Monday 26
After stormy debate and negotiation a new congrgation was established, not by way of the Strroidak Church but through the Cape Synod. 377 members from Strooidak were the founder members of the new Northen Paarl Congrgation. Dominee SJ Du toit was called as the first
minister. He bacame leader of the First Afrikaans language Movement. He together with the church elders fought for a school where children could be schooled in their home language. At the time there was much talk of Northern Paarl being an island in a sea of Anglicisation. On 14th August 1875 in the house of Gideon malherbe the Society of Real Afrikaners was founded. Six of the 8 church elders were appointed to the management of the new society. They were ds SJ du Toit, DF du Toit (Oom Lokomotief), GJ Malherbe, A Ahrbeck, DF du Toit (Docter) en SG du Toit. On the 15
The Church Building
th July 1875th January 1876 the first Afrikaans newpaper was established.- The Patriot. On Tuesday 20th March 1877 the first church building was inaugurated where the current church hall now stands. The décor on the Pulpit was an angel with the Gospel in his hand – “Het Eeuwige Evangelie”
Some interesting facts about the Toring Kerk
Architect - Sherwood.
Builders - Pitts and Wood.
Cornerstone was laid on 8”th April 1905 by the famous Dr. Andrew Murray
The Toring Kerk was inaugurated on 6.th March 1907.
The architectural style is Roman Gothic.
The tower is 57m high.
It was the first church is South Africa with a sloping floor.
The benches are make of imported Egyptian Oak.
The weights that move the pointers on the tower clock weigh 2.5 tons.
The pulpit was hand made by a Mr Danie Nel.
The church can accommodate 1800 people.
The building cost £19 595
The building committee was led by Seppie de Villiers
The organ builders were Norman and beard in Norwich England
International English Baptist Evangelist Dr F B Meyer (1847-1929), on a visit to South Africa, called the church “a dream of beauty
THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BY JACO THOM OF THE NG TORING KERK and appears in its original form
on the website of the Toring Kerk at Colourful History
Dominee G W A van der Lingen who was ordained as the minister of the Paarl (Thatchroofchurch) in 1831 believed in mother tongue education free from State interference. Thus he unwittingly opened the way for the Toring Church Congregation. People had awoken to a vision of freedom, but freedom does not easily come without a battle. Dominee van der Lingen died in 1869 and his successor, Dominee G van der walt did not share the same vision and so a need arose for a congregation to act as curator for the Christian School Gymnasium
established by the late van der Lingen.
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