Dutch Reformed Church, Rondebosch

{{Short description|Church in Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa}}

{{expand language|date=May 2025|langcode=af|otherarticle=NG gemeente Rondebosch}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}

{{Infobox church

| name = Dutch Reformed Church

| image = NG kerk Rondebosch 2012.jpg

| caption =

| coordinates = {{coord|33|54|30|S|18|23|45|E|type:landmark_region:ZA|display=title}}

| location = Cape Town

| country = South Africa

| denomination = Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk

| founded date = 1891

| founder =

| status =

| functional status = Church

| heritage designation =

| Designated date =

| architect =

| style =

| groundbreaking =

| completed date =

| construction cost =

| closed date =

}}

The Dutch Reformed Church in Rondebosch is a historically important congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church in the eponymous, southern suburb of Cape Town.{{in lang|en}} [http://www.artefacts.co.za/main/Buildings/bldgframes.php?bldgid=2980 Artefacts.co.za.] URL besoek op 12 October 2013. The congregation boundaries, after the incorporation of part of Die Vlakte in 1989 and of the whole of Keurboom in December 1990, encompass Rondebosch's only two daughter congregations, the suburbs of Rondebosch, Newlands, Rosebank, Claremont, Mowbray and Rondebosch East – a huge area for a suburban congregation.[http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1989/02/23/17/4.html Wynbergse gemeente in die weegskaal], Die Burger, 23 February 1989.[http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1991/09/09/6/11.html NG gemeente Rondebosch vier eeufees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109184016/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1991/09/09/6/11.html |date= 9 November 2015 }}, Die Burger, 9 September 1991.

Rondebosch began in 1891 as a very small and mainly English-speaking congregation,{{Cite web |url=http://www.luxverbi.co.za/content/attie-van-wijk |title=argiefkopie |access-date=23 April 2010 |archive-date= 9 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109210205/http://www.luxverbi.co.za/content/attie-van-wijk |url-status=dead }} but over the years the membership increased sharply as more and more Afrikaans speakers came to live in the Southern Suburbs.[http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1991/09/09/6/11.html NG gemeente Rondebosch vier eeufees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109184016/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1991/09/09/6/11.html |date= 9 November 2015 }}, Die Burger, 9 September 1991. The membership peaked at around 1,700 around 1965 and then, despite the incorporation of both daughter congregations, decreased more than sevenfold until 2015.[http://www.kerkbode.co.za/archive_berigte.asp?id=843 Kerkbode]{{Dead link|date=August 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}[http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1988/02/22/3/4.html Eikestadse Bybelfees lok honderde], Die Burger, 22 February 1988.

Many reasons can be given for this decline.[http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1991/09/09/6/11.html NG gemeente Rondebosch vier eeufees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109184016/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1991/09/09/6/11.html |date= 9 November 2015 }}, Die Burger, 9 September 1991. The southern suburbs have always been a non-Afrikaans environment in which Afrikaans speakers have always been a small minority.[http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1988/03/29/4/3.html Onderskrif by foto] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109184010/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1988/03/29/4/3.html |date= 9 November 2015 }}, Die Burger, 29 March 1988. People who want to live in an Afrikaans environment among Afrikaans speakers will therefore prefer to settle in the northern suburbs.[http://www.kerkbode.co.za/archive_berigte.asp?id=852 Kerkbode]{{Dead link|date=August 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}[http://www.kerkbode.co.za/archive_berigte.asp?id=843 Kerkbode]{{Dead link|date=August 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Rondebosch and the surrounding area are also a sought-after residential area with expensive property, which makes it difficult for young families to settle here. This has led to the Anglicization of the two Afrikaans and one bilingual school within the municipality boundaries, which serves as an additional deterrent to younger members who would like to have their children educated in Afrikaans.[http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1986/08/27/19/13.html Jong Christene kry sentrum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109184033/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1986/08/27/19/13.html |date= 9 November 2015 }}, Die Burger, 27 August 1986. Also, the small but important source of income from the Groote Schuur estate, where cabinet ministers live, was lost to Rondebosch around 1994 when the composition of parliament changed drastically.[http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1989/03/24/1/22.html Onderskrif by foto] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109184028/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1989/03/24/1/22.html |date= 9 November 2015 }}, Die Burger, 24 March 1989.