Abstract:
In the missionary and church history of Rhodesia (present day Zimbabwe)
the Dutch Reformed church did not concentrate exclusively on the unity
of the local Afrikaner community, but also played a pivotal role in the
upliftment of the indigenous population. Ever since the coming into being
of Rhodesia during the 1890’s, Afrikaner immigrants had brought with them
their Christian values and religion. Rhodesia being pre-eminently an Englishspeaking
colony of the British Empire until 1965, the Dutch Reformed
Church considered it necessary to serve its Afrikaner members, thereby
acting as a stronghold against Anglicisation and assimilation. Since 1895
Dutch Reformed congregations were established across the entire country as
a reflection of their fellow countrymen in Africa. Between 1890 and 1980
the Dutch Reformed Church in Rhodesia would play an instrumental role in
the spiritual life of many Afrikaners. At the same time the Dutch Reformed
Church extended its missionary work to the black people – not merely to
convert them to the Christian-Calvinist faith, but also to uplift them socioeconomically
by means of education and the establishment of self-sufficient
congregations. In this article the two-fold role of the Dutch Reformed Church
in Rhodesia in unifying and uplifting both Afrikaners and indigenous peoples
is analised.
