Protestantism in South Africa
Protestantism in South Africa accounted for 73.2% of the population in 2010.
History
Christianity arrived in South Africa with settlers from Europe in 1652, when the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (the Dutch East India Company) authorized Jan van Riebeeck to establish a post to resupply food and fuel to ships traveling between the Netherlands and Southeast and South Asia.[4][5] Many Dutch (Boers) followed and settled in Cape Town, opening the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church) which they granted exclusive rights and protection to until 1806.[4][6]
In July 1737, the
At the start of the 19th century, Christian missionaries arrived from England, Scotland, France, the US and the Netherlands[8] to work in South Africa and to travel on to the rest of the continent.
Protestant churches in South Africa
Christian denominations in South Africa |
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According to the CIA Factbook, while the majority of South Africans are Protestant, no individual church predominates. The largest Protestant denomination in the country is
Protestant denominations in South Africa include:
- Afrikaanse Protestantse Kerk (Reformed/Calvinist)
- Anglican Church of Southern Africa
- Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa (Pentacostalist)
- Baptist Union of Southern Africa
- Church of England in South Africa (outside the Anglican Communion, theological Reformed member of the World Reformed Fellowship)
- Christian Reformed Church in South Africa
- Free Church in Southern Africa (Presbyterian/Calvinist)
- Die heilsleer(Salvation Army)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa
- Methodist Church of Southern Africa
- Nazareth Baptist Church
- Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk (Reformed/Calvinist)
- Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (Reformed/Calvinist)
- Presbyterian Church of Africa
- Reformed Churches in South Africa
- United Congregational Church of Southern Africa
- Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa
- Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa
- Zionist Churches(Pentacostalist)
See also
- Religion in South Africa
- Christianity in South Africa
- Catholic Church in South Africa
- Afrikaner Calvinism
- Apostolic Church of South Africa - Apostle Unity
- Huguenots in South Africa
- Islam in South Africa
- Freedom of religion in South Africa
Sources
References
- ^ "Religions in South Africa | PEW-GRF".
- ^ US State Dept 2022 report
- ^ World Atlas website
- ^ ISBN 978-0-86486-564-9.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4438-6081-9.
- ISBN 978-0-8028-2417-2.
- ^ The first missionary arrives at the Cape South African History (2011)
- ^ ISBN 978-1-57607-276-9.
- ^ "South Africa's people". Pocket Guide to South Africa (2011/2012 ed.). Government of South Africa. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 October 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
Further reading
- Stephen Offutt, New Centers of Global Evangelicalism in Latin America and Africa (Cambridge University Press, 2015) focuses on El Salvador and South Africa. online review
C. Jeannerat, D. Péclard & E. Morier-Genoud, Embroiled. Swiss churches, South Africa and Apartheid, Berlin: LIT Verlag (Coll. “Schweizerische Afrikastudien/Études africaines suisses”), 2011