At the top end of town on Drostdy street lies South Africa’s second oldest church. Towering over the surrounding buildings, this impressive monolith with its picturesque exterior, eminent high tower and pristine white walls, stands out as both a symbol of splendour and influence.
Designed by the German architect Carl Otto Hager in 1863, the church not only boasts a Neo Gothic Tower and exquisite grounds, it is also currently in the process of forging a new legacy for itself, one of transformation and outreach.
The current pulpit was designed by Hager in the Gothic style and for many years stood at the helm, as a religious symbol of white Afrikaner nationalism through which Apartheid legislation could be endorsed and justified in the form of religious doctrine.
The pulpit designed by German architect, Carl Otto Hager in 1863. PHOTO: Judy Philander
A brief look into the church’s history reveals that Moedergemeente is part of the broader Nederduitse Gereformeede Kerk (NGK) family and has other independent branches which form part of the larger Moedergemeente church body. Moederkerk means “mother church” in Afrikaans. Interestingly, Moederkerk and Kruiskerk are essentially the same church but have different physical locations.
The decision to merge the two churches came after the NGK church senate decided that Moederkerk’s financial soundness would greatly benefit, a then financially ailing Kruiskerk. “It’s one church, with two separate buildings, two separate identities but with one mission,” says Ruhan Fourie, (25) chairperson of the student ministry at Kruiskerk and member of the church council, as he explained the intricacies of the church body.
Fourie says that he and two other student council members wrote a letter to the church council stating that they believed the church was “too white.” “There’s really a will to change and embrace rather than tolerate but we are struggling to do that because I’m a white guy, speaking on a white church council, on behalf of black people,” he added.
Signifying a symbolic coming together of two seemingly opposing sides, the church council of 2015 decided to meet with the leaders of the student organisation, Open Stellenbosch. The meeting convened at Kerkhuis, known for housing slaves in the 18th century. Fourie says the need for an alternative narrative became increasingly apparent during this time, as it marked the beginning of a series of protests around inequality at the University.
One of the original bibles used to preach sermons at the church in the early 1900’s. The bible was translated into Afrikaans in 1933. PHOTO: Judy Philander
According to Fourie, the conversation with Open Stellenbosch allowed the older members of the church to acknowledge the fact that some changes needed to take place. Since then, the church has experienced pockets of hope, “You can’t change a white monolith, Afrikaner church like that but I wouldn’t describe the church as a bastion of Afrikaner nationalism because it’s not that anymore,” Fourie continues.
In partnership with Kruiskerk, the Moederkerk has hosted various community-based workshops in an attempt to reach out to, in particular, marginalised communities in the surrounding area such as Kayamandi and Cloetesville. “The church should be on the side of the marginalised,” Fourie goes on to explain.
When asked about why the church has not been vocal about its various community-based projects, Richard Van Wyk, a minister at Moderkerk said, “We believe in the mantra of not being boastful about the good works we do”.
Inside the Kerkhuis, Van Wyk ushers me towards a wall where the pictures of former ministers hang. He points at a picture of Andries Petrus Treurnicht, a leader in the Conservative Party who often preached radical pro-apartheid rhetoric. “We are not proud of certain aspects of our history in this church but we cannot simply erase this history,” Van Wyk adds.
The oldest part of this historical building that remains unchanged is the church’s boundary wall, mainly built of stone. Other elements of the church, however, are gradually experiencing transformation the minister explains.