Beukes, Gert * 30.03.1918, Aub † 23.04.2002, Groot-Aub. Baptized: 28.04.1918. Confirmed: 11.10.1942. Mother language: Afrikaans. Other languages: Nama. Worked as a shoemaker in Windhoek before joining the Church. Evangelist course: 1955-56. Pastor course: 1960-61. Ordained on the 04.09.1962 in Windhoek.1 Mitbegründer der afrikaans-sprechenden Martin-Luther-Gemeinde in Windhoek. Als Evangelist mit RMG Missionar Bitzer zusammengearbeitet. Self-taught craftsman. Was elder in the congregation Windhoek. "Kleurling" Attended evangelist course in Paulinum from 1955 to 1956 RMG 2.651b p. 68, Der Jahresbericht 1958 des Evangelisten G. Alcock (Er besucht von Rehoboth aus Schlip und die insgesamt 50 Außen-Farmen. In seinem Arbeitsbereich bedient er Bastar- und Namagemeinden. Er verfügt über das Recht der Sakramentsverwaltung. Er unternimmt die Reisen mit seinem eigenen Auto.) enthält den Hinweis, dass er mit einem Lehrer einen Konflikt hatte. Der Konflikt sei so ausgegangen, dass der Lehrer sich bei ihm entschuldigen musste. Er schreibt: "Die Here se werk is nie maklik nie en ons verwag dit ook nie dat dit maklik moet wees. Tog is sy genade oor ons uitgestort wat ons aanskou en besef." Since Missionary Bitzer is needed in many other responsabilities, the congregation was informed that G. Alcock would be the only person in charge of the congregation.2 G. Beukes wrote his life story on 05.10.1961 in a 13 page long document "Lewensloop". He mentions that he was brought up by his grandparents, the parents of his father. Without attending School, he became very much interested in farming. When his grandparents were too old to look after him, he returned to his parents and were taught by his father for one and a half year in a small farm school for the children of the farmworkers. After this he could read and write in Cape Dutch, the language which later developed into Afrikaans. During his time as a learner he became interested in work of the church, an interest which later cooled down as he became older. Before he left his parents home he attended confirmation classes for two years without knowing how long the classes would continue before he would be confirmed. He left his parents house and found work as a young man, and "[...] lived the life as every young man has a right to. I drank a lot and did things that were wrong in the eyes of God. [...] When my parents got concerned about my way of life, my father wrote me a letter with the following sentences: All of your brothers and sister of our family are confirmed. Don't you know that it reads in the Bible: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. This was the right moment. This well known verse became a powerful voice of God while I was sitting and reading. It turned out to be so powerful that I was startled so much so that the letter fell from my hand. In that very moment did I decide like the lost son. I stood up and the Lord took my weak hand and pulled me out of the place of sin." After this decisive experience Beukes went home and declared his decision to join the confirmation classes again to his parents and elders of the congregation. Another year as a worker on a farm passed, before he was called by the elders through his father back to Aub where he was confirmed on the 11.10.1942 by missionary Wilhelm Lind. "[...] The Lord did a lot to me in those days. I experienced his great friendliness every morning anew while I was working. I will never forget the date of the 06.02.1941 - some time before my confirmation - the day when the Lord proclaimed his holy, unchangeable plan to me. His plan was that I would, one day, stand in his service in the church as a pastor. This message was frightening and at the same time it seemed impossible. [...] Gods answer on my doubts came in the hymn Nr. 24 of the old Rhenisch hymn book: What God does, is well done. [...] Two verses of this hymn were planted so deep in my heart, that I will never forget them. [...]." Beukes describes the years before and after his confirmation as a deep religious encounter, a time when physical needs for bread and water were overwhelmed by his spiritual blissfulness. In 1944 left the farm where he was working to return to Aub where he was made the sexton of the congregation by missionary Lind with the help of the elder Georg Alcock. By the end of 1946, in October, Beukes left for Windhoek to look for work. In Windhoek he stayed in the house of Johannes Wimmer. Johannes Wimmer was an elder of the RMS Nama congregation in by that time. It was Johannes Wimmer who asked Beukes to help in the congregation amongst the Afrikaans speaking members. At that time there was no Afrikaans speaking congregation in Windhoek. Beukes helped with visiting the sick and other works which he did till 1949. During this time he realised that the church would loose most of the young Afrikaans speaking members in the Nama congregation because of the language. The young people who were brought up in Afrikaans and attended Schools where the subjects were taught in Afrikaans could no longer follow the Nama that was used in the Rhenisch congregation. Many of them rather attended the services of the Nederduits Gereformeerde Church. This shortcoming made Beukes and others to write a letter to missionary Lind in November 1949 concerning the language issue. Before posting the letter, they however discussed it with the local missionary Werner. He advised them to wait for the return of the moderator. When moderator Diehl had returned, a meeting of Werner together with Beukes and others, was convened, in which the letter was confirmed. This initiative led to the foundation of the Afrikaans speaking congregation in Windhoek on 23.04.1950, as a branch of the congregation Rehoboth. Beukes was elected as an elder of the new congregation. Twice a year the congregation celebrated Holy Communion. Now and then the evangelist of Rehoboth, Jakobus and Alcock visited the congregation in Windhoek. The ordination of pastor Jakobus was a big event in Rehoboth and in the Afrikaans speaking congregation in Windhoek. For Beukes himself the celebrations had far reaching consequences because the elders of Rehoboth used the opportunity to request the moderator to place Beukes on the list of candidates for a future training as an evangelist. Beukes was at the beginning not much touched by that request as he worked as a self-employed shoemaker in Windhoek. He hired the equipment and rented the workshop from a person who was not willing, in spite of several attempts, to sell the tools to Beukes. It was only in March 1955 that the owner offered of it to him. Very much delighted about the offer, Beukes went to the moderator of the RMS to borrow the necessary money, not knowing that this visit would mean a turning point in his professional career. "[...] During the visit the moderator asked me if I still remembered the words of the elders of Rehoboth when they requested Diehl to put me on the list of future candidates of Paulinum. He further asked me if I knew that the application forms for the next course at the Paulinum had been distributed. The moderator was willing to lend me the amount of money but requested me to consider the matter for a short time. Moderator Diehl told me that he would not force me, but that the decision must be based on my own free will. I went home and wrestled the whole night. The struggle was so hard for me that I did not sleep for the whole night. Nevertheless did I realise that Jesus Christ is the victor. He released me during that night of all the bondages with which the devil had bound me; the bondages of money and other plans of life which were hidden in my heart. The next morning I went around to the moderator house before work with joy and happiness. I cancelled the request for money which I wanted to lend and registered at the Paulinum with great joy. [...]" By June 1955 Beukes had closed down his business and went, together with his wife, to the evangelist course at the Paulinum which started in July 1955. His initial fear, not to be able to follow the classes because he had never attended a formal School, soon disappeared because he did well in all the examinations. Soon after his arrival at Paulinum, the Afrikaans speaking congregation in Windhoek became an independent congregation which was no longer dependent of Rehoboth. After he had completed the course at Paulinum he was employed as an evangelist in the Coloured congregation in Windhoek in 1957. For three years, up till 1959 did he do that work. "[...] Cooperation with the missionary was very pleasant. I do not know of one day that we had a conflict within the whole period of three years. The pastor was the pastor and I was the evangelist. Everyone did his duty and this is how we were spared of any conflict which could have created difficulties. May it continue like it is. [...]" Although it was planned to have Beukes complete his second course at the Paulinum in 1958 this was not realised because no substitute for his position in the congregation could be found. It was only in July 1959 when Albertus Maasdorp was made evangelist in the Coloured congregation in Windhoek, that Beukes was able to start to attend the pastors course at Paulinum on 21.01.1960. "[...] This is how I came to the Paulinum on the 21.01.1960 for the second time to follow the pastors course. Of this I can not say much yet. Up to here God has helped and he will also help further. He knows what lies ahead, although I am not aware of it. As far as I understand, the church board wants me to go to Windhoek again after my studies." AELCRNVIII2.91dLebensläufederPaulineumStudentenKaribib "BeukesNeu1.jpg" up to "BeukesNeu12.jpg", Mentioned in list RMG 2.640b p. 003asPastor(1965), In his report to the 10th Ordinary Synod of the ELK in SWA in Otjimbingwe, 24.-29.09.1983, the preses informed the Synod that Gert Beukes reached the retirement-age of 65 but agreed to stay on until the end of the period as a moderator.3 According to the preses-report during the 11th Ordinary Synod of the ELK in SWA in Otjimbingwe, 22.-26.09.1985 Pastor Gert Beukes retired at the end of 1985.4 Married: First marriage: Maria Klazen (born 11.06.1922 in Karibib), married on 18.03.1951. Second marriage: Magritah Koper (no dates known), married on 17.11.1979.5 Children: No children recorded. Education: Other family members connected to RMS: Ein Samuel Beukes (geb. 07.03.1937 in Rehoboth), verheiratet mit Aletta Johanna, nimmt 1969 am Pastorenkurs teil und ist 1964 Jeugsekretaris, dann in den Gemeinden Windhoek/Khomasdal 1969/1970, Bethanien 1971/1972, Karibib 1973, Luderitz 1974 und Dordabis 1978-1980 Pfarrer.6 Auf dem Friedhof in Rehoboth ist der Älteste Gert Beukes (geb. 01.01.1896, gest. 05.12.1972) begraben. Der künstlich gestaltete Marmorgrabstein enthält den Hinweis "OUDG. Gert Beukes, [...] Met liefde van vrou en kinders." Ein Jakobus Beukes "H.R.I.V. My geliefde eggenoot en ons vader Jakobus Beukes (Koesie) + 08.03.1904 † 06.07.1981. Ps. 23 Die Here is my Herder." ist in Rehoboth begraben. Ein Johannes Lukas Beukes (Grabstein ohne Geburtsdatum, gest. 29.05.1926) "Minje gedade is u genoeg want mijne Kracht wordt in zwakheid volbracht. 2. Kor. 12,9" ist in Rehoboth begraben. Congregations: When he was 37 years old he started a congregation for Afrikaans-speaking members in Old Location. Founding of the congregation on the 23.04.1950 as a branch congregation of Rehoboth.. Windhoek Kleurlinge 1956-59 Windhoek Kleurlinge 1962-1963 [Gert Beukes mentions the following persons who were instrumental in forming the Martin Luther Congregation in Windhoek: Pastoor Gert Beukes -this Gert Beukes was already Pastor while Gert Beukes was still an Evangelist, Mrs. Martha van Wyk, Elder Gert Morkel, Sister Hermine Arlow, "Oom" Piet Arlow.7 Mariental 1963-1970 Hoachanas Feb. 1971 Requested by the Church Council to visit Rehoboth regularly. "Liewe broeder Beukes, u weet self die posisie in Rehoboth hoe dit tussen die plaaslike pastor en die gemmente staan. Sein tog die nood waarin die Kerkbestuur sowel as die gemeente-Rehoboth staan. Ook die geestelike nood von broeder J. beukes in hierdie verband. [...] Vise-Preses Pastor P. Gowaseb." 1975 Church Council (oldest member of the Churchboard, as Moderator) 1985 History with the RMS: 1 AELCRN Cardsystem of the co-workers, n.N. 2 AELCRN I 3.14 Korrespondensie Suidsinode. 1956-19642:29. 3 AELCRN "Sinode 1981+1983". n.N. 4 AELCRN CI.4 Synods 1981-1985. p. 1-165. 5 AELCRN Cardsystem of the co-workers, n.N. 6 AELCRN Cardsystem of the co-workers, n.N. 7 AELCRN File "Gert Beukes" n.N. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------