A theological-historical investigation of the reception of the Church Order of Dort (1619) and the General Regulation (1816) in the church orders of reformed churches in South Africa

English: The study on the reception of the Church Order of Dort (1619) and the General Regulation (1618) in South African Church Orders revealed that the NGK, NHKA and APK Church Orders differ from the Church Order of Dort (1619), despite the popular assumption that these Church Orders correspond with the Church Order of Dort (1619). The Church Order of Dort (1619) is not to be blamed for these differences, as it is clear that the Church Orders of the NGK, NHKA and APK formally acknowledge and agree to the Church Order of Dort (1619), but materially, with respect to their application, the status assigned to them as documents of authority and identity, etc., the spirit, legacy and tradition of the General Regulation determine. The General Regulation (1816) holds the key to explaining the coherence in the Church Orders of the NGK, NHKA and APK, despite their differences with the Church Order of Dort (1619). These Church Orders are much in line with the underlying scope of the General Regulation (1816) and echoes the same spirit and intention and departs from the same understanding of the church. Despite their appeals to adhere to the Church Order of Dort (1619) and their shared ecclesial history in South Africa, the Church Orders of the NGK, NHKA and APK incorporated the replacement of the Church Order of Dort (1618) with the General Regulation (1816). Even the GKSA interprets its Church Order through the lens of the principles of the Regulation. These Church Orders are therefore modern versions of the General Regulation (1816). They stand in the shadow of Dort (1619), but proceeds from the light of the Regulation (1816).