Abstract:
In this article the story of the pioneer missionary in Sekhukhuneland, Rev Abraham
Rousseau is told. He was a missionary of the Dutch Reformed Church in Sekhukhuneland
from 1926 to 1940. This story deals with the preparation stage of Rousseau’s work, the
building of a parsonage, school, hostel, a small hospital and accommodation for the staff,
and the expansion of the mission work as far as possible into Sekhukhuneland. Soon 21
outposts, including schools were established. Attention is given to the black evangelists who
were the mission’s fore-front workers. Attention is given to the relation between the white
and black mission workers in the historical phase in which Rousseau played a role, and how
these relations developed in later phases.
Description:
This article is based on a PhD thesis, History of the DRC mission in Sekhukhuneland and Church development 1875 – 1994, that the writer completed at the Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, with dr AS van Niekerk of the Department Science of Religion and Missiology as study leader. (http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24506 )
