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

I would make this observation, if I may -- as a great lover of the King James Bible which I haveused practically exclusively, ever since preaching in English in the United States. I would point outthat our family never spoke English at home, until I returned to the United States some seven yearsago (1973). At that point, I began to preach from the English Bible (and no longer from theAfrikaans Bible).The King James is a wonderful version of the Bible. But it is much more difficult for youngAmericans of the twentieth century to understand the King James Version (even though they can ifthey try hard enough) -- than it is for young Afrikaners to understand their version of the Bible(which they can do with great ease). I have nothing against the King James, although I do prefer theGeneva Bible. But I would make this point.Rev. Dr. Kestell more than anyone else was responsible for the translation of the New Testamentinto Afrikaans. He did it in such a way that Christ's little ones would be able to understand it veryeasily -- in the modern colloquialisms of the day.I would like to say something now about the organisation of the Reformed Church in South Africa.The Congregation is the fundamental building-block. A very interesting difference between SouthAfrican Calvinism and American Presbyterianism -- is that in American Presbyterianism thePreacher has his membership in the Presbytery and not in the Congregation. In the South AfricanReformed Church, however, the Preacher becomes a member of the Congregation -- together withhis family. He can only be disciplined by the Presbytery. But that is also true of all the Elders -- andnot just of those Elders who represent the Congregation in the Presbytery.The Session and the all-male Deacons meet collectively in a body known as the Consistory. Thisshows the influence of the French Huguenots. For in Dutch Calvinism and in Scottish Calvinism,the Deacons rarely if ever meet with the Session. In French Huguenot Calvinism, the Calvinism ofCalvin -- and in South African Calvinism -- they always do. So you have three Offices representedat the congregational-level meeting of the Special Officers.Another interesting difference with American Presbyterianism, is that no congregational meetingsare held in the Reformed Church of South Africa. The Consistory -- the Elders, the Deacons andthe Preachers administer the Congregation. The Consistory is the body that elects new SpecialOfficers. This is the body that calls Preachers to the Congregation, even though -- after theirselection has been made -- the Congregation is asked to approve or to disapprove of the action ofthe Consistory. Disapproval is very rare.The South African Reformed Church's government is geared to a triune view of Office. ThePreacher has a different Office to the Elder. He is not just a different variety of the Elder. It isregarded as wrong and irregular for Elders to preach, or to administer the sacraments. That is thejob of the Preacher alone. The Elder may, though -- in the absence the Preacher - deliver a priorlyapproved sermon (generally written out by or printed from that given by a Preacher).The Offices are clearly delineated from one another. But never will you find it emphasised that thePreacher's work is more important than the different work of the Elder nor the yet different work ofthe Deacon. These three different kinds of church work are all regarded as being equally important-- "the one and the many!" When these Officers assemble for church worship on the Lord's Day,you will find them all similarly attired -- each wearing a black suit and a white tie. So, if you seesomeone walking to or from a church building on a Sunday, with a black suit and a white tie -- youwon't know whether its a Preacher or a Deacon or an Elder. But you will know that its one of thethree.