How Did “good evangelical theology” allow apartheid?

In 1857, the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa debated for the second time, the first being in 1829,  whether “persons of colour admitted as members of the Church should be served Holy Communion equally with born Christians” (Elphick, 2012: 43).

Both Desirable and Scriptural:

After much debate, the synod declared (Ibid) that while it was both

“desirable and scriptural that our members from the Heathen should be taken up and incorporated in our existing congregation, wherever that can be done; but where this rule because of the weakness of some should stand in the way of the advancement of Christ’s cause among the Heathen, the congregations raised up, or to be raised up, from the Heathen shall enjoy their Christian rights in a separate building or institution.”

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