Die sendingbetrokkenheid van die nederduitse gereformeerde kerk in Sri Lanka 1900 tot 1995. 'n sending-historiese beoordeling

Abstract

Afrikaans: Die eerste kontak tussen die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk en die Dutch Reformed Church in Ceylon het reeds in 1804 plaasgevind. Os. M. C. Vos het as verteenwoordiger van die Londense Sendinggenootskap in Ceylon sendingwerk gaan doen.

Met die aankoms van die Boerekrygsgevangenes in Ceylon is die kontak tussen lidmate van die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk en die inwoners van Ceylon weer eens hervat. Tydens die aanhouding van die Boerekrygsgevangenes in Ceylon het daar 'n geestelike herlewing in die kampe plaasgevind. Die lot van die miljoene verlore mense in Ceylon het die Boere aangespoor om die Ceylon-Hulp Zendinggenootschap te stig met die dqel om die evangelie aan die mense te verkondig. Elke lid van die genootskap sou 'n maandelikse bydrae maak om 'n evangelis in Ceylon finansieel te ondersteun. Die Boerekrygsgevangenes was kinders van hul tyd, wat die sendingentoesiasme wat gedurende die negentiende eeu iri die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk ontwikkel het, verteenwoordig het.

As gevolg van die kontak tussen ds. C. R. Ferreira, sekretaris van die Ceylon- Hulp-Zendinggenootschap en die Dutch Reformed Church in Ceylon, gaan

eers eerwaarde A. J. K. De Klerk en daarna S. F. Skeen na Ceylon om die kerk behulpsaam te wees. Eerw. De Klerk, 'n afgestudeerde student van die Sendinginstituut te Wellington het diep spore in die Dutch Reformed Church in Ceylon getrap. Eerw. De Klerk het ernstig siek geword en na slegs twee jaar op die eiland sterf hy in 'n hospitaal in Colombo. Eerw. Skeen het hom opgevolg en 'n belangrike bydrae tot die administrasie van sy gemeente gelewer.

Die verhandeling handel vervolgens oor die sendingbetrokkenheid van die Kommissie vir Wereldsending van die Sinode van Wes-Transvaal in Sri lanka. Die Boerekrygsgevangenes en eerwaardes De Klerk en Skeen het as' t ware die pad vir die kommissie voorberei. Die werk van die kommissie kan egter nie las van die werk van ds. Rajkumar Thurairajah gesien word nie. In 1980 het 'n ontmoeting in Sri lanka tussen die kommissie en ds. Thurairajah plaasgevind waarna die kommissie besluit het om by ds. Thurairajah se werk betrokke te raak, 'n verhouding wat sou strek tot en met sy afsterwe in 1993. Saam met woordverkondiging aan die nie-Christene in Sri lanka het die kommissie en ds. Thurairajah Bib/ecor Lanka op die been gebring, 'n Bybelverspreidingsprojek en 'n kinderevangelisasieprojek van stapel gestuur.

Weens verskeie redes was die verhouding tussen die kommissie en die Dutch Reformed Church in Sri lanka nie gesond nie. Deur die jare heen en as gevolg van omstandighede het die twee partye nader aan mekaar beweeg. Na die afsterwe van ds. Thurairajah het die kommissie met die Dutch Reformed Church in Sri lanka onderhandel sodat hulle in die toekoms moontlik as vennote kan saamwerk. Die Dutch Reformed Church in Sri lanka het egter 'n verskraalde sendingbenadefing, omdat die kerk nie daadwerklik by sendingwerk ender die nie-Christene betrokke raak nie.

Die Kommissie vir Wereldsending het steeds 'n belangrike rol in Sri lanka te speel. Lesse uit die verlede moet ter harte geneem word sodat die sendingbetrokkenheid van die kommissie in die toekoms in Sri lanka verseker kan word.

The first contact between the Dutch Reformed Church and the Dutch Reformed Church in Ceylon took place as early as 1804. Rev. M. C. Vos was a representative of the London Mission Society, who worked in Ceylon.

When the Boer prisoners of war arrived in Ceylon, this contact between the members of the Dutch Reformed Church and the people of Ceylon was resumed. During the imprisonment of the Boers as prisoners of war, at Ceylon a religious revival took place in the camps. The plight of millions of unsaved souls in Ceylon encouraged the Boers to form the Ceylon-Hulp Zendinggenootschap with a view to bring the gospel to the people. Every member of the Genootschap would make a monthly contribution to support an evangelist tn Ceylon financially. These Boers, were in accordance with the spirit of that time, missionary enthusiasts - a trend that had been developing since the nineteenth century in the Dutch Reformed Church.

As a result of the contact between the rev. C. R. Ferreira, secretary of the Cey/on-Hulp Zendinggenootschap, and the Dutch Reformed Church in Ceylon, first the missionary A. J. K. De Klerk en then S. F. Skeen went to Ceylon to assist the church. Rev. De Klerk fell seriously ill and after only two years on the island died in Colombo. He was succeeded by rev. Skeen, who made an important contribution to his congregation's administration.

This thesis deals furthermore with the mission involvement of the Commission of World Mission of the Synod of Western Transvaal in Sri lanka. The Boer prisoners of war, as well as rev. De Klerk and Skeen, prepared the way for the commission. The work of the commission may however not be seen as something separate from that of rev. Rajkumar Thurairajah. In 1980 a meeting was held between the commission and rev. Thurairajah in Sri lanka, where after the commission decided to involve itself with rev. Thurairajah's work - a relationship that would last until his death in 1993. Along with the preaching of the gospel to non-Christians in Sri lanka, rev. Thurairajah and the commission started Biblecor Lanka, launched a Bible distribution project and a children's evangelisation project.

There are many reasons for the unhealthy relationship between the commission and the Dutch Reformed Church in Sri lanka. Through the years and as a result of circumstances these two parties moved closer to each other. After the death of rev. Thurairajah the commission negotiated

with the Dutch Reformed Church in Sri lanka about the possibility to co- operate in future.

The Commission for World Mission still has an important role to play in Sri lanka. Examples from the past must be heeded so that the mission involvement of the commission in Sri lanka may be ensured.