The Origin
The founder of the Mission, the late Mr Hans von Staden, testified:
"In February 1942, my wife and I visited in Lindley, in the Free State. The lovely shade of the willows on the banks of the False River was my chosen spot for Bible study and prayer early in the day. One morning I became intensely aware of the wonderful presence of the Lord. I heard His voice deep within my heart: We were to dedicate our lives to the evangelisation of the souls in the black townships of South Africa. It was a sudden unexpected call…"
(Extract from the booklet, "I heard His call".)
Doctrinal basis
We believe in:
•The Divine inspiration and infallibility of the Holy Scriptures and their supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
• The unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead.
• The universal sinfulness and guilt of the human race since the fall, rendering man subject to God’s judgement.
• Redemption from the guilt, penalty and power of sin only through the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, as our Representative and Substitute.
• The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and His exaltation to the Right Hand of God.
• The necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit to make the atoning death of Christ a reality in the individual sinner, by granting him repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ.
• The indwelling and the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer.
• The expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ to this world.
Workers
Our workers come from different countries, including some European countries, but they are mainly from Southern Africa. Most of them serve in the countries of their birth. The workers are expected to belong to recognised evangelical churches.
It is expected of the workers to:
• have a clear testimony of salvation through Jesus Christ,
• be dedicated disciples of Him and
• have a definite call to serve Him full-time in the Dorothea Mission.
Training of Evangelists
Our evangelists are trained at the Dorothea Bible College near Rosslyn (North West of Pretoria) where a three-year course is offered which includes subjects such as: Introduction to the Old and New Testament, Exegesis, Homiletics, False Doctrines and Personal Evangelism. The Bible College students gain practical experience through outreaches over weekends and by joining the evangelistic team from time to time. We also train evangelists for ministry in churches and other missionary organisations.
Relationship to Churches
The Dorothea Mission is an interdenominational organisation which co-operates with recognised evangelical churches that adhere to the truth and authority of God’s Word. This mission does not plant churches. Converts are encouraged to become active members of evangelical churches.
Financial Policy
The Dorothea mission is a faith mission and acknowledges its complete dependence on God for the provision of funds. Therefore, no requests for financial support are made. Needs are brought to God alone in prayer. Debts are not incurred. God gave the founder of the Mission the promise of Philippians 4:19: " My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Until this day He has still been faithful to His promise.
