Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (Cape Church)

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (Cape Church) is a Lutheran church in some of the Western Provinces of South Africa. The Cape Church is a member of the Lutheran World Federation. It has 4,223 baptized members.

History

By 1741, 509 Lutherans were living in Cape Town and in 1742 petitions were sent to the Dutch East India Company to allow a Lutheran church to be built. The Dutch East India Company initially refused but finally relented and gave permission for a church on 23 October 1779. The church at its inception had 441 founding parishioners.

Early Pastors

This list is incomplete. The years of service, where known, are indicated in brackets.

• A.L. Kolver (1780-1789). The first Lutheran Pastor of the church.
• C.H.F. Hesse (1801- 1816)
• F Kaufmann
• K van Staveren
• J.G. Stegman (1836)
• C.A. Bamberger
• L. Parisius (1851-1872)
• Dr Hugo Hahn (1873-1884)
• G.W. Wagener (1893-1920). Long serving pastor who authored the Süd Afrikanischer Volks Kalender from 1887-1890.
• Pastor Von Propst (1922-1927)
• Pastor Hoberg (1928-1954)

References