The Boers were Calvinists of the Dutch Reformed Church. They read the Bible frequently, yet they believed they were superior to the blacks​—many believed that blacks were under a curse from God.

The Church Endorses Apartheid

The increase in non-white converts during the 19th century made many whites feel uneasy. As a result, the Church Synod made a historic decision in 1857: “Because of the weakness of some [whites] . . . the congregation from among the heathens [non-whites] . . . would enjoy its Christian privileges in a separate building or institution.” So the church endorsed separation.

The process of division continued. Today there are separate Dutch Reformed Churches for whites, blacks, Coloureds, and Indians.

Compounding the confusion is the dissension in the churches. Among the different branches of the Dutch Reformed Church, there is now much criticism of apartheid. Many ministers both black and white have condemned it. The Western Cape Synod decreed in October 1983 that racial discrimination is “sinful” and that henceforth the church should be open to people of all races.

On August 29, 1985, the Presbytery of Stellenbosch, another Dutch Reformed Church regional body, officially recognized that racial discrimination “is contrary to the Biblical principles of love of one’s neighbour and justice” and that “apartheid” has “led to human misery.”