Page "Beyers Naudé" Paragraph 7

In 1963 Naudé founded the Christian Institute of Southern Africa ( CI ), an ecumenical organization with the aim of fostering reconciliation through interracial dialogue, research, and publications.

The DRC forced Naudé to choose between his status as minister and directorship of the CI.

He then resigned his church post, left his Aasvoëlkop congregation in Northcliff, Johannesburg, and resigned from the Broederbond in 1963.

As a result, he lost his status as minister in the Dutch Reformed Church.

His last sermon to his congregation noted that " We must show greater loyalty to God than to man ".

Stoically anticipating the enormous pressure by the Afrikaner political and church establishment that was to come, he told his wife: " We must prepare for ten years in the wilderness.

" Former Archbishop Desmond Tutu later said " ' Beyers became a leper in the Afrikaner community.