The Rustenburg Reformed Church is the oldest congregation of the Reformed Churches in South Africa (GKSA), founded in February 1859 by the denomination’s pioneer, Rev. Dirk Postma.
Background to foundation
The congregation was founded in a climate of grave dissatisfaction by Rustenburg Voortrekkers with the state of the church in the South African Republic (ZAR). The Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NHK) was the only congregation in the town that was founded in 1850 and named for its inhabitants’ relative safety from Bantu raids (it literally means “city of rest” in Afrikaans). The NHK Pastor was Rev. Dirk van der Hoff.
The schismatics had tried several times to find a suitable preacher from the ranks of the Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, ultimately succeeded with Rev. Postma’s dispatch. Arriving on July 9, 1858, in Simon’s Town and staying in Cape Town for a while, he arrived in Rustenburg at the end of the year. He was prepared to take the NHK mantle upon arrival, but on January 10, 1859, his 41st birthday, a general assembly of the NHK resolved themselves “to adopt the Evangelical Hymnal in addition to the Psalms. An ecclesiastical organization, but also nothing more, we call for all to adopt our stance.”
The Rev. Postma and many of his cohorts disagreed with the decision. Therefore, 15 male members of the congregation resolved on January 11, 1859, to separate from the NHK as the Reformed Church worshipping “according to the doctrine, discipline, and service of forefathers such as those who revealed themselves at the Synod of Dort in 1618-1619.”
Foundation
On February 10, 1859, a general meeting was held by those dissatisfied with the NHK. Since Rev. Van der Hoff began refusing use of the Rustenburg NHK church, they had no place of worship and had to gather under a large chinaberry tree cut down in around 1970 after storm damage. The stump where the 300 charter members of the new congregation met has been declared a national heritage site. At the 11th service, Rev. Postma openly declared “the ministry of the Shepherd and Teacher incorporated in the Name and Power of the Lord.” Elders and deacons were elected and ordained thus, and the foundation of Rustenburg soon gave rise to other congregations in Pretoria and Potchefstroom.
More congregations established
Shortly afterward, Rev. Postma received petitions from around the Orange Free State and Cape Colony to join the GKSA. His visits in return helped spur the foundations of the Reddersburg Reformed Church (GKSA), the Burgersdorp Reformed Church (GKSA), the Colesberg Reformed Church (GKSA), and the Middelburg Reformed Church (Cape, GKSA), among others.
Rev. Postma’s tenure
The Rev. Postma served the congregation until 1866, though he served as spiritual leader of the entire denomination throughout Transvaal, the Orange Free State, and Cape Colony. Despite the schism, Rev. Postma and Rev. Van der Hoff retained a “courteous and fraternal” relationship. The animosity between the two churches therefore declined, though were in tension with the Dutch Reformed Church (NGK).
In Transvaal, Rev. Postma guided the NHK through the end of state supervision, a move he initially opposed. As the “state church,” the GKSA had to offset government tax funding, marriages could only be proclaimed therein and the license fees paid thereto, and only members had the right to vote.
Even before the foundation of the Burgersdorp Theological School, Rev. Postma informally taught several pastors, including Jan Lion Cachet and future State Secretary of the South African Republic Nicolaas Swart. In 1866, Rev. Postma left for a post in the Burgersdorp congregation in the northeast of what is now Eastern Cape Province. He founded that congregation on January 21, 1860, in a store’s warehouse, given the lack of suitable meeting halls in a community hostile to Doppers (GKSA members); another source holds that it was founded on Roosterkoek farm near Albert, the nucleus of today’s town of Burgersdorp. This was the first GKSA congregation in Cape Colony.
The Rev. Postma went there with the explicit aim of training ministers. The calmer political environment and wealthy surrounding congregations for funding assistance were among the factors influencing his choice.