The Groote Kerk, a Dutch Reformed church in Cape Town, South Africa, is the oldest place of Christian worship in the country. The current building was built by Herman Schuette in 1841, replacing the first church on this land, which was built in 1678. The original tower was retained. The pulpit, the work of Anton Anreith and the carpenter Jacob Graaff, was inaugurated on 29 November 1789.
The church houses South Africa's largest church organ, which was installed in 1954. Since the landing of colonists in 1652, the community was served by various preachers and pastors. The first stone church opened in 1704 at a cost of £2,200, and was later expanded in 1781.
Throughout its history, the congregation has seen notable figures such as the Rev. Abraham Faure, who served from 1822 to 1867 and helped found the first local Sunday school in 1844. While several daughter congregations were eventually spun off to serve surrounding neighborhoods, the Groote Kerk remains a primary site of Dutch Reformed worship in the area.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Mutabor
Discuss this with the author and others
No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.