Dr Dawie Botes, Dr William Zulu and Dr Moses Zulu with the special framed Certificate of Appreciation to the DRC Free State as a gift.
“During this synod meeting, I once again, reconnected with my theological heartbeat, namely witness ministry, or mission work. During the sermon and singing, I was once more struck by the realisation of how the Lord sustains His Church; that we, as instruments in the Lord’s hands, form part of a small link in the great chain of God’s Kingdom. I had a profound spiritual experience there.”
Dr Dawie Botes
Vice-chairman: DRC Free State Moderature
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It touches you deeply when, for the first time, you experience the worship of Christ in one of our family churches in Africa. Apart from the heavenly harmonisation of four-part hymns without the accompaniment of musical instruments, it is especially the large number of members attending worship services and the knowledge that this is the fruit of dedicated missionary work that will move you.
Dr Dawie Botes, the vice-chairman of the NG Church Free State Moderature, can testify to this after visiting the Dutch Reformed Church in Zambia (DRCZ)congregation and the Reformed Church in Zambia (RCZ) from Monday, 12 August to Friday, 16 August as a delegate of the DRC Free State.
Dr Dawie Botes, Dr Moses Zulu and Rev. Willem Schoeman at the DRC Lusaka Congregation.
The DRCZ Congregation, a Unique Multicultural Church
The DRCZ congregation is a unique church that is part of the Northern Synod of the DRC and is the northernmost DRC congregation in Africa. As a multicultural congregation, their services are offered in Afrikaans and English.
Dr Botes was welcomed at Lusaka airport by Rev. Willem Schoeman, the minister of this special congregation, and taken to his church where he also met Dr Moses Zulu, Rev. Schoeman’s co-pastor.
“What is very special about this DRCZ congregation is that it is a combined congregation,” says Dr Botes. “I had the privilege of attending their church council meeting on the evening of Monday, 12 August. We read from 1 Peter 2, verses 1 to 10, and I was very impressed with the excellent attitude with which the meeting took place.
“The congregation is served by Rev. Willem Schoeman, who leads the Afrikaans (and English) services, and Dr Moses Zulu, who is responsible for the English services. The two colleagues work very well together, and their unity has a very positive influence on the church council and congregation.”
Dr Zulu shares: “Rev. Willem Schoeman is the third Afrikaans-speaking DRC minister with whom I have served the DRC in Zambia since 2014. The previous ministers, like Rev. Schoeman, were all wonderful colleagues. Rev. Schoeman has been my colleague here for two years now.
“This multicultural congregation’s boundary covers the southern part of Zambia, with monthly Afrikaans services in Lusaka, Livingstone, and Chisamba. The English service takes place weekly in Lusaka and is attended by locals and foreigners from Europe, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Malawi.
“Due to this dynamic in our congregation, there is a constant migration of people, which makes our ministry very challenging. Especially our members coming from South Africa find it difficult to find their feet in this environment, something we gladly assist them with – helping them feel at home in our midst.
“Of course, it is usually very challenging to work with another minister. Pastors can easily differ from one another or become competitive but fortunately my ministry since 2014 has been a very positive experience with all the Afrikaans-speaking ministers I have worked with. We have always been able to resolve our cultural differences without conflict. On the contrary, I have always received good support from my colleague, Rev. Willem Schoeman, and my Afrikaans-speaking members.
“This contributes greatly to our congregation functioning as a united body. We tackle everything as one family – from our administrative church council tasks to being a unified church.”
The combined church council of the DRC Lusaka
Our Close Partnership with the DRC Free State
“The origin and foundation of our partnership with the RCZ lies deeply with the DRC Free State. It is thanks to their missionary work that this partnership exists,” explains Dr Zulu. “It was on July 5, 1899, under a mpundu tree at Magweru in the eastern part of Zambia, where Rev. PJ Smit and Rev. JM Hofmeyr began to dream of church planting in Zambia.
“Since then, the bonds between the RCZ and the DRC in Zambia have been well nurtured, as has the partnership we have with the DRC Free State. We gladly visit each other regularly, thereby maintaining our mutual church family ties, something that is of inestimable value to all of us.
“As the DRC in Zambia, we still cherish this relationship. We also support theology students assigned to our congregation with a monthly allowance, something our congregation has sustained for 15 years now.
“It was, therefore, a great privilege for me, Dr Dawie Botes, and Rev. Willem Schoeman when the RCZ invited us this year to their 33rd synod meeting in Kathethe.”
The site where the RCZ originated under a mpundu tree.
Visiting Historic RCZ sites
Before their visit to the RCZ Synod meeting, Dr Zulu first took Dr Botes and Rev. Schoeman to a few historic RCZ sites.
Dr Botes shares: “The cemetery at RCZ Madzimoyo near Chipata touched me very deeply. I then realised how many sacrifices had to be made for the sake of the Gospel. Many missionaries, their wives, and even children are buried there. The heart-wrenching words on the grave of a baby that read, ‘Safe in Jesus’ arms,’ moved me deeply. The message I received there was that we too must make sacrifices for the sake of the gospel.”
Rev. Schoeman expresses his experience of the cemetery as follows: “We stand under a tree, looking at the graves of Afrikaans missionaries who brought the light of the Gospel to Zambia. The small grave of a child named Hendrik Jacobus Kriek, who was not even a year old, touches me deeply. What must have gone through the minds of the couple standing by that open grave? I feel the tears welling up inside me. As I understand it, it was due to malaria.
“Involuntarily, I ask myself whether all their sacrifices, leaving everything behind to come to Zambia, were worth it. Our guide, Rev. Moyo, says the words on the stone are in ‘a foreign language.’ He does not understand them. But for me, it is not a foreign language; it is Afrikaans. It is my mother tongue. Was it worth it? I think of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:58: ‘… your labour in the Lord is not in vain.'”
The second place visited was a monument honouring the four pillars on which the mission to Africa was built. Dr Botes explains: “The first pillar was to bring the news of Jesus Christ to Zambia. The second pillar was the education of people; they needed to learn to read and write. The third pillar was medical services. People’s health was important – many diseases needed treatment. The fourth pillar was agriculture. New, more effective farming methods had to be taught to the people for the sake of food security. These four pillars remain the focus points of the church to this day.”
The group also visited a youth gathering. Rev. Schoeman shares: “I look up and hear the loud praise songs of hundreds of teenagers during a youth gathering of eleven RCZ congregations in the Madzimoyo church before us. You can hear the praise songs from afar.
“And I realise: the little church that the missionaries planted is not dead; it is alive. The Lord has blessed the RCZ. Later that day, we would visit the mpundu tree under which the first service was held on July 5, 1899. The church that began under a tree has grown to over 1 million members!”
Dr Botes shares: “We also visited the School for the Blind and Deaf at Magwero, which was started by the pioneering woman, Dr Elsie Botes. One can only imagine the incredible determination it must have taken for Dr Botes to start and establish something like this.”
Rev. Schoeman adds: “Mr. Lungu, who is himself blind, read to us in braille. He also trains other blind people.”
“This school has helped many people besides RCZ members – it has been a great blessing to everyone in Zambia,” says Dr Botes. “Thanks to the sacrifices of our forefathers and foremothers, we can now see the fruit of their labour. Great and moving work is still being done here under very difficult circumstances and with limited resources.”
The Wednesday evening at the opening of the Synod Meeting
The RCZ Synod Meeting
The highlight of Dr Botes, Dr Zulu, and Rev. Schoeman’s visit to the RCZ was the opening of the synod meeting on Wednesday, August 14. The synod meeting took place from August 14 to 17 at the Kathethe Secondary Girls’ Hostel School, with “Flourishing in Christ” (John 15:5) as the theme. Dr Zulu and Rev. Schoeman represented the DRC of Zambia, while Dr Dawie Botes represented the DRC Free State. During this occasion, they also delivered greeting messages from their respective churches.
Dr Botes shares: “The synod opening on Wednesday evening was a profound experience for me. Prof. Edwin Zulu, former moderator of the RCZ and previously head of postgraduate studies and research at Justo Mwale University and currently the deputy vice-chancellor at Zambia Open University in Lusaka, delivered the sermon with Deut. 10:12 as the text verse.
“Afterwards, Dr William Zulu, general secretary of the RCZ, presented a special framed Certificate of Appreciation to the DRC Free State as a gift; a gesture that we greatly appreciate.”
Rev. Schoeman recounts: “The hall was packed with delegates from all over Zambia. It was an inspiring experience when they began to sing a capella, and it felt as though the roof of the hall was lifted.
“They also shared with us their new vision: the church is a Chichewa church, but they want to break the language barrier and reach areas where other languages are spoken. They asked for our prayers for this.”
Dr Botes testifies: “During this synod meeting, I once again connected with my theological heartbeat, namely, the witness ministry or mission. During the sermon and singing, I was reminded of how the Lord sustains His church; that we, as instruments in the Lord’s hands, are part of a small link in the great chain of God’s Kingdom. I experienced a profound spiritual encounter there.”
In Conclusion
“The sacrifices of the missionaries were not in vain!” testifies Rev. Schoeman. “The Lord has blessed the church abundantly. It is the largest church in the family of Reformed churches in Southern Africa; it is larger than the DRC.
“The Afrikaans words on the graves testify that it is part of our Afrikaner heritage. We must cherish the bond with the RCZ!”
Dr Botes shares: “I was moved by the sacrifices made by the missionaries, the singing of the youth, my experience under the mpundu tree – the church that continues to go from strength to strength – it will always remain one of the highlights of my ministry.”
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Contact Dr Nico Mostert at missio@ngkvs.co.za for more information.