Early church settlements in the ZAR : a comparison of parish life in the Dutch Reformed Church in Rustenburg and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Southern Africa in Kroondal, 1840-1899

Abstract

The migration of Europeans to the interior of South Africa during the 19th century led to the founding of different churches in the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR). A unique situation developed in the Rustenburg region, where the Dutch Reformed Church and the Lutheran Church Kroondal were founded a few kilometres apart. The aim of this article is to review the beginnings of each congregation and to compare parish life in the first few years in order to show that the two churches, although arising from two different traditions, did not focus exclusively on their own development; from the outset, missionary work played an important part in church life.