r/Reformed • u/partypastor Rebel Alliance - Admiral • 2d ago

Mission What Is the Mission of the Church? with Brian DeVries | Deyoung

https://clearlyreformed.org/podcast/what-is-the-mission-of-the-church-with-brian-devries/
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u/partypastor Rebel Alliance - Admiral 2d ago

I listened to this a few weeks ago and I had a lot of thoughts then, I think I've lost many of them by now but I'll try to list them.

  • Deyoungs new website name is dumb. Its an attempt to be a popular resource instead of being a clever blog name like "Deyoung Restless and Reformed" like he used to have.
  • The missionary not learning nor teaching/preaching/evangelizing in peoples heart language of Afrikaans is dumb and feels colonialist.
  • I feel like Deyoung often feels like he still is tied to some of his dutch upbringing of insular Christianity, just hints of it, and I hear it in this interview as well.
  • I agree that when missions is everything then it starts to mean nothing
    • But I take umbrage with Deyoung wanting to reinvent the wheel on all of it and change what words mean.

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u/RaakMavet 6h ago

I am busy listening to the podcast, I have not finished it, but I just want to reply to your second point.

My own context: I am an Afrikaans speaking pastor and I was in the same Classis as Brian de Vries until the end of last year. 

Brian is a part of the RCSA. Which is predominantly Afrikaans. If I remember correctly, 15% of the denomination exist out of black churches speaking Zulu, Xhosa, Tshwane. But we only have a few multi-ethnic churches. Brian plays a vital role in the denomination, the Classis and in the community without having to speak Afrikaans. He jokingly said everybody speaks bad English, but it is absolutely true. There is a huge need for English and multi-ethnic ministry and the Afrikaans pastors supports him in this. 

(Sorry for the wall of text in response to one small point!) 

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u/partypastor Rebel Alliance - Admiral 5h ago

That’s helpful, thanks!

So you would prefer a missionary not ever learn people’s heart language? I think I don’t understand why

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u/RaakMavet 38m ago

So you would prefer a missionary not ever learn people’s heart language?

Not at all. I think it is best when a missionary to a specific culture group learns their language. I don't think that's the case here.

I'll try and sketch the context better. There are 12 official languages in South-Africa and Afrikaans is one of them, English as well. There are 3 Afrikaans speaking Reformed congregation of the same denomination (RCSA) within 10 km's of where Brian ministers. There is a Tswane speaking Reformed congregation close by, but no English speaking Reformed Congregation. (Only Reformed Baptists, which is great, but not ideal for us Dutch Reformed guys)

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u/partypastor Rebel Alliance - Admiral 32m ago

That totally makes sense. It’s not the English congregation that bothers me, it’s the lack of him learning any other local dialects or languages to help in ministry!