Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2001 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mission work was done consecutively by two Reformed missionary enterprises in Kenya and led to
the establishment of the Reformed Church of East Africa (RCEA).
The Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (DRC), which established congregations amongst South
Africans who had come to Kenya from 1905 onwards, played an important role during the phase of
church- planting: initially through a spontaneous congregational outreach towards the local people
of western Kenya during the 1930s and subsequently through formal missionary action which began
with the calling ofBB Eybers as a full-time missionary in 1944. Thus the foundations were laid for
the establishment of what is today the RCEA. Before Eybers left in 1960 three congregations had
come into existence under the auspices of the DRC. The second phase of the missionary endeavour
began in 1961 with an agreement between the DRC and the Reformed Mission League in the
Netherlands (RML) whereby the latter was asked to continue the work started by the DRC.
The Reformed Church of East Africa (RCEA) was formally instituted in 1963. Despite almost a
century of activities, a thorough investigation of the history of the founding of this Church has not
yet been done. Due to the fact that information regarding this topic has been widely dispersed to
different parts of the world, and that it was written in several languages, there is a real danger that
such information may be lost or become irretrievable.
Considering this situation, the aim of the study was to investigate the history of the RCEA and to
determine the influence of the two missionary enterprises on the current identity of the RCEA. The
mission's objectives, policies and methods implemented by the South African DRC until 1961 were
compared to the objectives, policies and methods used by the Netherlands RML as from 1961 until
the present day. The study then attempted to determine what effect these two enterprises with their
respective and varying emphases had on the formation and development of the RCEA. An identity
analysis of the RCEA was undertaken to determine the influence of the two missionary enterprises
on the current identity of the RCEA. In various respects this identity reflects the influence of the DRC
in South Africa and the Reformed Mission League in the Netherlands on the RCEA. It appears that the impact of the Missions is evident in a variety of aspects of the church life of the
RCEA. The ecclesiastical model introduced by the DRC and continued by the RML remained
dominant in the RCEA. The fundamentals of Reformed theology (sola scriptura., sola gratia, sola
fide), the church concept (proclamational), the style of communication, the worship and the liturgy
reflect the lasting influence of both missions on the RCEA.
The findings were evaluated from a critical missiological perspective to indicate what the effect of
the dual involvement of the two Missions was on the RCEA. Still, the RCEA is no carbon copy of
either of these missionary enterprises. The identity of the RCEA developed within the culture and
context of the people of Kenya amongst whom it was established and, as such, formed a Church
unique in its own right. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ontstaan van 'n inheemse gereformeerde kerk op die ewenaar, die Reformed Church of East
Africa (RCEA), was die gevolg van sendingwerk wat opeenvolgend deur twee gereformeerde
sendinge in Kenia gedoen is.
Die Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk in Suid-Afiika (Ned. Geref. Kerk), wat sedert die begin van die
twintigste eeu gemeentes onder Suid-Afrikaners gevestig het, het 'n belangrike rol gespeel gedurende
die kerkplantingsfase. Dit het aanvanklik plaasgevind deur 'n spontane gemeentelike uitreik-aksie
na die plaaslike bevolking in Wes Kenia gedurende die 1930s. Dit is voortgesit deur formele
sendingwerk wat in 1944 begin het toe BB Eybers as voltydse sendeling beroep is. Gedurende
Eybers se dienstyd is die grondslag gele vir die kerk wat vandag bekend staan as die Reformed
Church of East Africa. Voordat Eybers in 1960 weg is, het drie gemeentes onder die toesig van die
Ned. Geref. Kerk ontstaan.
Die tweede fase van die sendingaksie het in 1961 met 'n ooreenkoms tussen die Ned Geref. Kerk
en die Gereformeerde Zendingsbond in Nederland (GZB) waartydens laasgenoemde gevra is om die
werk oor te neem. Die Reformed Church of East Africa (RCEA) het in 1963 tot stand gekom.
Alhoewel die vroee geskiedenis van die RCEA byna 'n eeu gelede begin het, is 'n deeglike ondersoek
aangaande die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van die kerk nog nie gedoen nie. Weens die feit dat inligting
oor hierdie onderwerp oor verskillende dele van die wereld verspreid is, en in verskillende tale geskryf
is, bestaan die gevaar dat hierdie inligting verlore kan raak.
In die lig hiervan was die doel van die studie om die geskiedenis van die RCEA na te gaan en te
bepaal watter invloed die twee sendingaksies op die huidige identiteit van die RCEA gehad het. Die
sendingdoelstellings, -beleid en -metodes van die Ned. Geref. Kerk tot in 1961 word vergelyk met
die doelstellings, beleid en metodes van die GZB vanaf 1961 tot en met 2000. Die studie probeer
bepaal watter effek die twee sendingaksies met hul onderskeie aksente op die ontstaan en
ontwikkeling van die RCEA, gehad het. Die bevindinge is geevalueer vanuit 'n kritiese missiologiese
perspektief. Dit was nodig om 'n identiteitsanalise van die RCEA te doen ten einde die invloed van
beide die Ned. Geref. Kerk in Suid-Afrika en die Gereformeerde Zendingsbond in Nederland op die kerk te bepaal.
Die navorsing het getoon dat die impak van die twee sendingaksies die identiteit van die RCEA
inderdaad in 'n groot mate bepaal het. Die ekklesiologiese model wat eie is aan die Ned. Geref. Kerk
en deur die GZB voortgesit is, is ook kenmerkend van die identiteit van die RCEA vandag. Die
grondslae van die Reformasie (sola scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide), die kerkbegrip
(verkondigingsmodel), die kommunikasiestyl, die erediens en die liturgie weerspieel die voortgaande
invloed van beide sendingaksies op die RCEA.
Hierdie bevindige is geevalueer vanuit 'n krities-rnissiologiese perspektief om aan te to on wat die
effek van die invloed van die sendingaksies op die RCEA was. Nogtans is die RCEA nie 'n blote
deurslag kopie van een of beide van hierdie sendingaksies nie. Die identiteit van die RCEA het
ontwikkel binne die kultuur en konteks van die mense van Kenia onder wie dit gevestig is. Sodoende
het 'n Kerk met 'n eiesoortige karakter ontstaan.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52536 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Van Zyl, Jacobus,1962- |
| Contributors | Pauw, C. M., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology & Missiology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 279 pages : illustrations, maps |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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