With the passing of Jacob Geuze on 5 December 2019, one of the last links with the formation of the Gisborne congregation has been severed. He was born on 30 October 1929 in the province of Zeeland, the Netherlands, and thus reached the age of 90 years.
Due to the devastation of the Second World War, many Dutch people emigrated to other parts of the world, including New Zealand. This was a providence that contributed to the founding of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland in New Zealand. Mr Geuze and his future wife Marie emigrated in 1953 to Gisborne, where he began working as a mechanic and then later in an orchard.
It was in Gisborne that he met several families of a Reformed background, including the MacPherson family. The parents of this large family, Murdo and Mary, settled on a farm north of Gisborne after the First World War. This family worshipped at home since no suitable place of worship could be found. It was the unceasing prayer of Mary MacPherson that this “famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” would come to an end, and that sound gospel ordinances would be established. At the time it seemed most unlikely that such a thing would ever happen. However, her prayers began to be answered when Free Presbyterian ministers came to New Zealand and preached in various places.
One of these ministers, Rev Finlay Macleod, visited Gisborne in 1955 and encouraged the families, Mr Geuze included, to meet for regular services. Of this minister he said, “If there was ever a man who had ‘holiness unto the Lord’ on his brow, it was Mr Finlay Macleod”. He later affirmed that he was drawn to the Church through this godly man – a reminder that people are attracted to the Church not just by her scriptural witness but also by the godliness of her office-bearers and members.
Eventually a congregation was formed and Rev William MacLean became their minister in 1963. Mr MacLean’s ministry was greatly blessed, and Mr Geuze recalled that he was like a father to the congregation, which then consisted largely of young families. Mr Geuze was one of the first people to be admitted to full communion, and the records of the Kirk Session demonstrate the great care that the Session took when examining applicants for the Lord’s Table.
For instance, the Session minutes state that when he and three other men came to the Kirk Session in February 1959, “they were examined individually as to their knowledge of the Bible and The Shorter Catechism, and more particularly as to their experience of having been called effectually by the Holy Spirit. They were also asked whether they were in agreement with the position of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland as to doctrine, worship, discipline and government.” This latter question may have been asked because it was likely they would soon become office-bearers in the newly-formed congregation.
Jacob Geuze became a deacon in 1959, and an elder in 1976, and faithfully fulfilled the duties of these offices. The Church’s Manual of Practice summarises the scriptural qualifications for the office of eldership, by stating that elders “must be ‘tender and circumspect in their walk, punctual in their attendance upon ordinances, and strict in their observation of the Lord’s Day, and in regularly keeping up the worship of God in their families. They must be men of good life and godly conversation, without blame and all suspicion, careful for their flock, wise, and above all things, fearing God.” This summary provides us with a remarkably-apt description of our late friend.
Mr Geuze was not perfect, and it was clear from his comments and prayers that he felt indwelling sin to be a heavy burden. When asked how he was doing, he would usually reply, “The Lord has been good to me, sparing me and not dealing with me according to my folly”. In nearly every prayer, he would say, “Keep us from the evil which is in our own hearts”. He would also pray that the Lord would “thrust out” labourers into His vineyard (a literal rendering of Mt 9:38) – a petition that revealed his conviction that men may not take the office of the ministry unless the Lord Jesus has called them to it.
He was a man of few words; therefore the best way to get to know him was by hearing his prayers and observing his actions. He was always ready to help with any project involving the church or manse, and was content to labour without any recognition of his work. He was given to hospitality, particularly during communion seasons, and enjoyed listening to conversation about spiritual things. He loved to read the books of sound ministers such as Ralph Erskine, Thomas Watson and Andrew Gray, and would read their sermons when taking services.
The congregation declined significantly in numbers during his time in Gisborne, but while the sight of empty pews saddened him, the language of his whole life was clearly that of the Psalmist: “So henceforth we will not go back, nor turn from Thee at all”. He obtained the rare grace of being faithful unto death, and now he has obtained a crown of life in the place where sorrow and sighing have fled away.
To his grieving family we extend our sincere sympathy, and prayerfully desire that they might all come to know the God of their father (1 Chr 28:9).
(Rev) C J Hembd