Here before us stands the Independent Dutch Mission Church. This church has deep roots in the history of South Africa. Its story is intertwined with the Dutch Reformed Church. The Dutch Reformed Church is the oldest in the family of Reformed churches.
The 17th century was the Dutch Golden Age. The Dutch East India Company dominated sea trade. In 1652, Dutch settlers arrived at the Cape of Good Hope. They established a refreshment station. This grew into a permanent settlement. The history of South Africa began to unfold. Settlers interacted with indigenous peoples. They also encountered black ethnic groups.
The first Dutch settlers brought their church. This church had Dutch characteristics. The word Dutch refers to the Low Countries. It signals a history, culture and language. It especially signals a Reformed tradition. The 17th-century Protestant church was influenced by John Calvin.
Initially, ministry at the Cape was provided by visiting ministers. They were called ziekentroosters or “comforters of the sick”. In 1665, Rev. Johannes van Arckel arrived. He was the first full-time minister. In that same year, the first Dutch Reformed congregation was established in Cape Town.
The Dutch Reformed Church name came into frequent use after 1824. This was after the first synod of the church. Rev. Andrew Murray Snr had a seminal effect on the church. He arrived in 1822. He became the minister of Graaff-Reinet. These Scottish ministers had a strong missionary thrust.
During the Great Trek, the white population moved inland. They settled in the Orange Free State, Natal and the Transvaal. Many new congregations were established. The first theological seminary was founded in Stellenbosch in 1859.
The churches in the Orange Free State, Natal and the Transvaal began as independent. They were separate from the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa. The four churches collaborated. They merged into one general synod in 1962.
The church experienced an evangelical revival in the 1860s. This led to local missionary endeavours. The missionary approach included proclamation. It also included diaconal services. These services included educational, medical and agricultural support. The aim was to plant separate churches for each race.
Hundreds of missionaries were sent across Africa. This happened during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The DRC supported about 1,000 missionaries in the 1960s. It supported 10,000 teachers and ministers. It established 3,660 schools with 220,000 pupils.
The DRC helped to establish 38 mission hospitals. Many institutions for theological training were created. These addressed the spiritual needs of the people. The missionary enterprise became visible in a family of churches. These churches include the Dutch Reformed Church in Africa.
From the late 1980s, the drive to reunite sister churches increased. This was after the DRC confessed its collaboration with apartheid was a sin. The DRC continues to express its eagerness to work towards unity.
The Nicaean Creed and the Apostle’s Creed form the basis of faith. The DRC decided on a church order in 1962. It was a modernised version of the 1619 Church Order of Dort. The DRC has been influenced by different theological streams.
The Anglo-Boer Wars had a profound influence on DRC members. During the 20th century, the DRC turned to a neo-Calvinistic interpretation. This contributed to the identity of the Dutch Reformed Church. It became a church for the Afrikaner people.
The Independent Dutch Mission Church is part of this story. It reflects the complex history. It embodies the struggles and changes. It showcases the faith of the Dutch Reformed tradition in South Africa.