Mrs Scarborough Memorial

Gospel Defence League
P O Box 36129 Glosderry 7702
Cape Town South Africa
Tel: 021 689 4480
info@gospeldefenceleague.org www.gospeldefenceleague.org
“...contend earnestly for the Faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude 3
Dorothea Olivet
was born on
Valentine’s Day
14 February
1936. She was
the eldest of
5 children: her
younger sisters:
Madeleine and
Wilhelma, her brothers Wolf
Heinrich and Theo. Tragically
her brother Wolf Heinrich died
at age 8. Her father was a judge
and the Receiver of Revenue. Her
A Tribute to Mrs Dorothea Scarborough
Partly melted bells,
St. Mary’s, Lübeck
brother Theo was
president of the
Supreme Court.
An uncle was
Prime Minister of
Hanover.
Dorothea Olivet
grew up in a
Europe at war. Even though very
young at the time, she remembered
the trauma of the Allied Bombing
Raids, starting on 28th March 1942,
raining death and destruction upon
1

Bomber Harris
Charles Scarborough
was an escape artist!
Gilbert
Islands
Today part of Kiribati, but at one time
the northern Gilberts were called the
Scarborough Islands.
Lübeck, her home in northern Germany. The bombers came in 3 waves, causing
most of the destruction on Palm Sunday 29 March. The Wellington and Stirling
bombers dropped over 400 tons of bombs including 25,000 incendiary devices. A
number of 1.8 tonne blockbusters dropped in the first wave opened the brick and
copper roofs of the buildings and the following incendiaries set them afire. This
was the first firestorm bombing of any city.
Lübeck was an historic cultural centre and the bombing of 28 and 29 March 1942 left
25,000 people homeless. It also destroyed the historic Lübeck Cathedral, St Peters
Church and St Mary’s. Because Lübeck consisted of many timbered medieval
buildings, Officer Commanding Bomber Command, Arthur Harris, described
Lübeck as “built more like a fire-lighter.” Harris wrote that Lübeck “went up
in flames. It was a city of moderate size. It was not a vital target, but it seemed
to me better to destroy a town of moderate importance than to fail to destroy a
large industrial city.” Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin congratulated Churchill on the
destruction of Lübeck, expressing his satisfaction at the “merciless bombing” and
expressing the hope that such terror attacks would cause severe damage to German
public morale. Actually the morale of the citizens in Lübeck held up remarkably
well throughout the traumatic war. Mrs Scarborough recalled also seeing the sky
red from the fires of the firebombings of nearby Hamburg and Kiel.
Despite the devastation of her homeland, Dorothea Olivet grew to love the Lord
Jesus Christ and to commit her life to following and serving Him.
Charles Scarborough married Dorothea in the still bomb damaged Lutheran
Cathedral of Lübeck, Germany, in 1958. She was the pastor’s wife in Cemetery
Road Congregational Church, Sheffield, England. Then a missionary, along with
her husband, Rev Charles Scarborough, with the London Missionary Society to
the Gilbert Islands, on the equator, in the Pacific Ocean.
In 1969, after serving four years with LMS, Dr Charles Scarborough accepted
the call to pastor Sea Point Congregational Church which he did for 25 blessed
and fruitful years. Charles and Dorothea Scarborough were in the forefront of
launching the Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches (EFCC). Mrs
Scarborough served as Secretary of the EFCC. For many years Mrs Scarborough
also led the Women’s World Day of Prayer. She was the Editor of the International
German language Vox Afrikana and UCANEWS. She also founded Gospel Defence
League, which grew to a large readership with over 18,000 on the mailing list.
Some of her publications had over 100,000 copies printed.
It has been my privilege to know Mrs Scarborough for almost 40 years. After my
first mission to Mozambique, in 1982, Mrs Scarborough invited me to speak at one
of her women’s meetings and interviewed me for Vox Afrikana. Before Frontline
Fellowship had an office or a photocopier, Mrs Scarborough invited me to use
her office. So Gospel Defence League was where I would go on my motorbike to
make copies of our Frontline Fellowship newsletters, or Bible study and lecture
notes.
Over the years Mrs Scarborough became one of my most trusted advisers and an
invaluable member of the Board of Frontline Fellowship. There was many a time
when Mrs Scarborough was my main and sometimes only encourager, supporting
me in ventures and in the stands that most others sought to discourage me from
taking. She understood the mission of Frontline Fellowship and was our most firm
and faithful friend. Steadfast.
up and speak out on our behalf. Mrs Scarborough was a Missionary Mother, Motivator
and Mobiliser of prayer.
Many were the projects, publications, outreaches, campaigns and events which we
planned and worked on together, including SACEL 1985, The Archbishop and the
Bible 1986, Kirchentag 1987. These were battles in the world war of worldviews,
fighting the good fight of Faith, exposing and opposing false teaching, unBiblical
heresies, Marxist liberation theology and other threats to the Christian Church.
We were involved in debates with liberation theologians in townships, at church
conferences and on university campuses. Mrs Dorothea Scarborough was faithful,
dependable, courageous, principled, steadfast, fervent, dedicated and relentless.
Dorothea Scarborough was a formidable defender of the Faith.
Mrs Scarborough was also a founder member of the Reformation Society in 2005
and of Livingstone Fellowship in 2006. For 15 years she attended the Thursday night
Reformation Society meetings and Livingstone Fellowship services at Livingstone
House. She was an enthusiastic supporter of our Reformation 500 movement and
never missed a Reformation Day event at the Huguenot monument in Franschhoek.
Even as her body grew older and weaker, her mind was sharp, her analysis incisive
and her convictions like iron. Mrs Scarborough was gracious and friendly, but she had
a doctrinal backbone of steel. She would not back down, she would not bow and she
would not bend on any matter of Biblical faithfulness, truth and principle.
The Scripture says that it is better to go to a funeral than to a party, because the living
should always remind themselves that death awaits for us all (Ecclesiastes 7:2).
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven; a time
to be born and a time to die … ” Ecclesiastes 3:1–2
“…it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27
There is nothing more certain than death and nothing as uncertain as the time of dying.
We should therefore be ready at all times for that which may come at any time. “For
we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive
what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
2 Corinthians 5:10
“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to
his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:10
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself
strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9
Dorothea Scarborough’s heart proved loyal to our Lord Jesus Christ and the Lord
strengthened her.
We do not know when, or under what circumstances, our lives will come to an end.
But we do know that when we die we will stand before Almighty God — our Creator
and Eternal Judge — and we will have to give an account of our lives — to Him. “Do
not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear
His voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live and those who
have done evil will rise to be condemned.” John 5:28–29
“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were
opened. Another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged
After the death of my mother in 2001, Mrs Scarborough became like a mother to according to what they had done as recorded in the books. If anyone’s name was not
me, correcting and rebuking me, urging me to take time to rest and recuperate, found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
encouraging me to ignore malicious backbiting and attacks by antagonists,
Revelation 20:12–15
motivating greater efforts to advance the Kingdom of God. She was quick to stand
2 3

Many religions believe in an after-life. But what is unique to Christianity is the
distinctive belief in the resurrection of the body. Christ’s Resurrection guarantees
that those who die believing in Him, shall one day be raised in His likeness to be
with Him forever. Through Christ, death has lost its sting. We can face death in the
sure knowledge that Christ has delivered us from the coming wrath and from eternal
Judgement. We praise God that Dorothea Scarborough knew the love and salvation
of our Lord Jesus Christ and that she served God so faithfully throughout her life
on earth. Who can calculate how many lives she impacted by her faith and writings.
We grieve, but we do not grieve as those who have no hope. “For to me to live is
Christ and to die is gain!” Philippians 1:21
Dying Christ destroyed our death. Rising Christ restored our life.
“Jesus said: ‘Whoever hears My Word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal
life and will not be condemned. He has crossed over from death to life.’”
John 5:24
Death for the Christian is not fatal. Death for the Christian is not final.
We serve a Risen Saviour. Jesus Christ is the Resurrection and the Life.
“Jesus said to her: ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me
will live, even though he dies.’” John 11:25
Where are we going to spend eternity? Some of us have already made that choice
and can say: I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. Praise the Lord! No
turning back. Others of us may not want to think about our eternity right now. But,
in time, death will come to us all. As we gather at this funeral we should soberly
consider our immortal soul and the day when we will stand before our eternal
Creator and give an account of our life. At that point our choice will be final. What
will God say to me on that great Day of Judgment. Will you hear: “Well done! Good
and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord”?
“Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament and those
who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:3
Mrs Scarborough was wise and she turned many to righteousness by faithfully
standing up for Jesus, contending for the Faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3).
Ecclesia Reformata Reformanda est. Semper Reformanda! The Church, being
reformed, must continue to be Reformed. A Mighty Fortress is our God!
Dorothea Scarborough can truly say at the end of her long and productive life on earth:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the Faith.”
2 Timothy 4:7
Dr. Peter Hammond
Gospel Defence League
PO Box 36129 Glosderry 7702 Cape Town South Africa
info@gospeldefenceleague.org | www.GospelDefenceLeague.org
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