Mrs Scarborough Memorial
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Gospel Defence League<br />
P O Box 36129 Glosderry 7702<br />
Cape Town South Africa<br />
Tel: 021 689 4480<br />
info@gospeldefenceleague.org www.gospeldefenceleague.org<br />
“...contend earnestly for the Faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude 3<br />
Dorothea Olivet<br />
was born on<br />
Valentine’s Day<br />
14 February<br />
1936. She was<br />
the eldest of<br />
5 children: her<br />
younger sisters:<br />
Madeleine and<br />
Wilhelma, her brothers Wolf<br />
Heinrich and Theo. Tragically<br />
her brother Wolf Heinrich died<br />
at age 8. Her father was a judge<br />
and the Receiver of Revenue. Her<br />
A Tribute to <strong>Mrs</strong> Dorothea <strong>Scarborough</strong><br />
Partly melted bells,<br />
St. Mary’s, Lübeck<br />
brother Theo was<br />
president of the<br />
Supreme Court.<br />
An uncle was<br />
Prime Minister of<br />
Hanover.<br />
Dorothea Olivet<br />
grew up in a<br />
Europe at war. Even though very<br />
young at the time, she remembered<br />
the trauma of the Allied Bombing<br />
Raids, starting on 28th March 1942,<br />
raining death and destruction upon<br />
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Bomber Harris<br />
Charles <strong>Scarborough</strong><br />
was an escape artist!<br />
Gilbert<br />
Islands<br />
Today part of Kiribati, but at one time<br />
the northern Gilberts were called the<br />
<strong>Scarborough</strong> Islands.<br />
Lübeck, her home in northern Germany. The bombers came in 3 waves, causing<br />
most of the destruction on Palm Sunday 29 March. The Wellington and Stirling<br />
bombers dropped over 400 tons of bombs including 25,000 incendiary devices. A<br />
number of 1.8 tonne blockbusters dropped in the first wave opened the brick and<br />
copper roofs of the buildings and the following incendiaries set them afire. This<br />
was the first firestorm bombing of any city.<br />
Lübeck was an historic cultural centre and the bombing of 28 and 29 March 1942 left<br />
25,000 people homeless. It also destroyed the historic Lübeck Cathedral, St Peters<br />
Church and St Mary’s. Because Lübeck consisted of many timbered medieval<br />
buildings, Officer Commanding Bomber Command, Arthur Harris, described<br />
Lübeck as “built more like a fire-lighter.” Harris wrote that Lübeck “went up<br />
in flames. It was a city of moderate size. It was not a vital target, but it seemed<br />
to me better to destroy a town of moderate importance than to fail to destroy a<br />
large industrial city.” Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin congratulated Churchill on the<br />
destruction of Lübeck, expressing his satisfaction at the “merciless bombing” and<br />
expressing the hope that such terror attacks would cause severe damage to German<br />
public morale. Actually the morale of the citizens in Lübeck held up remarkably<br />
well throughout the traumatic war. <strong>Mrs</strong> <strong>Scarborough</strong> recalled also seeing the sky<br />
red from the fires of the firebombings of nearby Hamburg and Kiel.<br />
Despite the devastation of her homeland, Dorothea Olivet grew to love the Lord<br />
Jesus Christ and to commit her life to following and serving Him.<br />
Charles <strong>Scarborough</strong> married Dorothea in the still bomb damaged Lutheran<br />
Cathedral of Lübeck, Germany, in 1958. She was the pastor’s wife in Cemetery<br />
Road Congregational Church, Sheffield, England. Then a missionary, along with<br />
her husband, Rev Charles <strong>Scarborough</strong>, with the London Missionary Society to<br />
the Gilbert Islands, on the equator, in the Pacific Ocean.<br />
In 1969, after serving four years with LMS, Dr Charles <strong>Scarborough</strong> accepted<br />
the call to pastor Sea Point Congregational Church which he did for 25 blessed<br />
and fruitful years. Charles and Dorothea <strong>Scarborough</strong> were in the forefront of<br />
launching the Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches (EFCC). <strong>Mrs</strong><br />
<strong>Scarborough</strong> served as Secretary of the EFCC. For many years <strong>Mrs</strong> <strong>Scarborough</strong><br />
also led the Women’s World Day of Prayer. She was the Editor of the International<br />
German language Vox Afrikana and UCANEWS. She also founded Gospel Defence<br />
League, which grew to a large readership with over 18,000 on the mailing list.<br />
Some of her publications had over 100,000 copies printed.<br />
It has been my privilege to know <strong>Mrs</strong> <strong>Scarborough</strong> for almost 40 years. After my<br />
first mission to Mozambique, in 1982, <strong>Mrs</strong> <strong>Scarborough</strong> invited me to speak at one<br />
of her women’s meetings and interviewed me for Vox Afrikana. Before Frontline<br />
Fellowship had an office or a photocopier, <strong>Mrs</strong> <strong>Scarborough</strong> invited me to use<br />
her office. So Gospel Defence League was where I would go on my motorbike to<br />
make copies of our Frontline Fellowship newsletters, or Bible study and lecture<br />
notes.<br />
Over the years <strong>Mrs</strong> <strong>Scarborough</strong> became one of my most trusted advisers and an<br />
invaluable member of the Board of Frontline Fellowship. There was many a time<br />
when <strong>Mrs</strong> <strong>Scarborough</strong> was my main and sometimes only encourager, supporting<br />
me in ventures and in the stands that most others sought to discourage me from<br />
taking. She understood the mission of Frontline Fellowship and was our most firm<br />
and faithful friend. Steadfast.<br />
up and speak out on our behalf. <strong>Mrs</strong> <strong>Scarborough</strong> was a Missionary Mother, Motivator<br />
and Mobiliser of prayer.<br />
Many were the projects, publications, outreaches, campaigns and events which we<br />
planned and worked on together, including SACEL 1985, The Archbishop and the<br />
Bible 1986, Kirchentag 1987. These were battles in the world war of worldviews,<br />
fighting the good fight of Faith, exposing and opposing false teaching, unBiblical<br />
heresies, Marxist liberation theology and other threats to the Christian Church.<br />
We were involved in debates with liberation theologians in townships, at church<br />
conferences and on university campuses. <strong>Mrs</strong> Dorothea <strong>Scarborough</strong> was faithful,<br />
dependable, courageous, principled, steadfast, fervent, dedicated and relentless.<br />
Dorothea <strong>Scarborough</strong> was a formidable defender of the Faith.<br />
<strong>Mrs</strong> <strong>Scarborough</strong> was also a founder member of the Reformation Society in 2005<br />
and of Livingstone Fellowship in 2006. For 15 years she attended the Thursday night<br />
Reformation Society meetings and Livingstone Fellowship services at Livingstone<br />
House. She was an enthusiastic supporter of our Reformation 500 movement and<br />
never missed a Reformation Day event at the Huguenot monument in Franschhoek.<br />
Even as her body grew older and weaker, her mind was sharp, her analysis incisive<br />
and her convictions like iron. <strong>Mrs</strong> <strong>Scarborough</strong> was gracious and friendly, but she had<br />
a doctrinal backbone of steel. She would not back down, she would not bow and she<br />
would not bend on any matter of Biblical faithfulness, truth and principle.<br />
The Scripture says that it is better to go to a funeral than to a party, because the living<br />
should always remind themselves that death awaits for us all (Ecclesiastes 7:2).<br />
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven; a time<br />
to be born and a time to die … ” Ecclesiastes 3:1–2<br />
“…it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27<br />
There is nothing more certain than death and nothing as uncertain as the time of dying.<br />
We should therefore be ready at all times for that which may come at any time. “For<br />
we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive<br />
what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”<br />
2 Corinthians 5:10<br />
“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to<br />
his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:10<br />
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself<br />
strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9<br />
Dorothea <strong>Scarborough</strong>’s heart proved loyal to our Lord Jesus Christ and the Lord<br />
strengthened her.<br />
We do not know when, or under what circumstances, our lives will come to an end.<br />
But we do know that when we die we will stand before Almighty God — our Creator<br />
and Eternal Judge — and we will have to give an account of our lives — to Him. “Do<br />
not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear<br />
His voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live and those who<br />
have done evil will rise to be condemned.” John 5:28–29<br />
“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were<br />
opened. Another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged<br />
After the death of my mother in 2001, <strong>Mrs</strong> <strong>Scarborough</strong> became like a mother to according to what they had done as recorded in the books. If anyone’s name was not<br />
me, correcting and rebuking me, urging me to take time to rest and recuperate, found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”<br />
encouraging me to ignore malicious backbiting and attacks by antagonists,<br />
Revelation 20:12–15<br />
motivating greater efforts to advance the Kingdom of God. She was quick to stand<br />
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Many religions believe in an after-life. But what is unique to Christianity is the<br />
distinctive belief in the resurrection of the body. Christ’s Resurrection guarantees<br />
that those who die believing in Him, shall one day be raised in His likeness to be<br />
with Him forever. Through Christ, death has lost its sting. We can face death in the<br />
sure knowledge that Christ has delivered us from the coming wrath and from eternal<br />
Judgement. We praise God that Dorothea <strong>Scarborough</strong> knew the love and salvation<br />
of our Lord Jesus Christ and that she served God so faithfully throughout her life<br />
on earth. Who can calculate how many lives she impacted by her faith and writings.<br />
We grieve, but we do not grieve as those who have no hope. “For to me to live is<br />
Christ and to die is gain!” Philippians 1:21<br />
Dying Christ destroyed our death. Rising Christ restored our life.<br />
“Jesus said: ‘Whoever hears My Word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal<br />
life and will not be condemned. He has crossed over from death to life.’”<br />
John 5:24<br />
Death for the Christian is not fatal. Death for the Christian is not final.<br />
We serve a Risen Saviour. Jesus Christ is the Resurrection and the Life.<br />
“Jesus said to her: ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me<br />
will live, even though he dies.’” John 11:25<br />
Where are we going to spend eternity? Some of us have already made that choice<br />
and can say: I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. Praise the Lord! No<br />
turning back. Others of us may not want to think about our eternity right now. But,<br />
in time, death will come to us all. As we gather at this funeral we should soberly<br />
consider our immortal soul and the day when we will stand before our eternal<br />
Creator and give an account of our life. At that point our choice will be final. What<br />
will God say to me on that great Day of Judgment. Will you hear: “Well done! Good<br />
and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord”?<br />
“Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament and those<br />
who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:3<br />
<strong>Mrs</strong> <strong>Scarborough</strong> was wise and she turned many to righteousness by faithfully<br />
standing up for Jesus, contending for the Faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3).<br />
Ecclesia Reformata Reformanda est. Semper Reformanda! The Church, being<br />
reformed, must continue to be Reformed. A Mighty Fortress is our God!<br />
Dorothea <strong>Scarborough</strong> can truly say at the end of her long and productive life on earth:<br />
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the Faith.”<br />
2 Timothy 4:7<br />
Dr. Peter Hammond<br />
Gospel Defence League<br />
PO Box 36129 Glosderry 7702 Cape Town South Africa<br />
info@gospeldefenceleague.org | www.GospelDefenceLeague.org<br />
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