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Moffat Mission
Located in
South Africa :: Northern Cape
:: Kuruman
Category:
Attraction :: Mission Station
Places in the Vicinity
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Kuruman
4.62 km
Where: South Africa
Category: City -
Mothibistad
6.88 km
Where: South Africa
Category: Town Small -
West Derby
13.6 km
Where: South Africa
Category: Town Small
Categories in the Vicinity
The Kuruman Mission was established by the London Missionary Society (LMS) in 1816. In 1820 Robert Moffat a Scottish missionary and his wife Mary arrived in Kuruman from Scotland, they asked Chief Mothibi for permission to relocate to the present position at Seodin in the valley of the Kuruman River. Robert Moffat (1795-1887) laboured at the mission for 50 years. They considered his period as the 'golden age' of missionary work, especially amongst the Batswana. He was a man of considerable talents and he supervised the building of staff houses, a schoolhouse, storerooms, and the 'Cathedral of the Kalahari', in the year 1838 the Moffat Church was opened it seats 800 people. The Moffat Church is one of the world's best-known physical missionary creations of the nineteenth century. It was once the largest building on the high veld. The church was built by Robert Moffat and Robert Hamilton. Also at the Moffat Mission was a press where he worked on his greatest legacy the Setswana Bible. By teaching himself the language Setswana he developed the orthography and with a big team they translated the Bible. He printed this on a hand press, it was the first entire Bible printed in Africa. The missions was also well known to be the first African home of Dr David Livingstone. He arrived in 1841 as a London Missionary Society (LMS) missionary and he remained in contact with the mission through his marriage to Moffat's eldest daughter, Mary junior. The place where Livingstone proposed to Mary Moffat was under an almond tree, the remains can still be seen in the homestead garden. From 1960-70 the mission fell into disrepair, but the United Congregational Church (successor to the LMS) formed a trust in 1981 to restore all the historic buildings and they built a conference centre. It is open to the public to view. Visiting hours are: Mondays - Saturdays from 08:00 - 17:00 Admission fee payable.
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