The Dutch Reformed Church in Middelburg, Eastern Cape was a congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church in the present-day province of the Eastern Cape that was founded on 19 May 1852 as the 10th congregation in the later Synod of the Eastern Cape and the 49th oldest congregation in the NG Church, but merged with the NG congregation Middelburg-Uitsig on 13 September 2010 to form the NG congregation Middelburg-Karoo. It is the oldest congregation that has officially ceased to exist or been re-established through incorporation or merger.
Foundation By the mid-19th century, the Colesberg congregation also included the Rhenosterberg ward. Due to poor transport facilities at the time, as well as the long distances to the church in Colesberg, congregation members in this remote ward sought to establish a separate congregation. In this they were supported by members in the adjacent corners of the congregations of Graaff-Reinet, Cradock and Richmond.Dreyer, eerw. Andries. 1927. Kerksouwenier van Middelburg, K.P. Kaapstad: Die Standard Press, Beperk.
After a list of names of persons who were interested in establishing a new congregation was submitted, the church council of Colesberg decided on 6 April 1852 as follows: “The Well-Respected Church Council of Colesberg hereby gives full permission for the new establishment at Driefontein and prays that the All-Governing Head of the Church will govern the interested parties in a friendly manner and will soon make their intentions successful.” Thus it came about that the new congregation, Middelburg, was founded on 19 May 1852 on the farm Driefontein which had been purchased for this purpose through the mediation of the two gentlemen Willem S. Smit and Henning J.H. Coetzee. The founding meeting was characterized by great enthusiasm.Olivier, ds. P.L. 1952. Ons gemeentelike feesalbum. Kaapstad en Pretoria: N.G. Kerk-uitgewers. Everyone agreed on the name of the congregation because the farm Driefontein is located almost in the middle between the neighboring towns (being a distance of 10 hours on horseback from Colesberg, Cradock and Richmond, 12 hours from Graaff-Reinet and 16 from Burgersdorp). The members of the Presbyterian Commission of Graaff-Reinet by whom the official foundation took place were Rev. Andrew Murray of the NG congregation in Graaff-Reinet, Rev. J.F. Berrangé of the NG congregation Richmond and the elders Barend Pienaar and J.J. Naudé.
Ministers
William Murray, 1854 - 1865 C.S. Morgan, 1866 - 1873 J.R. Albertyn, 1874 - 1883 Gerrit van Niekerk, 1884 - 1903 Paul August Winter, 1903 - 19 May 1908 (died in office) Ebbe Dommisse, 1909 - 1920 Louis Johannes Fourie, 1921 - 1938 (emeritus; died on 23 January 1941) Gert Petrus van den Berg, 1938 - 1942 Johannes Lodewyk Nel, 1940 - 1941 Gerrit Conradie le Roux, 1942 - 1947 Irenee Emile Heyns, 1943 - 1946 Jacobus Johannes Sieberhagen, 1946 - 1950 Pieter Francois de Vos Muller, 1948 - 1959 Nico Schreuder, 1951 - 1958 Jacobus Albertus Venter, 1958 - 1962 Jacobus Petrus Johannes Smit, 1962 – 1967 Pieter Kruger Mentz, 1965 - 1969 Petrus Albertus Loots, 1967 - 1972 Jacobus Philippus Bezuidenhout, 3 March 1978 - 1988
References