Obedience and Servant Leadership

Front matter

OBEDIENCE AND

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

APOLLIS, APPIES, BUTI, BUYS

Table Of Contents

LIST OF IMAGES

AUTHORS iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv PREFACE vi INTRODUCTION 1. Introduction 1 2. Research Design 2 3. Research Methodology 3 5. Academic Contribution 5 CHAPTER 1 Setting The Scene: The Constituting Of Urcsa (1994) 1.1. Setting the Scene: Historical Context 7 1.2. Scene-setting Developments in Church and Society 9 1.3. Between the Times 12 1.4. The 1994 Synod of the DRMC 19 1.5. The April 1994 Inaugural Synod of the URCSA 21 1.6. Confirming the Constituting of URCSA 22 1.7. The Guiding Stars of Unity, Reconciliation and Justice 24 1.8. The Great Omission: Obedience 26 1.9. A First Major Challenge Amidst the Euphoria 28

CHAPTER 2 Nick Apollis: The Pursuit Of Reconstruction And Reconciliation

2.1. Introduction 31 2.2. Snippets from Childhood to Adulthood 32 2.3. Ministerial Journey in the DRMC and URCSA 35 2.4. The Characteristics of a Leader During a Process of Church Unification 43 2.5. Church and Society Through the Eyes of Reconstruction 51 2.6. A Theological Ethic of Love, Trust and Christian Responsibility 54 2.7. Transformation Through Principled and Consultative Leadership 57 2.8. Church Unity: An Outcome of Dependency on God 67 2.9. Conclusion 71 CHAPTER 3 Leonardo Appies: The Quest For Church Unity, Justice And National Liberation 3.1. Introduction 73 3.2. Revolutionary Student Leadership 75 3.3. A Prolonged Activism 83 3.4. Parish Pastor in Saldanha Bay 84 3.5. Attempts at Unification on the Level of the Presbytery 90 3.6. The Quest for New Ministerial Structures 91 3.7. A Scholarship from the Free University of Amsterdam 93 3.8. Ascendancy to the National Ecclesial Structure of URCSA 95 3.9. Ecumenism 96 3.10. Context Analysis: Reading of the Signs of the Times 99 3.11. Theological Reflection: On Reading the Bible 101 3.12. Conclusion: Spirituality 106 CHAPTER 4 Sam Buti: From Controversy To Prophecy: A Name Written In The Hearts Of People 4.1. Introduction 111 4.2. Insertion or Agency 113

4.3. Congregational ministry 115

4.4. The Fraternity of One Hundred 116 4.5. The Belydende Kring 118 4.6. Buti’s Rise Within the Ecclesial Structures 120 4.7. Context Analysis: Reading the Signs of the Times 126 4.8. Theological Reflection: On Reading the Bible 130 4.9. A Prophet Honoured in His Own Land 133 4.10. A Name Written in the Hearts of the People 134 4.11. Acknowledgements from Colleagues 136 4.12. Doctor Honoris Causa 139 4.13. Conclusion: Spirituality 140 CHAPTER 5 James Buys: A Faithful And Courageous Visionary To Restore Justice And Human Dignity 5.1. Introduction 143 5.2. Childhood and Teenage Snippets 145 5.3. Life and Ministry in DRMC and URCSA 150 5.4. Blurring the Lines Between the Grassroots and Executive Structures 155 5.5. The ‘Struggle of the People’, Economic Inequality and Racism 178 5.6. James Buys and his document on ‘transitional’ justice in South Africa 181 5.7. A Theology of Economic Justice, Dignity and Shalom for the Vulnerable 184 5.8. Buys’ mobilisation for justice, reconciliation and unity through collective action 188 5.9. His Embodiment of Belhar, Obedience to God, and a Biblical Spirituality 192 5.10. Conclusion 196 CHAPTER 6 The Missional Leadership Of Urcsa’s Constituting Moderature (1994) 6.1. Introduction 200 6.2. A Deep Rootedness in Communities Needing Ecumenism and Liberation 201 6.3. Discernment of the Challenges in Church and Society 204 6.4. A Reformed, Missional, Black, Prophetic and Reconstruction Theology 208 6.5. Mission at the Margins: In and For God’s Name 220 6.6. Spirituality of Communion and Relocation 224

CHAPTER 7 Conclusion - A Final Look Through A Missiological Lens

7.1. The Ontological, Epistemological and Praxiological Crop 231 7.2. Being a Missionary, Being Missional 232 7.3. Missionary and Missional Knowing 233 7.4, Missionary and/or Missional Doing 233 7.5. Discontinuity and Continuity 234 BIBLIOGRAPHY 236

INTERVIEWS AND PERSONAL (ELECTRONIC) CORRESPONDENCES 247

INDEX 249

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LIST OF IMAGES

Last DRMC synod meeting in Belhar, Cape TOWN. uses ek ee se se se ee ee ee eek ee 16 First URCSA moderature during General Synod in 1994 wiv se se see ee ee eek ee 16 Former DRMC General Synod Moderature members... sesse see se se se Ge Ge se ie 19 The celebration of the URCSA founding Synod in Belhar, Cape Town iese sesse ese 21 During the first URCSA, Synod tu. 4 ae ers se ds E EA Gale Ee stds Oe Pe A 22 Congratulatory messages to the first moderature of URCSA oo. eee 23 URCSA moderature with legal counsel in appeal case against DRCA

group in Bloemfontein verses. ese anien Se ee see dee en ee Nan REG Geen voue Ee Vee Se Pe ER 28 Nick Apollis during first years of ministry... se se se ge eek ek ek Ge Ge ee AA ee eek ee 35 Nick Apollis during a Presbytery Meeting in George iese sesse se se Ge Ge Ge se ee 38 Unveiling of plague of new church building in Steinkopf uu ii ie ses se se se se se se ee ee 39 Nick Apollis and his wife during their wedding anniversary ...u sesse sesse se see se eek ek 40 Nick Apollis attending General Synod sitting of DRMC ou... ee se se se se ee 41 Nick Apollis as Actuaris of the Moderature in 1986... ee Ee Ge Ge se ie 43 Nick Apollis and Prof Daan Cloete with their spouses at the house of

Nelson: Mandela vi EER GR 4 dade iid ER A EA een Ge ee be ees ee 49 Leonardo Appies and with his church council members in

Saldanha conprepatof ss EE ges Ee GE vss Ge eg GEE oe ep eg ek en seg 94 Wateot Sam’ Buten cies Ge ie ae Ghat eee 113 Unveiling of Buti’s plate during Fun Walk at Alex Mall... eens 135 Buti honoured with Street name in Alexandra... sesse ese see se se se ee Ge Re Ge Re Ge se ee 139 James Buys with his elder sister, Marinda on the right... se se se Ge Ge se ee 145 James Buys’ invitation to the High School matric ball... sesse se se se ee Ge Ge se ee 149 James Buys (on the right) during one of the Judo performances 0.0... 150 The ordination of James Buys at the DRMC Calitzdorp congregation... 153 James: Büys with Rev Dr Pitkos ese dane nev eels tie: 153 First URCSA Moderature members with Dr Beyers Naudé... ese se se se se ee 199

AUTHORS

Y

DR EUGENE BARON

Dr Eugene Baron is a Senior Lecturer in Missiology at the University of the Free State (UFS). His experience spans across a decade of tutoring, facilitating and lecturing at various Higher Education Institutions (UWC, UNISA, SATS, TEEC, NWU, UFS). He obtained his PhD at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), completing part of the research at KU Leuven (Belgium). He also received a BA Honours degree in Psychology at the University of South Africa (UNISA). Hehas published in accredited journals and contributed bookchapters to international publications. He is on the editorial board of the series Theological Explorations, published annually by Sun Media, and part of the editorial team of Missionalia, the journal of the Southern African Missiological Society.

PROFESSOR NICO ADAM BOTHA

Professor Nico Adam Botha is Professor Emeritus in Missiology at the University of South Africa. He is also an ordained minister of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA). His undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications were obtained from the University of the Western Cape, the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, and the University of South Africa. He has successfully supervised forty Masters and Doctoral Students, published in many accredited journals, and contributed book chapters to international publications. He is currently Director of the Institute for Urban Ministry and Senior Fellow of the Afrikaanse Taalraad.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are appreciative to various individuals who made this publication possible. The authors wish to, first of all, thank the National Research Foundation (NRF) for the sabbatical for one of the authors (Eugene Baron), which provided him with ample time to complete the manuscript. We would also like to thank the Department of Practical and Missional Theology and the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of the Free State (UFS) for its financial support, as well as Dr Henriette van den Berg who is leading the Emerging Scholars Acceleration Programme at UFS which has also organised funds for the manuscript. We are deeply grateful!

We also thank the staff at the Church Archives in Stellenbosch, especially Karen Minnaar who is responsible for URCSA’s archival documents, for her hospitality and assistance during the research at the centre during 2019/2020. During the COVID-19 lockdown, the centre operated with a skeleton staff. Still, even in those instances, the centre was able to assist with the relevant and appropriate archival documents for the researchers. The archival documents were very helpful, as was the coffee!

The authors would not have completed the manuscript if it were not for the cooperation and willingness of the participants, among others, ministers in URCSA, family members, acquaintances of the four moderature members who submitted their completed interview forms, and those who also availed themselves for Zoom and Whatsapp video conversations in extraordinary circumstances during the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa. The authors also want to thank representatives from the different congregations where the four moderature members (Nick Apollis, Leonardo Appies, Sam Buti, James Buys) were Ministers of the Word, and those who participated in focus group discussions and personal interviews with the researchers. Here we think of congregants of URCSA congregations in Mosselbay, Calitzdorp, Worcester, Wynberg, Saldanha and Steinkopf.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors also want to thank their respective families, the wife of Eugene Baron, Samantha, and of Nico Botha, Dawn, and their children for their moral support when the authors had to complete the manuscript. This took the form of late night research and writing of the respective chapters, and early morning Whatsapp, over the phone and e-mail discussions between the authors. The authors also want to convey their appreciation toward Gert van Maanen and his wife, Joke, for their unwavering support for their South African counterparts and friends in URCSA. Their journey with the church and connection with the church in Netherlands continues. Thanks, Gert for the writing of the preface, and your excitement in this project, as well as your Whatsapp and Zoom conversations on your wonderful experiences with the church in South Africa!

We are deeply grateful, Eugene & Nico

26TH APRIL 1994

Long lines of people at the polling stations had their walk to freedom. They didn't walk to the finish, no, they walked towards a new world, a new beginning. Rolihlahla Mandela, “freedom is in your hands”.

In those days, I was in Pietermaritzburg, monitoring the elections. I saw the long, long lines. And then, that tall well-dressed white lady hurrying to the front of the queue, and hundreds of eyes looking at her, and no one stopped her. Then suddenly, she slowed down, looking puzzled, turned around and walked slowly towards the end of the queue and took her place. And the gogo’ in front of her didn't dare to turn around but clearly felt uncomfortable with the eyes of that lady gazing at their back. Those were the days ... KAIROS! I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people!

One year before, in May 1993, I was visiting Archbishop Ndomiso Ngada and Bishop Kenosi Mofokeng of the African Indigenous Churches (AICs) in the office on the 7% floor of a posh Braamfontein office building, which a benevolent businessman made available to them. There I was, with some whites and some blacks, waiting for the elevator. I went in with all of them — the whites. Someone pushed the button and the doors closed, and then I saw that all the blacks stayed behind and looked away from us.

In April 1994, I saw Kenosi again — same elevator. All the blacks went in, one pushed the button, the doors closed, and all looked at me with a big smile — they left me out! — and before I could smile back, they went up.

1”

Freedom was in the air ... Kairos!

I told Kenosi, “Big, big smile vi

LANSERIA, 15TH APRIL 1994

‘There was another Kairos moment in the making, which no one had planned.

Early in April, there was still no agreement on the participation of the Inkatha Freedom Party and time was running out. If no agreement would be reached, voting stations (and voters) in KwaZulu-Natal would run the risk of being attacked, with the result that no proper voting could take place in that province. IFP’s leader, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, insisted on international mediation on the highest level: Henri Kissinger (US) and Lord Carrington (UK). They were assisted by Prof. Washington Okumu (Kenya). They started their work on the evening of 12" April. Two days later, they concluded that no agreement could be reached and on the 15", Kissinger and Lord Carrington flew home. Prof. Okumu stayed behind, deeply distressed about the prospect that the elections in KwaZulu-Natal would be marked by violence and killings. He called Buthelezi on his cell phone and asked for a last-minute meeting. Buthelezi replied that he was on his way to Lanseria airport from where his plane would leave at 17:00 to Ulundi. If Okumu arrived in time, they could talk. Okumu took a taxi and raced to the airport, where he arrived at 16:45 to find out that Buthelezi’s plane had already left. Okumu stood on the platform, very upset that the last chance to make an agreement had slipped through his fingers. Then he heard the sound of a small plane flying into Lanseria, which turned out to be Buthelezi’s plane, returning due to trouble with the gyrocompass. So, when Buthelezi left the plane, he walked right into the arms of Okumu. A few hours later, they agreed on the basics of a last-minute final proposal to be made. Two days later, on the 17% of April, an agreement was reached. Millions of Inkatha stickers were now printed, to be attached to millions of ballot papers.

On the 18", I was in Beyers Naudé’s office with Wolfram Kistner and Sister Bernard Ncube, when Oom Bey picked up a phone call from friends at the SA Catholic Bishops Conference. They told him the news about the return of that plane, the meeting, the agreement, and I will never forget the deep emotion, the flowing of tears, our total conviction that we had witnessed the healing hand of the Almighty, the thanksgiving prayers ...

KAIROS! Years later, I read that — on the ground — the gyrocompass worked perfectly, with no sign of defect ...!

BELHAR, 17TH APRIL Two weeks earlier in Belhar, the DRMC and DRCA crossed their own

Rubicon and turned their back on the concept that the colour of your skin was decisive for the question of being invited to receive the Holy Communion, as had been decided by the NG Kerk in 1881. They united under the name Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa, expressing in their name that unity with the former Moederkerk remained high on their agenda.

On the 17% April, Madiba himself walked in, as if he had no other priorities in that hectic month of April. These were the people who, 12 years before, had brought the clarion call to the World Alliance of Reformed Churches that apartheid was a HERESY. These were the people who had written the Belhar Confession, which had deeply impressed and encouraged him on Robben Island. They had put their fingerprint on the agenda of churches inside and outside South Africa. By his presence, he recognised them all. Sam Buti had told him in advance that at this very moment, he should not address the meeting, because — after the NG Kerk had been proud to be called the National Party in prayer — this new Church didn't want to be seen as the ANC in prayer. “When you are doing the right things, we'll praise you, if not, we'll criticise you” (Buti, 1994). Mandela fully agreed with what Sam Buti had said.

It was surprising that Mandela went to Belhar on 17% April, when the draft agreement Prof. Okumu and Buthelezi had put on the table was the most urgent item to be discussed and agreed to avoid bloodshed in KwaZulu-Natal. That would have been a dramatic setback for the new South Africa. The deal was about the transfer of 2.8 million hectares administered by the KwaZulu homeland to end up in a trust (the Ingonyama Trust) with the

1 See Michael Cassidy, A Witness Forever, with a foreword by Prof. Washington Okumu.

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Zulu King, Goodwill Zwelithini, as its trustee. This was discussed and agreed between the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the Government.

On 19% April, a “memorandum of agreement for reconciliation and peace” was signed by the ANC, IFP and the Government, which included a constitutional recognition for the Zulu King and a promise for further international mediation after the election. It made no mention of the transfer of the land to the King’s trust.

On the 22™ of April, the KwaZulu legislative assembly agreed with the Ingonyama Trust Act and the transfer of the land administered by the homeland to this Trust. It was the last decision they took as a legislative assembly. They would be replaced by newly elected bodies under the new provisional Constitution. On the 25" of April, Parliament agreed to amend the Constitution to recognise the Zulu King. That was their last decision.

ON 27TH APRIL, THE VOTING STARTED

Neither Mandela, nor any member of the ANC negotiation team, was informed about the sale of the land. With the phasing out of all the homelands, the ownership of the land came under the authority of the national government. ‘The same applied to KwaZulu-Natal, but at the time that all homelands would be dissolved, KwaZulu-Natal had no land anymore because that had been transferred to the trust.? The new Cabinet learned about this deal weeks after the election. Mandela was furious and felt utterly betrayed by the two people who were now his vice-presidents!

UITLANDER

Of course, it is somewhat unusual to invite an uitlander to write the preface for a book like this, leaving aside someone who has no degree in theology. However, all settlers were uitlanders when they arrived and brought the

2 See Secret details of the land deal that brought the IFP into the ‘94 poll, Mail and Guardian, 7 Aug 2019.

ix

Statenvertaling with them. They were honoured by their offspring. The best translation for uitlander is an ancestor, as many of them put their fingerprint on this country and their footprint on its soil?

In retrospect, I see that in my life, three full CVs ran parallel, which were not competing but rather supplementing each other: Work since 1968, Church since 1970 and South Africa since 1978. None of the three were planned — they happened to us. We were starting with the third: Gereformeerd Gymnasium (now Christelijk Gymnasium Beyers Naudé) in Leeuwarden. At the final exams in 1960, we had to write an essay and could choose one of ten themes. I decided to write my essay about white begins / black wins. Two years later, Alexandr Solzjenitsyn wrote “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”. For my wife Joke and I, that one day was 21 April 1978, but we only realised much later that, on that day, we had boarded a non-stop train that had a clear direction although, at times, no rails.

I was on a business trip for Nedlloyd to South Africa and I had reserved Saturday for myself. A few days before my departure, I received $25,000 in cash from the Werelddiakonaat of the Hervormde Kerk | World Diaconate of the Reformed Church] for Beyers Naudé, whose bank account was blocked for overseas funding.

At 15:00, I met with him in the garden, because his house was bugged. I received a friendly welcome. Greetings from Kerk & Wereld, the lay training centre of the Hervormde Kerk on whose Board I served. He briefed me on the events of Soweto 1976 and the aftermath, on Steve Biko and his views on violence. Tannie Ilse brought us tea with apple pie. When I rose to get an extra chair, she said, “No, I can’t sit with you, Bey can only see one person at a time”. “And the children?” “No! If they come for dinner, I put two plates on one child ... Banning! A mediaeval punishment for this dedicated couple.

3 When President Hendrik Verwoerd had a meeting with the RC Bishops Conference, he took a seat, looked around the table, shook his head and said with dismay: “I see only uitlanders”. Then Archbishop Denis Hurley looked around the table and said: “Well, as far as I know, there is only one witlander in this room”.

They treated every visitor as a most welcome friend, they listened, they fed them with thoughts, they encouraged and they prayed for them. No power-play, no orders were given, no badmouthing!* But not wavering one moment for what they believed to be Gebot der Stunde [no alternative - at that precise moment what you would have to do here and now]. We didn't have a clue that this two-hour meeting would result in our entire family getting involved in the Christian Fellowship Trust (CFT) —a Trust they had started with the aim to send church ministers and their wives to England, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland. They became grandparents to our children, and at Oom Bey’s state funeral,” Archbishop Tutu ended his sermon with the following words:

Last week in heaven, God the Father was walking around as he always does and saw how Satan was crouching in a corner as if he didnt want to be seen, and God approached him and said: why are you looking so sad ... Do you remember our discussions about Job? When you said: it is not difficult to be a believer if you are stone rich ...? Yes, Satan said, and that you, Satan, said: may I put him to the test and take all his wealth and health from him, are you sure that he will not turn his back on you? And that I said: go ahead, but you may not take his life! Yes, I remember, Satan said again and shivered because he remembered that he had failed ...

And God tapped him on the shoulder and said: But what do you think of my friend Bey?

And Satan shivered again and again and didn't know what to say ... AMEN. 4 www.gertvanmaanen.nl/Beyers Naude lezing Met de Moed der Hoop 1997 5 During the break between the family service and the state funeral, I was told by the SACC that I would be one of the pallbearers. Together with James Buys, Wolfram Kistner, Manas Buthelezi, Peter Storey and Olav Tveit.

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WILGESPRUIT

At 17:00, Dale White picks me up at Bey’s home. Immediate click. Immediate trust. Ordained Anglican priest and successor of Trevor Huddleston in Sophiatown, and when his flock was evicted from there, he accompanied them to Soweto (St. Paul’s).

He was assigned by the Bishop to Wilgespruit Fellowship Centre in 1965 as Director, while keeping him in St. Paul’s. Wilgespruit was started in 1948 with six ministers — three black and three white — and the Wilgespruit Farm was bought as a place where apartheid would not set foot.

MISSION: TRAINING AND EMPOWERMENT OF VICTIMS OF APARTHEID

At home: Tish, Dale’s wife, switched on the music because their house was bugged. They showered me with information. At 02:30 in the morning, he drives me back to the Carlton Hotel. In the parking area, he tells me that in the vestry of his church, four widows make candles to be placed on all windowsills in Soweto on the 16% of June. Question: What should they do on the 17% of June? They are entitled to social security for three months. If they have not found employment, they will be treated as loafers and be deported to one of the homelands. Brainstorm: Dutch Churches to order 100,000 candles to be sold for 5 guilders each, and shipping September 1978 to be in time for Christmas. I wrote a sales contract while in Durban, and Dale convened a meeting with project leaders on 30% April, amongst Rector David Nkwe (St. Paul's), Mary Mxadana (later Mandelas PA) and Griffith Zabala. They believed that they could deliver. Next day, African Bank was fine with the contract but not prepared to pre-finance as long as the contract was not signed by the Dutch churches. Then, we went to the South African Council of Churches (SACC) and John Rees was prepared to prefinance up to R80,000.

However, the Dutch Churches were furious: “Who authorised you to do this, you lawyer!! To commit us for R500,000!!” I confessed that I had no authority, but that at 03:00 in the morning, I couldnt consult anyone.

However, I had the firm belief that they would agree if they would look at the merits of this case and the minimal risk. “Come on’, they said, “R500,000 is not a minimal risk!!!” I explained that, no, their maximal exposure was not 500,000 but only the amount the SACC would actually have furnished. If they did not sign the contract now, there won't be candles, and they would only have to reimburse the SACC, but at this stage that would probably be less than R40,000. There was a deafening silence.

On the 1* of May, time was of the essence, because they had to scale up in May by ordering moulds and wax in bulk and train more people to meet the deadline in September. One would not be able to decide on this contract before the summer, but then the candles arrive in February. What I did was against the rules, but it was not a sin. On Sundays, we were invited to sing “God roept ons broeders tot de daad, Zijn werk wacht treedt dan aan” [God calls us brothers to action, His work is waiting, so let us start]. People who remembered that on Monday were no sinners.

On Christmas Eve in the Westerkerk in Amsterdam, we switched on the television and there was Rev. Nico ter Linden. I said to Joke, “Look there, at the door, all people walk in with a Soweto Candle!! Look!!! And no one is paying”. Towards the end, Nico said: “You have all received a Soweto candle and can read the text in the flyer: In Soweto, with close to 1.5 million people, the houses have no electricity. They have paraffin lamps and candles, not as a romantic item, but as a basic need! Maar zie, zij die wonen in een land van diepe duisternis brengen ons aanstekelijk licht [Behold! The who dwell in a land of deep darkness bring us an infectious light”].

The candles are signed and cost 5 guilders. But the value of them bringing their light to us, is much higher. Please put your money in the offertory bag when you leave”.

We got the tape and sent it to the group in Soweto — by now 40 women! ‘They were elated to see their candles in this Amsterdam Christmas service.

xiii

InJanuary, close to 500,000 guilders* was transferred to the Ukhukanya Trust they had started, and the trust started to give the first grant to the Orphanage, instead of writing letters to overseas donors. Forty women did it. As from 1980, their candles were sold through third world shops in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland, albeit at a less inflated price.

The ball didn't stop there. A portion of the money was used to enable grassroots leaders to buy warm clothes because they would go to the Coady Institute in Canada. Coady had an excellent programme on cooperatives in the third world and would admit people who had no matric but played a vital role in their community. When they arrived, our daughter, Marieke, climbed on their laps and they taught her basic Zulu. In the evenings, we showed them “Woza Albert” and “Witness to Apartheid”, etc. Six months later, they returned from Canada as people with self-confidence.

Dale White and I were driving all the way to the North in the mid-eighties during the State of Emergency. Those were moments that you could share, or listen, or think ... I asked him, “Are you never afraid, with all these killings and people who disappear?” Dale said, “No, it is many years ago that I decided not to be scared because in that case they would have won before it is their time. And look, I am sitting next to you. All these years we have gained!” And I responded, “But what about your daughters, they are 12 and 14. What about them, if next year they drive you off the road to get rid of you?” “Well”, Dale paused and then said softly, “in that case, we would have gained another year, wouldn't we?”

Dale died on 29 October 2007. When I arrived on 2°? November, Tish told me, “You have to hurry to the Soweto morgue, we waited for you because you are his brother, you have to wash him”. And I said, “Tish, on 31 October, our first grandson was born. His name is Julius Johannes Dale”.

6 In the eighties the exchange rate between the rand and Dutch guilder was 1:1.5, therefore it could be roughly be R750 000.

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CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP TRUST

ICCO, the Protestant Development Agency, was very pleased with the results of the candle project and asked me to join their Board in 1980.’ In 1981, the ICCO Director, Jone Bos, asked Joke if she could replace the CFT secretary for Holland who had retired. The CFT was the vehicle of Beyers and Ilse Naudé to send ministers and their wives overseas (England, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland). They would identify the themes they would like to focus on and whom they would like to meet. Joke compiled the program and added contacts like the Kairos staff, Mpho Ntoane, Oshadi Pakhati, other exiles, SA students in Kampen, etc. Bey and Ilse had experienced that — through all these contacts and their questions — they would be encouraged to redefine their own ministry back home. The total number of grantees was 217° — during ‘our’ years (1982-1993), 64 (DRMC 36; DRCA 10; DRC 5; R Catholic 4; Baptist 3; Anglican 2; Methodist 1).