1915 - 2004

General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches , Theologian, Founder of the Christian Institute of South Africa

Afrikaner cleric Beyers Naud actively campaigned against the injustices of Apartheid despite being shunned by his own people for refusing to submit to the policies of the racist regime.

Fondly known as Oom Bey, Naud became an ordained Minister of the Dutch Reformed Church in 1939. He refused in 1960 to ban members from his church on the basis of their race. Three years later he founded the Christian Institute of South Africa to promote non-denominational and non-racial research and dialogue. He was defrocked as Minister of the Dutch Reformed Church when he refused to give up his directorship of the institute, which had become a refuge for conscientious Afrikaners who fought racism.

Ostracized by other Afrikaners, labeled the ultimate verraaier (traitor), he was placed under a series of bans. He nonetheless continued to assist the underground movement by providing cars he had repaired. In 1987 he was part of the Afrikaner group that met with African National Congress (ANC) representatives in Senegal and he was one of Nelson Mandelas ANC delegation that met the National Party government in May 1990 after its unbanning.

Did You Know?

After his death, at his request, Nauds ashes were scattered in Alexandra, one of Johannesburgs poorer townships. Reverend Sam Butis Dutch Reformed Church in Africa (the black arm of the DRC with a congregation in the township) had taken Naud in after he was defrocked by the Afrikaans church in 1988.