174:'Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.' On June 6, 1930, all the church councilors of Angola gathered to approve the new congregation. An emotional moment arose when the last minutes from a meeting in Humpata, Angola, were read, approved, and signed by the council. Grounds acquisition was discussed, and the Humpata church council agreed to stay active until the foundation. A letter would also be sent to GKSA members in
182:, to which Gobabis would be the nearest GKSA congregation. On Saturday, June 7, 1930 (the Gobabis congregation's foundation date), the Reformed Church members gathered at Helew 408 farm, near the house of P.C. Akkerman, to pitch the tent. There were 364 confirmed and 462 baptized members, altogether 826, in the new Gobabis S.W.A. Reformed Church. The Rev. Van Jaarsveld, the chairman, explained to the congregation that the existing Angola church council had been dissolved and a new one needed to be elected, which it then was by secret ballot. The new councilors would be confirmed during the dedication service. As in Angola, a cattle fund was established to which people were expected to contribute to the best of their ability.
22:
218:), although the Potchefstroom building had different towers and was built entirely of brick. Moerdyk's blueprint included a Greek cross for the tower and seating for 400 churchgoers. The gallery, with seating for 125 people, symbolized outstretched arms embracing the community of believers. The tower was given a blunt point, since a pointed spire was considered too similar to a Roman Catholic church.
169:
to seek out members from Angola and South Africa and organize a church to guide them in the Word and the
Sacrament. The Rev. Van Jaarsveld met with the elders Sarel du Plessis and E.T. Meyer and traveled to Farm 412, where a large group of parishioners awaited." Prof. Dr. Jooste write in his Gedenkboek van die Dorstandtrek:
168:
In Kerk in 'n beter land: Die
Kerkverhaal van die Dorsland- en Angolatrekkers 1873–1937, J.M. van Tonder (ed.) writes as follows about the Afrikaners' role in the founding of the settlement: "The Particular Synod of the Cape Reformed Church had, on May 26, 1930, delegated the Rev. H.S. van Jaarsveld
232:
Construction began in April 1949, and the keystone was laid July 29, 1950. A member, Sannie Jansen van Vuuren, placed a bottle with a time capsule of documents under the keystone. On August 25, 1952, the congregation moved into the church it had been seeking since 1930. Elder P. Potgieter unlocked
259:
Gobabis had 305 confirmed members at the end of 1997, 274 at the end of 2001, and 211 at the end of 2012, but had rebounded to 242 at the end of 2014. The general trend of GKSA congregations in
Namibia in the first decade and a half of the 21st century was stable, except for major declines in
173:
During the first week of June, the Rev. Van
Jaarsveld concentrated on testimonial catechism. On Saturday, June 6, 1930 (actually the next day), the Gobabis congregation was founded (on the Auheib farm). The Rev. Van Jaarseveld blessed the inauguration with the words of Ephesians 2:19-22:
199:. The municipal government assured the church council that suitable lands would not be used for an airport (it is unclear why the church council would be concerned about such a possibility). Many factors contributed to the two-decade delay in construction, among them
256:, and died on the Haring farm, near Gobabis. 12 children were born to this marriage. As the oldest member of the congregation, she was a natural choice to lay the aforementioned bottle with information on the congregation under its keystone.
248:, and died on July 7, 1952. Her father, Lourens Marthinus du Plessis, led the second Dorsland Trek. On September 27, 1885, she had married Christoffel Johannes Janse van Vuuren (22 December 1866 – 1 December 1938) in
186:
The remains of the farm church still stand. In 1990, the members gathered there to commemorate the church's founding. The Helma farmhouse was partly built from the limestone cobblestones of the church.
210:
was hired to design the church, with P.J. van der Merwe hired as secretary of the building commission. Smit and Wagner was the firm contracted. Moerdyk suggested the same plan he had used for the
215:
211:
317:
137:
489:
484:
51:
145:
133:
499:
112:. At the end of 2015, according to a poll of 300, it was the second-largest traditional Reformed Church congregation in the country.
464:
221:
Moerdyk proposed a cheaper wood for roofing; the floor was also not to be parqueted at first. The pews came later from
494:
101:
73:
132:(as Gibeon, 1898) until 1930, the church council counted at most five congregations in SWA, all affiliated with the
44:
129:
442:
90:
120:
The
Gobabis Reformed Church was born of the migration of around 2,000 Angola-Afrikaners, descendants of the
479:
415:
265:
89:
This article is about congregation of the
Reformed Church. For the Dutch Reformed Church congregation, see
431:
469:
34:
195:
The new congregation immediately set about acquiring church lands in the
Gobabis area after leaving
38:
30:
474:
261:
244:
Van Vuuren was born
September 14, 1867, as Susanna Catherina du Plessis in Grivelfontein, near
141:
55:
8:
148:
started their first three congregations in South West Africa in similar fashion in 1937:
359:(af) Harris, C.T., Noëth, J.G., Sarkady, N.G., Schutte, F.M. and Van Tonder, J.M. 2010.
225:, and the municipal government installed the lighting. The pulpit was made locally and
136:. In 1930, three GKSA churches formed in rapid succession, including those in Gobabis,
196:
125:
361:
Van seringboom tot kerkgebou: die argitektoniese erfenis van die
Gereformeerde Kerke
226:
128:(SWA) in 1929. From the establishment at the end of the nineteenth century of the
435:
229:
was omitted to save money. A member, J.C. Labuschagne, gifted the church bell.
207:
458:
253:
160:(September 4). The NGK did not arrive until after both of these foundations.
124:
emigrants of the 1880s who mostly adhered to the GKSA and mostly returned to
121:
277:
Kruger, Herculaas
Frederik Venter, 1931–1935 (together with Outjo and Omrah)
249:
222:
200:
157:
446:
153:
403:
Die Almanak van die Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika vir die jaar 2016
396:
Die Almanak van die Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika vir die jaar 2015
375:
Die Almanak van die Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika vir die jaar 1998
368:
Die Almanak van die Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika vir die jaar 2002
331:
245:
234:
304:
Du Plessis, Roelof Jacobus Petrus, 1982–2007 (accepted his emeritus)
389:
Almanak van die Gereformeerde Kerk in Suid-Afrika vir die jaar 1959
382:
Almanak van die Gereformeerde Kerk in Suid-Afrika vir die jaar 1958
179:
337:
Van der Westhuizen, Philippus Jacobus Wilhelmus Schutte, 1967–1978
301:
Van der Schyff, Jan Adriaan Venter, 1978–1981 (left the ministry)
238:
149:
109:
105:
373:(af) Van der Walt, Dr. S.J. (chairman: almanac deputies). 1997.
366:(af) Schalekamp, Rev. M.E. (chairman: editing committee). 2001.
175:
428:
316:
Van den Heever, Werner, 2016 – present (accepted from the
280:
Van der Merwe, Johannes Lodewikus, 1939–1944 (together)
237:
on the lectern, and elder M. Van der Merwe placed the
330:Kruger, dr. Mechiel Andries, 1963–1966 (among the
456:
43:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
86:Congregation of the Reformed Church in Namibia
292:De Bruyn, dr. Frans Roelof Petrus, 1967–1969
490:Christian organizations established in 1930
233:the door, elder H.P. du Plessis placed the
146:Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NHK)
144:. The minority of Angola-Afrikaners in the
134:Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK)
449:, 3 April 2017. URL accessed 3 April 2017.
443:Predikantspaar in Botswana gekaap, beroof
387:(af) Venter, Rev. A.A. (chief ed.) 1958.
340:Van der Walt, Nicolaas Jakobus, 1978–1982
298:Vorster, dr. Jacobus Marthinus, 1975–1978
252:. He had been born in Leeuwfontein, near
74:Learn how and when to remove this message
485:1930 establishments in South West Africa
307:Grönum, dr. Nicolaas Johannes, 2002–2004
346:Viljoen, dr. Francois Petrus, 1988–1990
295:De Klerk, dr. Barend Jacobus, 1970–1975
457:
405:. Potchefstroom: Administratiewe Buro.
398:. Potchefstroom: Administratiewe Buro.
391:. Potchefstroom: Administratiewe Buro.
384:. Potchefstroom: Administratiewe Buro.
377:. Potchefstroom: Administratiewe Buro.
370:. Potchefstroom: Administratiewe Buro.
363:. Potchefstroom: Administratiewe Buro.
216:Potchefstroom-Die Bult Reformed Church
15:
380:(af) Ammi Venter (chief ed.) 1957.
289:Labuschagne, Frans Jakob, 1958–1966
212:Potchefstroom-Noord Reformed Church
13:
190:
100:is the oldest congregation of the
14:
511:
500:Reformed Churches in South Africa
421:
401:(af) Vogel, Willem (red.). 2015.
343:Venter, Tjaard Machiel, 1982–1985
310:De Bruyn, Paul Jacobus, 2007–2011
102:Reformed Churches in South Africa
394:(af) Vogel, Willem (ed.). 2014.
349:Vogel, Gert Marthinus, 1991–1997
206:Finally, the renowned architect
20:
324:
283:Botha, Louis Jacobus, 1946–1949
130:Mariental Reformed Church (NGK)
1:
438:URL accessed 2 December 2015.
163:
115:
91:Gobabis Reformed Church (NGK)
465:Afrikaner culture in Namibia
416:Reformed Churches in Namibia
286:Van Rooy, Jacobus, 1950–1957
7:
409:
10:
516:
353:
271:
88:
495:Protestantism in Namibia
29:This article includes a
318:Vryheid Reformed Church
313:Kotzee, Dirk, 2012–2015
98:Gobabis Reformed Church
58:more precise citations.
184:
171:
429:Congregation website
268:, and the Karasburg
480:Churches in Namibia
434:2015-12-03 at the
31:list of references
214:(later named the
197:Portuguese Angola
156:(August 21), and
126:South West Africa
84:
83:
76:
507:
470:Angolan diaspora
227:acoustic plaster
79:
72:
68:
65:
59:
54:this article by
45:inline citations
24:
23:
16:
515:
514:
510:
509:
508:
506:
505:
504:
455:
454:
436:Wayback Machine
424:
412:
356:
327:
274:
193:
191:Church building
166:
118:
94:
87:
80:
69:
63:
60:
49:
35:related reading
25:
21:
12:
11:
5:
513:
503:
502:
497:
492:
487:
482:
477:
475:Omaheke Region
472:
467:
451:
450:
439:
423:
422:External links
420:
419:
418:
411:
408:
407:
406:
399:
392:
385:
378:
371:
364:
355:
352:
351:
350:
347:
344:
341:
338:
335:
326:
323:
322:
321:
314:
311:
308:
305:
302:
299:
296:
293:
290:
287:
284:
281:
278:
273:
270:
208:Gerard Moerdyk
192:
189:
165:
162:
117:
114:
85:
82:
81:
39:external links
28:
26:
19:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
512:
501:
498:
496:
493:
491:
488:
486:
483:
481:
478:
476:
473:
471:
468:
466:
463:
462:
460:
453:
448:
444:
440:
437:
433:
430:
426:
425:
417:
414:
413:
404:
400:
397:
393:
390:
386:
383:
379:
376:
372:
369:
365:
362:
358:
357:
348:
345:
342:
339:
336:
333:
329:
328:
319:
315:
312:
309:
306:
303:
300:
297:
294:
291:
288:
285:
282:
279:
276:
275:
269:
267:
263:
257:
255:
254:Potchefstroom
251:
247:
242:
241:by its side.
240:
236:
230:
228:
224:
219:
217:
213:
209:
204:
202:
198:
188:
183:
181:
177:
170:
161:
159:
155:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
122:Dorsland Trek
113:
111:
107:
103:
99:
92:
78:
75:
67:
64:November 2019
57:
53:
47:
46:
40:
36:
32:
27:
18:
17:
452:
402:
395:
388:
381:
374:
367:
360:
325:Missionaries
266:Grootfontein
258:
250:Grootfontein
243:
231:
223:Johannesburg
220:
205:
201:World War II
194:
185:
172:
167:
158:Grootfontein
119:
97:
95:
70:
61:
50:Please help
42:
447:Republikein
154:Otjiwarongo
152:(July 31),
108:in eastern
56:introducing
459:Categories
332:San people
246:Rustenburg
235:Holy Bible
164:Foundation
116:Background
104:(GKSA) in
432:Archived
410:See also
180:Botswana
354:Sources
272:Pastors
239:Psalter
150:Gobabis
110:Namibia
106:Gobabis
52:improve
264:, the
262:Aranos
176:Ghanzi
142:Aranos
140:, and
441:(af)
427:(af)
138:Outjo
37:, or
96:The
461::
445:,
203:.
178:,
41:,
33:,
334:)
320:)
93:.
77:)
71:(
66:)
62:(
48:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.