Beukes, Jakobus (Jacobus) Gert * 28.06.1925, Rehoboth † 13.04.2005, Rehoboth. Foto: Baumann, p. 56 Not identified Baptized: 23.08.1925. Confirmed: 02.11.1941. Worked as a Teacher in Rooipan and Omomas Storeworker in Windhoek before joining the Church. Completed Std. VI. Evangelist course: 1947. Pastors course: 1951-52.1 Ordained 15.02.1953. From a family in Rehoboth with 10 children, he was baptized by a Rhenish missionary. Send to the Catholic Mission as a small boy from where he ran away. When he was 16 years old he did his "Standard 6" examen in one of the "Filialeschule" of Rehoboth. After this he was send as a assistant-teacher to the "Filiale" Omomas. A more lucrative job was offered him at a shop and hotel run by a German at one of the Railway-stations. Missionary Lind (or his wife) convinced Beukes to go to the Paulinum for a course. Here he had to study Nama. He was amongst Herero, Owambo, Berdamara and Nama. On his return he was employed as an evangelist in Rehoboth. After 3 years as an evangelist he was send back to the Paulinum. After that he was ordained as "[...] zum Dienst des ersten farbigen Pastors in S.W.Afrika."2 He completed the second evangelist course at Paulinum in Karibib after the examination in December 1947. The course was for one year; he came from Rehoboth to the Paulinum, was classified as Bastard and was 32 years old when he finished. He passed the examination with "very good", and was send to Rehoboth. He was married when attending the evangelist course. RMG 2.561a p. 195. Jakobus Beukes, Rehoboth, "Bastard", attended the course for chief evangelists (so called "Förderungskurs") at Paulinum which started in August 1951. Completed the course with an examination end of October 1952. Because he was amongst the group of 7 in the course who had a "satisfying" to "good" examination result, he qualified for a promotion to become a chief evangelist with the right to administer the sacraments in the district of his congregation. Was send to Rehoboth. RMG 2.651a p. 80. During this course he taught Arithmetic and other subjects, and by this helping Pönnighaus a lot. RMG 2.651a p. 92r. Did a written theological thesis on the topic: "The meaning of Jesus Christ for the world" which was handled as his qualification to be ordained as a pastor in Rehoboth in 1953. RMG 2.651a p. 36r. Ordained 15.02.1953 in Rehoboth (without examination RMG2.651a p. 36r+ 64). Diehl, who ordained him in Rehoboth choose 2. Tim. 1,7 as the text for the ordination. Diehl emphasised in a letter a day after the ordination that "[...] I had the impression that Jakobus himself was very much impressed by the seriousness and greatness of the day." AELCRNVIII2.719501954KorrespondenzPaulinum p. 26 (in a letter about the ordination to Pönnighaus.) D. J. Strydom was ordained shortly after Beukes, also with the understanding that Strydom could not be left out if Beukes was given the privilege. This decision was taken by Präses Diehl and missionary Tötemeyer. AELCRNVIII2.8PaulinumBriefe1948-1954 p. 177. Bastercongregation,Mentionedas"Bastard"ECOkahandjaSept1951RMG2.642p.48, Co-workers conference 1955 RMG 2.642 p. 027, RMG 2.640b p. 003, After his ordination Beukes was at the centre of the controversy during the secession of the Rynse Baster Gemeente Rehoboth. In 1958 an "Aksiekomitee" was formed in Rehoboth which in fact replaced the church council and formulated the protest against the newly constituted ELK (Rynse Kerk) of the synod 1957. According to Sundermeier the following issues were of such importance that the Rehoboth Christians felt their whole identity threatened by it: The "Lutheran" Church (ELK) was a "new" church and did no longer safeguarded the tradition and continuity of the mission work of the Rhenish Mission Society. Since the Whites are excluded from this "new" church, the ELK represents an Apartheid church. The registration of the ELK with the Department of Bantu Affairs made it a much despised "Bantu church". This point of contention later formed the base for the creed of the secession movement: "Luthers is soos Bantoe" ("Lutheran is like bantu"). The Rehoboth members of the synod who decided the church constitution were outvoted by a "non-white" majority. The new "bantu church" would endanger the Rehoboth congregation, since a Bantu majority would have the right of disposal over Rehoboth church property. Together with the disposal over the Rehoboth church property much more would be at stake. The independence of Rehoboth was threatened and would allow the South African Government to enter the Rehoboth area and take over control. The Rehoboth citizens were represented in the synod through the Rehoboth members of the synod. Their warning against a split in the church must have been heard by the others. Since the synod did not consider their complains seriously, the Rehoboth minority must now fight for their rights. The Rehoboth members of the synod were anonymous in their rejection of the "new" church, just as the whole Rehoboth population will now follow the ways of the forefathers and go the traditional path of the congregation and the Rehoboth nation. Pastor Beukes was considered as the spiritual father, the "heart" and "heritage" of the Rehoboth congregation and of the protest movement. To finally test his commitment for the "Aksiekomitee", he was requested in a letter dated 5.9.1959 by the "Aksiekomitee" to become its leader and pastor of the "Rynse Baster Gemeente". In his written reply, a few days later, Beukes renounced this request and made it open that he was not prepared, in spite of all personal consequences, to follow the "Aksiekomitee" in its rejection of the newly constituted ELK. He justified his decision by referring to Acts 4,19 "[...] Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye". He saw in the ELK the only way that lead to an independent church. "[...] I was and I am still your pastor and I will remain so on this path. [...] I pronounce that I am prepared to be ready to die for you, if I can win you over for Chirst."3 The "Aksiekomitee" had employed its own pastor and wanted him to reside in the parsonage of the congregation. Beukes however resisted a removal from his residence, since he considered himself the legally appointed pastor of the Rehoboth congregation. On the 26.12.1960 the conflict escalated when a crowd of local people assembled in front of the parsonage to demand the key for the church. Beukes refused to hand it own and was physically threatened. Only the intervention of women of the congregation could protect him. When the crowd grew during the evening and got more and more threatening, Beukes escaped to the secure surrounding of the missionaries house next door. When the people noticed that he had escaped they stormed the parsonage and removed all furniture. It was at this stage of the evening that Beukes colleague in the ELK Damara-Congregation of Rehoboth, pastor Apollos Xamseb, heard of the awkward situation in which Beukes found himself. When Xamseb, together with his evangelist Fritz Eichab??, hurried to the parsonage to help Beukes, they were beaten up by the crowd and Eichab??, who was seriously injured, had to be taken to hospital. The news of this event infuriated the Damara members of the congregation and it was only due to Xamseb's intervention, that uncontrolled retaliation actions by the Damaras were prevented. The conflict had reached a stalemate by 1961 and no measures by the church council to solve the dispute were of any success. The ELK congregation had dwindled to 800-1000 members.4 After 1961 the "Aksiekomitee" (now "Rynse Kerk in Suidwes-Afrika") shifted its emphasis with in the conflict on the management of the Schools. Legal procedures, demonstrations and a month long School strike followed. Through a court decision in 1966 the forcefully closed Schools were finally opened again. When differences of opinion within the ranks of the "Rynse Kerk" led to a split in the group, the hostility between the newly formed splinter groups and the ELK subdued.5 Siehe ausführlichen Text: "Wie Gott sich seine Werkzeuge zurichtet. Zur Ordination von Jakobus Beukes." RMG 2.640b:165ff. KL nach 24.-29.09.1967 3. Ordentliche Gesamtsynode der ELK in Otjimbingwe: Diehl, Reeh, Gowaseb, Eiseb, Boois, Isaak, Haufiku, Ngapurue, Shipanga, Maasdorp, Beukes. Das Familiengrab (Beukes) in Rehoboth auf dem Friedhof hat die Inschrift "In tere herinnering aan my eggenoot ons vader, oupa en oupagrootjie. Pastoor Jacobus * 28.06.1925 † 13.04.2005. Openbaring 3 Vers 11: Hou vas wat jy het sodat niemand jou kroon kan neem nie." Die Grabstelle daneben war im September 2017 noch nicht belegt. DERSELBE?? J. Beukes wird am 01.06.1981 aus dem Dienst der ELK entlassen, er gründete am 23.08.1981 die "Rynse Evangelises Lutherse Kerk" gegründet hat. (In the Preses-report to the 9th Ordinary Synod from 27.09.-02.10.1981 in Otjimbingwe. AELCRN "Sinode 1981+1983". n.N. Married: Married Eva Christina (no surname recorded, unless "Christina" is the surname) on the 19.02.1945. Eva Christina was born on the 22.08.1923 (place of birth unrecorded). Married on 19.2.1944 to: Eva Mejidt (Bastard) born 10.09.1923 baptized 10.09.1928 in Rehoboth confirmed in Omamas/Rehoboth on 10.11.1941 Children: Katharina 31.12.1945. Katharina Beukes born 31.12.1945 baptized 14.01.1946 in Rehoboth Dawid 19.03.1948. Dawid born 19.03.1948 baptized 4.4.1948 in Rehoboth Linda Elisabeth 07.10.1951 Meta Marita 27.12.1953 Hannelore 05.10.1956 Bernhardus Johan Nicholai 30.03.1959 Margarete Sylvia 08.07.19646 Education: Other family members connected to RMS: Ein Jakobus Beukes (geb. 08.03.1904, gest. 06.07.1981) und seine Frau Erika Beukes, geb. Eberenz (geb. 14.11.1914, gest. 31.08.2007) sind auf dem Friedhof in Rehoboth in zwei verschiedenen, aber in direkter Nähe beerdigt. 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.7 J. Beukes wird am 01.06.1981 aus dem Dienst der ELK entlassen, er gründete am 23.08.1981 die "Rynse Evangelises Lutherse Kerk". (In the Preses-report to the 9th Ordinary Synod from 27.09.-02.10.1981 in Otjimbingwe. AELCRN "Sinode 1981+1983". n.N.). 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. Mission Stations: Congregations: Rehoboth 1948 History with the RMS: 1 AELCRN Cardsystem of the co-workers, n.N. 2 RMG 2.640b p. 165-167. "Wie Gott sich sein Werkzeug zurichtet. Zur Ordination von Jakobus Beukes." Written by missionary Lind. 3 Sundermeier 1973:236. 4 Sundermeier 1973:240-241. 5 Sundermeier 1973:241-242. 6 AELCRN Cardsystem of the co-workers, n.N. 7 AELCRN Cardsystem of the co-workers, n.N. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------