In a video posted this week Christian marketplace leader Dr Arno van Niekerk made a strong call on the Church to stand on the absolute truth of the Word of God. He started by commending Dutch Reformed Church leaders who met at Moreletapark Church recently to discuss the way forward in the face of a liberal agenda being pushed on the church group against the will of arguably most members. In the 24-minute video, which can be viewed at the bottom of this page, Van Niekerk also expresses hope that the gathering will spark a movement that will lead to a new reformation — not only in the DRC but also in the wider Church. Gateway News spoke to Van Niekerk today and filed the following report.
The key thing to realise about the strong voice of liberal theology in much of today’s Church is that it gained its influence through decades of liberal conditioning led by theologians who questioned the traditional interpretation of Scripture and subjected God’s Word to secular disciplines such as critical theory which do not recognise the Bible’s divine inspiration.
So said economist, author and Christian leader Dr Arno Van Niekerk in an interview today about the situation in the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC), where he believes most ordinary members hold to a traditional view of Scripture but have no way to defend it or to resist the influence of liberal theologians who have been pushing a liberal, politically-correct agenda through the General Synod.
While differences over gay clergy and same-sex weddings have captured headlines, the real issue is differences between leaders who believe that the Bible is the literal Word of God and leaders who question fundamentals of Christian faith, promote relative truth and uphold political correctness.
“In the book of Timothy it says that the Church is the pillar of truth and I think that all these things that have seeped into much of the Church have begun to fracture our foundation,” said Van Niekerk.
He said the gathering of about 500 DRC leaders at the Moreletapark Congregation in Pretoria at the end of last month, hopefully, marked the beginning of a new season in which church leaders who stand on God’s Word as absolute truth would come together to strategise on what needs to be done.
He said Christians “on ground level” want to see truth proclaimed by leaders who stand by God’s Word.
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He was hopeful that after the Moreletapark summit this will happen more — not just in the DRC but with other leaders standing with the DRC leaders and that leaders will give Christians avenues to make their voices heard.
“That will lead to a purification of the Church — almost a new reformation in the Church as we start distancing ourselves from those who are preaching a Gospel that does not align with the Word of God, who are doing Church for their own business interests, and who are leading people astray with theologies that are not the truth.
“People are waiting for church leaders to be wide awake and to stand up and speak up on such crucial issues. And that will eventually lead to revival in the Church. This should result not only in purification, but lead to a serious sense of repentance – a calling on the Lord again to say: ‘Purify our hearts, purify us and rekindle Your fire in our hearts so that we can share the Gospel of truth in love with all people.”
Van Niekerk said he hoped that former homosexuals and people who were once trapped in liberal theology would “become part of a whole new move of God’s Spirit to let truth trump lies”.
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So good to read what this godly man has t say abut the church. Would be great if what he says on video could be translated into eEnglish. Sorry, but live in Zimbabwe and my afrikaans is very limited. JS
How encouraging to hear that such good directions are coming out of that Moreleta conference. Let’s pray they will continue. Unfortunately we are reaping the fruit we sowed when evangelical Christians kept quiet politically when many of our leaders led the churches along the apartheid highway. We were not loyal to Jesus and His Word THEN – so now we lack credibility when we try to be loyal NOW. By tolerating apartheid in the churches then, we find it difficult to stand against the humanist tide now. We followed the government of the day then, so why should we not follow the government of the day now? (when it legalises gay ‘marriage’ and abortion). Now we struggle to make up lost ground. But we have begun! Let’s pray that God’s Truth will shine brightly out of the Moreleta conference(s).
I cannot understand Afrikaans. So regrettably could not listen to the video.
Ons moet die sondaars liefhe soos Jesus, dit is waarvoor Hy gekom het. MAAR ons kan nie sonde goedpraat on sodoende ons Jesus verraai nie..God se Woord is Waarheid
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ for His ways and plans in reforming our churches. Now let us pray that God will reveal those that He has been teaching for a time like this – those that He has prepared to teach our people His truth and His ways. Honour and glory to our heavanly Father.