Apartheid said to rely on church

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32430, 17 October 1970, Page 18

Apartheid said to rely on church

Apartheid could not continue in South Africa if it was denied the backing of the largest church there, an American missionary leader said in Christchurch yesterday.

Dr Spencer Austin, formerly official adviser on missionary planning to the World Council of Churches, was in Christchurch with his wife on their' way to attend the World Convention of Christian Churches in Adelaide.

The couple intend to visit South Africa after the convention.

Dr Austin said that he wanted to see for himself what conditions were like in South Africa under apartheid. “In South Africa there is the problem of the large indigenous church and missionaries going there from the outside must work within that context. Some, of course, have gone to prison for administering to combined groups of whites and coloureds,” he said. Dr Austin agreed that other Christian churches in South Africa faced a challenge presented by their' abhorrence of apartheid. For years they had sought to pro- ! vide financial assistance to coloureds who were imprisoned without trial. “Unfortunately the Dutch church in South Africa advocates apartheid and as it represents the largest group of peonle the Government must take note of it.”

“If this backing was with- ■ drawn the Government would ■ have to change its policy, I ■tam sure,” Dr Austin said. r Other Christian churches were trying to establish! better links with the larger! i church groups in South Africa but such a process was! often difficult because of the! disagreements over the! apartheid policy. |