbosch reminded me more of Calvin's Geneva even than it reminded me of Heidelberg. Forin Stellenbosch, as in Geneva, the pursuit of knowledge went hand in hand with a church and civicdiscipline which in twenty-five years made Geneva the purest spot in Europe."I had lunch with the Dean of the Reformed Seminary in Stellenbosch, and I was then shown boththe Seminary and the Dean's own church. Ds. van Wyk, related to the great Andrew Murray byblood, showed me over his church -- and spoke of the discipline of the Reformed Church in SouthAfrica. From an earlier day, members of the church had been buried beneath the floor of the church-- so that an added holiness pervades the building each day of worship, as the worshippers todayquite literally stand upon the graves of their forefathers. Also, nothing remotely approachingimages is allowed in the architecture of the building -- so that stained-glass windows depictinghuman forms are disallowed."When Rev. van Wyk told me of the discipline of the Reformed Church, and how each Ministermust visit each church member at least once every year (even though the membership runs over thethousand mark), I was reminded of the Scottish Church in its sterner and greater days. BothMinisters and Elders must visit the church members in South Africa. Discipline of church membersis actually carried out; and a succession of visits, if necessary, is paid by the Pastor and anaccompanying Elder to an erring member -- seeking to lead him to penitence and restoration."But perhaps the greatest feature of Reformed Church life in South Africa, is its annual Pentecostmeetings. These begin with Ascension Sunday, and go on for the following ten days until thearrival of Whitsunday. People are invited by their Ministers to hear the infallible Word of God,before the Scriptures are read on Sundays. Thousands of people throughout the land attend thesePentecost meetings, and hundreds declare for Christ. The message of Pentecost is proclaimed. TheHoly Spirit is honoured."Andrew Murray's well-known writings on the Holy Spirit are still the standard for many Reformed
people in South Africa. The South African Reformed Church is opposed to the tongues movement.But it is not afraid to preach about the true blessing of Pentecost."This feature of Reformed church life in South Africa each year, should be publicised abroad. Idoubt if such a spiritual phenomena could be found anywhere else in the world. Here is a people,the Afrikaner nation, numbering just two million souls out of a total White population of 3 1/2million -- dedicated to the belief in an infallible Bible; of strongly Calvinistic leanings; withwidespread emphasis on discipline at both ministerial and lay levels. It holds annual ten-dayPentecost meetings, where the results challenge the entire Reformed Church throughout the land."Such a Church, with such an emphasis... could become the spearhead -- for national revivalthrough a revived church. South Africa could well become the key to African evangelisticexpansion; and the Reformed Church of South Africa could well be the key to South Africanrevival."If keen overseas evangelical Ministers or Laymen could make their way to Stellenbosch duringthese ten days of Pentecost meetings, it could furnish them with inspiration and challenge them togo home and seek to reproduce in their own country what they had seen in South Africa.Participation through an interpreter, or in English, would inspire them further."Not only the inspirational side of the Reformed Church's activities, but its missionary outreach andits theological and university training is of first-rate importance. Very large sums of money areannually given to promote missionary work among the Black Africans. The bias of theologicaltraining is very strongly conservative and very scholarly. Students are rooted and grounded in theinfallible Word of God. Ties with Holland are weakening and not as intimate as they once were. Itwould appear that South Africa is much more conservative, on the whole, than its DutchMotherland."One practical step which could spread the fire and the scholarly grasp of Scripture of the SouthAfrican Reformed Church, would be the invitation of key men to lecture and to preach overseas.Dr. Willie Marais, for example -- sometimes called the Billy Graham of South Africa -- could wellgrace any convention platform anywhere in Australia. Likewise, Rev. Malan of Krugersdorp, andRev. Cruywagen of Leopard's Vlei. Dr. Swart of Johannesburg, Dr. Vorster of Cape Town, Dr.Geldenhuys of Pretoria's University Church (with the pastoral oversight of two thousand students),and Professor Dr. du Toit (Head of the Reformed Theological Seminary of Pretoria) -- could welllecture at any of our Theological Colleges. By having these men of sound evangelical convictionvisit our shores, for example -- it could stimulate us as Evangelicals, and encourage interchange ofPreachers between the two countries."Of course, not every country would look with sympathy on such a move -- because of SouthAfrica's involved race problems. Indeed, the Reformed Church of America has a traditional attitudeof hostility and opposition to South Africa in this regard. At the same time, visiting South Africanspeakers could come -- not to air their government's policy, but to preach the Gospel."It is significant that everyone I have met who has actually spent some time in South Africa as atourist, has invariably become more sympathetic to that country's problems. But my interest isespecially in the potential for revival which I found in South Africa."Here, I must say that South Africa shows more real potential than any other country I have evervisited. Its very isolation has tended to keep it protected to some extent from the inroads ofliberalism (which always militates against Scriptural revival because of its false view of Scripture).Even the outworking in national affairs of the [South African] Reformed Church's attitude to
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THE CHRISTIAN AFRIKANERSA Brief His
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God richly bless the following lect
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There have always been, and always
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But the only one they both appeal t
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Now Zuidema was a very great Dutch
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Dutch churches at the Synod of Dord
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station -- to help the Dutch ships
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It is a country dedicated to freedo
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1760 -- there was more and more dis
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with the Dutch. Many moved farther
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said: "The British have placed our
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financed by White money. It is buil
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Famous Boer Generals, left to right
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Three: Unannihilated: the Resurrect
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(who had arrived in the country onl
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of success.I may add that White Sou
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General Beyers felt that those text
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Balfour Declaration. The gist of it
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Africa; treks on into the land both
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Four: The Eschatology of Victory in
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ide -- to use the instrumentality o
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Christian National Calvinist Public
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through constitutional process it h
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I guess the best way to describe Sm
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He was followed after his assassina
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So the Scots came. I am going to sp
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Page 55 and 56: ook on Hebrews. But his greatest wr
Page 57 and 58: At that point, Du Plessis enquired
Page 59 and 60: Yet quite apart from this high view
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Page 67 and 68: Pellissier, who wrote on music and
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Page 77 and 78: Now you will not find in any of Sto
Page 79 and 80: Finally, Stoker argues that the so-
Page 81 and 82: This then brings Stoker to another
Page 83 and 84: This Brummer just referred to, is a
Page 85 and 86: Man was to rejoice in this nature (
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Page 91 and 92: Van der Waal is a very brilliant So
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Page 97 and 98: glory.There are also Christian psyc
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THE CHRISTIAN AFRIKANERS - The Works of F. N. Lee

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