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Response to the Address of Rev P Nel, by brother B Veenendaal
on behalf of Synod
Friday 11th July 2003 - Synod Rockingham, Western Australia, 2003
Geagte broeder, Esteemed brother Rev Nel,
Given that you, in your address last evening, addressed us in our native tongue, I did consider to address you in your native tongue. But alas, I could only muster little more than the first two words in Afrikaans. So you'll have to forgive me for that.
Thankfully, however, language is not an obstacle, and as you rightly pointed out in your address, the bond between our churches has strengthened, particularly in the last several years. And what binds us together? The "love of the truth" as you pointed out from 2 John 1. The desire to love the truth and to walk in truth. It is the desire to do this together that has also motivated your bond of churches to send a delegate here to our synod. It is indeed a pleasure and a privilege to have you together with your wife in our midst and we are thankful for that.
We would like to thank you for your words of encouragement and support. Yes we are confronted with an immense task, the threats of Satan, the pressure to compromise, the weaknesses of our own flesh, the weighty agenda matters, but we need not face this in our own strength. In faith and through God's guidance with His Spirit, we can leap over a wall, as you indicated from Psalm 18 (the words which we could also sing from in our closing Psalm last evening). It is very comforting and encouraging to share that knowledge and that faith as sister churches.
It is very evident from your words of last night, that your churches too face an enormous task in the struggle of faith. Your work among the disenchanted, or should I say now, your "National Reformation" work, is continuing and it is very heartening to see fruits of this work, although not always in the direction or way that you have expected. We have had updates of this work published through our Una Sancta and this has helped us to understand more of the nature and immensity of this task. Our churches and members have been blessed so as to be able to support this task from the riches and wealth that have been entrusted to us, and, the Lord willing, we will continue to do so. May you receive the strength to continue this task, and may the Lord bless the work in Pretoria, in Secunda, in Stellenbosch, and the continuing and further endeavours that you undertake. May He also bless the church at Springs and the work that Mendel Retief is called to and undertaking in the church at Springs, another fruit of this work.
You are also very active in your mission work both in the Capetown region and in the Pretoria region. What a rich blessing to have, within the last year, the institution of 2 churches from these mission posts, that of Mamelodi and Soshanguve North, both right near Pretoria. You have your mission field right at your doorstep. For us, it is difficult to imagine, since our mission fields are overseas, relatively far away. It does bring its own challenges as you now look to integrating these 2 churches into your classes and the bond of churches. May the Lord bless that work which He has begun! May he bless those new churches, their congregation members and officebearers, together with the existing churches, so that together you may work fruitfully "in the unity of the true faith, a church chosen to everlasting life" (in the words of Lord's Day 21). Those two new churches have already received Ministers of the Word in the persons of Rev Tebogo Mogale for the church at Mamelodi and Rev Piet Magagula for the church at Soshanguve North. Together with Rev Jopie VanderLinden of the church at Johannesburg, they are the (you can say first!) fruits of your own theological seminary for Afrikaans students as well as the cooperation with the Mokhanyo Theological seminary for the black students. It was a rich experience and blessing to witness, at your synod last year, the examination of three students of theology, and now to know that they have been ordained as Ministers of the Word! "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!" (Rom 10:15).
In your address you also mentioned the deteriorating situation regarding law and order as well as education. This latter concern has led to your decision to begin with your own covenantal school in Bethal, and I know is also occupying much of your (and your wife's) time here in Australia. With this decision comes much work and commitment which you certainly do recognise. May the Lord bless your endeavours and the contacts that you make so that faithful and covenant education may be provided for the children of His church in South Africa.
Regarding church relations, you have grave concerns in your contacts with the Reformed Church of South Africa (the Dopperkerk). It is sad to see deformation in a church with a rich reformed heritage who have lost the way by following humanistic trends. May the Lord bless your contacts with the two churches that have left them as a result, so that together the unity of faith may be brought to a full expression. May God grant you the wisdom and guidance that you need in your dealings with the Dopper churches on your doorstep. May He also bless the contacts and discussions that you have with your (and our) sister churches in the Netherlands regarding this issue. We pray that God may lead us together in such a way that we stand united in facing the attacks of secularisation and deformation.
Finally, we thank the Lord for what He has given in your churches. Although you have many struggles and burdens as we do, you also have that living joy of faith. As we both celebrate 50 years of institution in our respective countries, we also share in many common struggles and joys. May God bless our contacts. May you also be encouraged and strengthened when you leave here and return home. Please pass on our greetings to your churches. In the words of Rom 15:13 "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Bert Veenendaal
last updated 15 Aug 2003
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