Lessons from the past 2: Courage – Dawid Kuyler

Dawid KuylerCourage is the ability and willingness to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Physical courage is courage in the face of physical pain, hardship, death, or threat of death, while moral courage is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal, or discouragement. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courage)

The Bible teaches us much about people with courage.  Noah had the courage to build an ark while all were ridiculing him.  Abraham had the courage to leave all that was known to him and obey God`s command to journey to an unknown land.  The many prophets had courage to preach although their lives were endangered.  Daniel had the courage not to follow the ways of the Babylonians.  Paul showed his courage in preaching the Gospel of Christ.  Church history is full of people that had the courage to go beyond the known.

What lesson of courage can we learn from the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa?  In 1990 the Dutch Reformed Mission Church and Dutch Reformed Church in Africa already had plans for re-unification.  This only became reality on 14 April 1994.  Many congregations of these two churches received financial support from the white Dutch Reformed Church which was not in favor of the re-unification and especially the acceptance of the Belhar Confession.

Congregations and ministers knew that the re-unification would impact financially on them.  It is one thing to say that we live by faith, but faith does not pay your bills.  Ministers had families to support and their congregations which consisted of poor people were not in a position to provide financially for them.  Many of these ministers’ names will not be recorded in history.  I would like to share with you the names of two of my colleagues who had the courage to do what was right.  They represent many others in the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA) who had courage to be obedient to God.

LebakengThe one is Rev Baks Lebakeng. He was a minister in Botshabelo congregation.  It was a macro congregation with five ministers of which three were white.  Once it became known that he was supporting the re-unification and the Belhar Confession, the white ministers made life difficult for him.  They even stopped his salary.

Rev Lebakeng and his church council decided to join URCSA.  Later a court case was opened against them and they had to leave the church building.  He had to leave his church building and together with congregants start all over again.  Together they erected a tin shack as a church and continued with the ministry.  Rev Lebakeng had the courage to live the Belhar Confession.  His salary was much less and they had to rely on the salary of his wife, Susan a teacher.

Rev Lebakeng later became the Scribe of the Regional Synod of the Free State and Lesotho.  Currently he is a minister in an URCSA Congregation in Thabong in the town of Welkom.

FokaseThe other minister I would like to tell you about is Rev Langa Fokase.  He was a minister in Excelsior, a small rural town in the Free State.  They were also supported financially by the local white Dutch Reformed Church (DRC).  When the local DRC minister came to know that Rev Fokase was supporting the re-unification and the Belhar Confession, the church council and Rev Fokase were informed that they would no longer receive any financial support.  What should Rev Fokase do?  He was married and had a family to support.  He could withdraw his congregation from the re-unification.  Yet with courage he stood by his decision.  With the help of an URCSA school inspector, he got a teaching job at the local school and continued his ministry.  Today he is still a teacher and a tent making minister.  He had the courage.  Today he is in the leadership of the Regional Synod of the Free State and Lesotho.

Rev Lebakeng and Rev Fokase represent many others who had the courage.  May we remember the ordinary ministers and congregants who had the courage to be obedient to the Lord of the Church.

 

Dr Dawid Kuyler serves as Scribe* of the General Synod of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa, a position he has held since 2008.  Kuyler is a church historian, who has become a practical theologian teaching counselling.  He has been in the ministry for 30 years and continues to enjoy its challenges.

*A position that is equivalent to a Stated Clerk of the General Assembly or highest governing body of a denomination

 

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