Professor Dries du Plooy
Prof du Plooy was born in Johannesburg, South-Africa, in 1944. He attended the University of Potchefstroom for Christian Higher Education in South Africa from 1963 to 1969, with the aim of becoming a Minister of Religion in the Reformed Churches in South Africa. After the completion of his studies, he entered into the ministry and served in congregations in Durban and Pretoria from 1970 to 1986 (17 years).
He obtained his Master’s degree in Theology with distinction in 1979 and his PhD in 1982 at the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (PU for CHE). In 1986 he was appointed as a Professor in the Faculty of Theology at the PU for CHE and the Theological School of the Reformed Churches in South Africa. His specific field of interest is Ecclesiology, and his thesis focused on the unity and ecumenicity of the Church.
He served as the Rector of the Theological School of the Reformed Churches in South Africa from 1992 to 2004 (12 years) and as the Dean of the Faculty of Theology from 1995 to 2009 (14 years). He was also a member of the Executive Committee of the North-West University. (In 2004 the PU for CHE and another University in the western part of the country merged to become the North-West University (http://www.nwu.ac.za). He was elected by the Senate of the NWU to serve on behalf of the academics on the Council as the Governing Body of the NWU. He was appointed as the Dean and CEO of Greenwich School of Theology in 2010.
Prof Dries has frequently represented the Reformed Churches in South Africa at national and international church assemblies and synods, particularly in Europe, the UK and the USA. He was one of the founders of the South African National Form for University Theological Education (FUTE) and served as Chairman of this society from 2004 to 2007 (3 years).
Under his leadership, the number of students in the Faculty of Theology grew rapidly, both nationally and internationally. 21 Theological Seminaries concluded agreements with the Faculty of Theology, according to which students from those seminaries can enroll at the NWU. One of these accredited institutions is Greenwich School of Theology (GST), since 1997. Prof Dries focused on the internationalisation of the Faculty and set an international benchmark.
He has lectured in the Netherlands and the USA from time to time. He is the author of 30 Theological Publications in accredited Journals, 130 publications in other magazines and journals and has served as promoter and study leader of 20 Masters and 10 PhD students.
He is married to Heilna du Plooy, professor in Literature at the North-West University, and they have four children and three grandchildren. For relaxation he loves to play golf.