Records of the Christian Fellowship Trust

Papers of the Christian Fellowship Trust, as collated by its UK Secretary and Administrator Alison Harvey, including applications and arrangements for Study Tours of Europe, South Africa and Namibia, with reports submitted by grantees detailing their experiences, [1960s-1990s]; CFT United Kingdom Committee meeting papers, 1977-1993; papers concerning the UN and independent monitoring in South Africa and Namibia, including the Ecumenical Monitoring Programme in South Africa [EMPSA], and the Churches Information and Monitoring Service [CIMS], 1989-1994; general correspondence relating to the work of the CFT and the affiliated Community Networks International [CNI], 1991-2001; papers concerning Beyers and Ilse Naudé, 1974-[2000s]; CFT and CNI project and funding proposals, [1994-1998]; papers concerning the Barker Memorial Fund, 1995-2001; and papers concerning the history of the Tiger Kloof educational institution [now Tiger Kloof Combined School] in South Africa, 1955-1999.
The archive also contains a large quantity of publications, newsletters and press cuttings relating to the work of other, largely Christian, organisations in South Africa and Namibia; and publications, articles, press cuttings and other materials relating to the 1989 elections in Namibia and the 1994 elections in South Africa.

The Christian Fellowship Trust [CFT] was founded in 1964 by businessman Sir Derrick Bailey and Dr Beyers Naudé, a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church. An ecumenical, inter-faith and non-racial organisation, the CFT was established to build understanding and solidarity between individuals and communities in South Africa and Europe with the aim of contributing to ‘a more just and peaceful world’. The CFT opposed the racist system of Apartheid in Southern Africa and became part of an international network of organisations supporting the anti-Apartheid and pro-democracy movements in South Africa and Namibia in particular.
Its work centred on funding and arranging ‘Study Tours’ for individuals in South Africa, and later Namibia, to travel to Europe, often visiting the UK, Holland, Germany, and Switzerland, and later for people from Europe to visit South Africa and Namibia in turn. Tours usually lasted for two to three months, and grantees were drawn from a range of religious, social and racial backgrounds, with the tours arranged so that they might meet people and organisations in their field of interest, such as pastoral care, youth work, human rights, social work, healthcare or education, making lasting connections and being exposed to new ideas and experiences. The CFT had the advantage of never being banned by the South African government, which made it an important conduit of news and information. On their return, CFT grantees were asked to write a report on their experiences. The CFT also arranged a number of visits by British Members of Parliament to Namibia and South Africa through its non-charitable arm, Christian Fellowship Trust South Africa. This included visits to Namibia in 1985 and at the time of the country’s parliamentary elections in 1989.
The CFT was coordinated by committees of trustees in London and Johannesburg, each with its own Trust Secretary. For many years Isle Naudé held the position of Johannesburg Trust Secretary, with Hope Hay, and then Alison Harvey occupying the parallel position on the UK committee. In the UK, the CFT’s main source of funding until 1994 was the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust [JRCT].
In 1984 the Namibian Christian Exchange [NCE] was formed as a subcommittee of the CFT. Working closely with the Council of Churches in Namibia, the NCE focused on teacher training, creating and running inservice training courses from the mid-1980s onwards. The CFT was also involved with EMPSA, the Ecumenical Monitoring Programme in South Africa, which was launched in 1992 to monitor violence, the political transitional process and the country’s first democratic elections in 1994.
The changing political landscape in South Africa in the early 1990s, and the withdrawal of JRCT funding in 1994, prompted the CFT to review its mission and future activities. As a result of consultations with partner organisations and former grantees, the CFT launched the pilot scheme, ‘Community Networks International’ [CNI], which aimed to run six week programmes of visits and work shadowing linking people in marginalised communities in Britain and South Africa.

Records are open to the public, subject to the overriding provisions of relevant legislation, including data protection laws. 24 hours' notice is required to access photographic material.

The archive was deposited by the family of Alison Harvey in 2022.

The Christian Fellowship Trust [CFT] was founded in 1964 by businessman Sir Derrick Bailey and Dr Beyers Naudé, a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church. An ecumenical, inter-faith and non-racial organisation, the CFT was established to build understanding and solidarity between individuals and communities in South Africa and Europe with the aim of contributing to ‘a more just and peaceful world’. The CFT opposed the racist system of Apartheid in Southern Africa and became part of an international network of organisations supporting the anti-Apartheid and pro-democracy movements in South Africa and Namibia in particular.
Its work centred on funding and arranging ‘Study Tours’ for individuals in South Africa, and later Namibia, to travel to Europe, often visiting the UK, Holland, Germany, and Switzerland, and later for people from Europe to visit South Africa and Namibia in turn. Tours usually lasted for two to three months, and grantees were drawn from a range of religious, social and racial backgrounds, with the tours arranged so that they might meet people and organisations in their field of interest, such as pastoral care, youth work, human rights, social work, healthcare or education, making lasting connections and being exposed to new ideas and experiences. The CFT had the advantage of never being banned by the South African government, which made it an important conduit of news and information. On their return, CFT grantees were asked to write a report on their experiences. The CFT also arranged a number of visits by British Members of Parliament to Namibia and South Africa through its non-charitable arm, Christian Fellowship Trust South Africa. This included visits to Namibia in 1985 and at the time of the country’s parliamentary elections in 1989.
The CFT was coordinated by committees of trustees in London and Johannesburg, each with its own Trust Secretary. For many years Isle Naudé held the position of Johannesburg Trust Secretary, with Hope Hay, and then Alison Harvey occupying the parallel position on the UK committee. In the UK, the CFT’s main source of funding until 1994 was the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust [JRCT].
In 1984 the Namibian Christian Exchange [NCE] was formed as a subcommittee of the CFT. Working closely with the Council of Churches in Namibia, the NCE focused on teacher training, creating and running inservice training courses from the mid-1980s onwards. The CFT was also involved with EMPSA, the Ecumenical Monitoring Programme in South Africa, which was launched in 1992 to monitor violence, the political transitional process and the country’s first democratic elections in 1994.
The changing political landscape in South Africa in the early 1990s, and the withdrawal of JRCT funding in 1994, prompted the CFT to review its mission and future activities. As a result of consultations with partner organisations and former grantees, the CFT launched the pilot scheme, ‘Community Networks International’ [CNI], which aimed to run six week programmes of visits and work shadowing linking people in marginalised communities in Britain and South Africa.

The archive has not yet been catalogued. However a box list is available, please contact the Borthwick Institute for further information.

Created 01.02.23. Updated 14.06.23.

A reprographics service is available to researchers subject to the access restrictions outlined above. Copying will not be undertaken if there is any risk of damage to the document. Copies are supplied in accordance with the Borthwick Institute for Archives' terms and conditions for the supply of copies, and under provisions of any relevant copyright legislation. Permission to reproduce images of documents in the custody of the Borthwick Institute must be sought.

A small number of duplicates have been removed and disposed of.

The archive was collated by Alison Harvey, Trust Secretary, and stored at her home until its transfer to the Borthwick Institute.

Further accruals are not expected.

The Christian Fellowship Trust received its funding for many years from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust [JRCT]. See JRCT/4/6/11 for records relating to the CFT.
The archive of the Ecumenical Monitoring Programme in South Africa [EMPSA] is held at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa [Reference: ZA HPRA AG2466].

Deborah Ewing, 'The Secret Thread: Personal Journeys Beyond Apartheid' (2018).

Published

GB 193