Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman
Encyclopedia
The Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman is the Bishop
of the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, which encompasses the area around Kimberley
and Kuruman
and overlaps the Northern Cape Province and North West Province of South Africa. The current bishop is the Rt Revd Oswald Swartz
. The seat of the Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman is at St Cyprian's Cathedral, Kimberley
. There have so far been 12 bishops of the See, though one of these actually served for two different periods of time:
, initially under Bishop Alan Becher Webb
, the oldest parish here being St Mary's, Barkly West
. By the early 1890s, however, there was a feeling in some quarters that the Diocese of Bloemfontein
was too big and there were proposals for the formation of a separate Bishopric with its seat in Kimberley. But in the event the Bishops decided upon establishing the missionary Diocese of Mashonaland
instead - an area also up until then administered from Bloemfontein.
From 1907 to 1910 motions were passed and planning and fund-raising initiatives were being conducted in earnest towards founding a new Diocese of Kimberley. These included the “Million Shillings Fund” launched by Bloemfontein’s Bishop Chandler
in London on 2 February 1909. It was hoped that all would be in place so that the coming into being of the new Diocese would coincide with the establishment of Union in South Africa
in 1910. However it was not before July 1911 that all was ready and a formal resolution could be proposed, as it was at a meeting in the Kimberley Town Hall, that ‘the western portion of the Diocese of Bloemfontein be constituted a new and separate Diocese with Kimberley as its Cathedral Town’ – to which Episcopal Synod, meeting in Maritzburg
, gave its final consent in the form of a Mandate dated 11 October 1911. The Elective Assembly for the choosing of a Bishop for the new Diocese was held in Kimberley on 13 December 1911, at which the Very Revd Wilfrid Gore Browne, Dean
of Pretoria
, was the unanimous choice. Gore Browne was consecrated in Bloemfontein Cathedral on 29 June 1912. He was enthroned the following day as Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman, at St Cyprian’s Cathedral
.
independence in 1966 (interestingly this history flavoured liturgical usage there, which still resembles the style more of the South African Prayer Book than the Central African Prayer Book). The 1952 Diocesan Synod was concerned to establish the boundaries of Parishes; noting also a lack of clarity on “where is the Diocese” – “The Bishop called attention ... to the fact that certain places where at present the Diocese has Clergymen at work are not technically in the Diocese.”
of Griqualand West and Canon Frederick William Peasley of Bothithong; Sister Henrietta Stockdale
of the Community of St Michael and All Angels; Canon Levi Kraai, ordained by Bishop Gore-Browne in 1913; Canon J.W. Mogg, who served the diocese from 1915 to 1945; Archdeacon S.W. Wade; Archdeacon Joseph Thekiso; Fr Theophilus Naledi
, afterwards Bishop of Botswana; Archdeacon Richard Stanley Cutts, afterwards Dean of Salisbury and later the Bishop of Buenos Aires
; Fr Alan Butler
, latterly Director of the Kuruman Moffat Mission; Canon George Pressly; Fr John William Salt
O.G.S., afterwards Dean of Eshowe
and Bishop of St Helena; Kimberley-born Fr Brian Marajh, consecrated as Bishop of George
.
and the Cathedral Parish of St Cyprian
, their boundaries have not been invariable. The archdeaconry structure has been even more dynamic, responding to the needs of the day at different periods. In 2010 an experimental division between north and south was replaced when the new archdeaconries of the Molopo, the Kgalagadi and the Karoo were created.
Several of these parishes have numerous outstations
Several of these parishes have numerous outstations
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, which encompasses the area around Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
and Kuruman
Kuruman
Kuruman is a town with 12,701 inhabitants in Northern Cape province of South Africa, famous for its scenic beauty and the Eye of Kuruman, a geological feature bringing water from deep underground to the surface in the Kalahari Desert....
and overlaps the Northern Cape Province and North West Province of South Africa. The current bishop is the Rt Revd Oswald Swartz
Ossie Swartz
Oswald Peter Patrick Swartz is the twelfth and current Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman.Swartz was born in Kimberley, Northern Cape and educated at St Paul's Theological College in Grahamstown...
. The seat of the Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman is at St Cyprian's Cathedral, Kimberley
St Cyprian's Cathedral, Kimberley
The Cathedral Church of St Cyprian the Martyr, Kimberley, is the seat of the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman, Anglican Church of Southern Africa. It became a Cathedral when the Synod of Bishops gave a mandate for the formation of the new Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman in...
. There have so far been 12 bishops of the See, though one of these actually served for two different periods of time:
Formation of the diocese
The Anglican presence on the Diamond Fields and in Kimberley’s hinterland, from the early 1870s, was at first administered from BloemfonteinAnglican Diocese of the Free State
The Anglican Diocese of the Free State is a diocese in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.-History:The first service North of the Orange River to be taken by an Anglican clergyman was conducted in 1850 by Robert Gray, the first Bishop of Cape Town. In 1863, Edward Twells was consecrated the...
, initially under Bishop Alan Becher Webb
Alan Becher Webb
Allan Becher Webb was the second Bishop of Bloemfontein, afterward Bishop of Grahamstown and, later, Dean of Salisbury.-Early years:...
, the oldest parish here being St Mary's, Barkly West
St Mary's, Barkly West
The Anglican Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Barkly West, was for some years the principal parish church on the Diamond Fields, South Africa, and the churches established soon afterwards at the Dry Diggings – what would become Kimberley – were at first mere outstations.-An Anglican presence on...
. By the early 1890s, however, there was a feeling in some quarters that the Diocese of Bloemfontein
Anglican Diocese of the Free State
The Anglican Diocese of the Free State is a diocese in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.-History:The first service North of the Orange River to be taken by an Anglican clergyman was conducted in 1850 by Robert Gray, the first Bishop of Cape Town. In 1863, Edward Twells was consecrated the...
was too big and there were proposals for the formation of a separate Bishopric with its seat in Kimberley. But in the event the Bishops decided upon establishing the missionary Diocese of Mashonaland
Anglican Diocese of Mashonaland
The Anglican Diocese of Mashonaland was formed in 1891 and its first Bishop was The Rt Rev George Wyndham Hamilton Knight-Bruce. He was succeeded by the Rt Revd William Thomas Gaul , formerly Rector of St Cyprian's Church in Kimberley...
instead - an area also up until then administered from Bloemfontein.
From 1907 to 1910 motions were passed and planning and fund-raising initiatives were being conducted in earnest towards founding a new Diocese of Kimberley. These included the “Million Shillings Fund” launched by Bloemfontein’s Bishop Chandler
Arthur Chandler (bishop)
The Right Reverend Arthur Chandler MA was Bishop of Bloemfontein from 1902 until 1920.Born in 1860, he was educated at Marlborough and University College, Oxford, and ordained in 1883. He began his career as Chaplain to Brasenose College, Oxford and then the Bishop of Salisbury. He was Rector of...
in London on 2 February 1909. It was hoped that all would be in place so that the coming into being of the new Diocese would coincide with the establishment of Union in South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
in 1910. However it was not before July 1911 that all was ready and a formal resolution could be proposed, as it was at a meeting in the Kimberley Town Hall, that ‘the western portion of the Diocese of Bloemfontein be constituted a new and separate Diocese with Kimberley as its Cathedral Town’ – to which Episcopal Synod, meeting in Maritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
, gave its final consent in the form of a Mandate dated 11 October 1911. The Elective Assembly for the choosing of a Bishop for the new Diocese was held in Kimberley on 13 December 1911, at which the Very Revd Wilfrid Gore Browne, Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
of Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, was the unanimous choice. Gore Browne was consecrated in Bloemfontein Cathedral on 29 June 1912. He was enthroned the following day as Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman, at St Cyprian’s Cathedral
St Cyprian's Cathedral, Kimberley
The Cathedral Church of St Cyprian the Martyr, Kimberley, is the seat of the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman, Anglican Church of Southern Africa. It became a Cathedral when the Synod of Bishops gave a mandate for the formation of the new Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman in...
.
Geographical extent
The Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman has not been constant in extent and at times less than exactly defined. Taking over the western side of the Diocese of Boemfontein (now "of the Free State"), it also included some of the sparsely populated interior extremities of the Dioceses of Cape Town and of Grahamstown. Added in 1915 was the southern half of Bechuanaland Protectorate, which remained part of "K&K" (as Kimberley and Kuruman is often called) until Botswana'sBotswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
independence in 1966 (interestingly this history flavoured liturgical usage there, which still resembles the style more of the South African Prayer Book than the Central African Prayer Book). The 1952 Diocesan Synod was concerned to establish the boundaries of Parishes; noting also a lack of clarity on “where is the Diocese” – “The Bishop called attention ... to the fact that certain places where at present the Diocese has Clergymen at work are not technically in the Diocese.”
Bishops
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1912 to 1928 | Wilfrid Gore Browne Wilfred Gore-Browne Wilfrid Gore Browne was an Anglican bishop, the first Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman from 1912 to 1928. He was described as a saintly bishop with "a keen sense of humour" and "a winning courtesy."-Early life and education:... |
(1859-1928) |
| 1928 to 1943 | Theodore Sumner Gibson Theodore Sumner Gibson Theodore Sumner Gibson was the 2nd Anglican Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman and subsequently the 5th Bishop of St John's from 1928 until 1951.-Early life:... |
(1885-1953) |
| 1943 to 1951 | John Hunter John Hunter (bishop) John Hunter was the 3rd Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman from 1943 until 1951. He was educated at Keble College, Oxford and ordained in 1922. His first post was as a Curate in Harrow but his next post was in South Africa... |
(1897-1965) |
| 1951 to 1960 | John Boys John Boys (bishop) John Boys was the 4th Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman from 1951 until 1960. He was educated at St Olave's Grammar School and Hatfield College, Durham and, after a business career, ordained in 1935. His first post was as a Curate in Egham Hythe after which he was appointed the Bishop of... |
(1900-1972) |
| 1961 to 1965 | Philip William Wheeldon Philip William Wheeldon Philip William Wheeldon OBE was the fourth Bishop of Whitby, and subsequently twice Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman.-Life:... |
(1913-1992) |
| 1965 to 1967 | Clarence Edward Crowther Clarence Edward Crowther Clarence Edward Crowther was the sixth Anglican Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman who on appointment was its youngest bishop.... |
(b 1929) |
| 1968 to 1976 | Philip William Wheeldon Philip William Wheeldon Philip William Wheeldon OBE was the fourth Bishop of Whitby, and subsequently twice Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman.-Life:... (2nd spell) |
(Ibid) |
| 1976 to 1983 | Graham Charles Chadwick Graham Charles Chadwick Graham Charles Chadwick was a British Christian missionary, bishop and anti-apartheid campaigner in South Africa.... |
(1923-2007) |
| 1983 to 1991 | George Alfred Swartz George Alfred Swartz George Alfred Swartz was the ninth Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman. He was born on 8 September 1928 and died in retirement in Cape Town on New Year’s Eve 2006.-Education:... |
(1928-2006) |
| 1991 to 1996 | Winston Njongonkulu Ndungane Njongonkulu Ndungane Njongonkulu Winston Hugh Ndungane FKC was the Archbishop of Cape Town and Primate of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa .... |
(b 1941) |
| 1996 to 2006 | Itumeleng Baldwin Moseki Itumeleng Baldwin Moseki Itumeleng Baldwin Moseki was the eleventh Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman from 1995 until his retirement in 2006. He was also a campaigner for the poor.-References:... |
(b 1944) |
| 2007 to present | Oswald Swartz Ossie Swartz Oswald Peter Patrick Swartz is the twelfth and current Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman.Swartz was born in Kimberley, Northern Cape and educated at St Paul's Theological College in Grahamstown... |
(b 1953-) |
Notable clergy and people
Besides the Bishops of the See (above) and the Deans of Kimberley (see also the early Rectors of St Cyprian's), notable clergy and people of the diocese have included: The so-called "Big Three" pioneer missionary priests of the diocese, Canon W.H.R. Bevan of Phokwane, Archdeacon George Mervyn LawsonGeorge Mervyn Lawson
The Venerable Fr George Merwyn Lawson served as Archdeacon of Kuruman, 1913–1941, in the Anglican Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman, and as Director of Missions for Griqualand West from 1903 until his death.-Ministry:...
of Griqualand West and Canon Frederick William Peasley of Bothithong; Sister Henrietta Stockdale
Henrietta Stockdale
Henrietta Stockdale was a nursing pioneer. Through her influence and pressure the first state registration of nurses and midwives in the world was brought about when the Cape of Good Hope Medical and Pharmacy Act of 1891 passed into law...
of the Community of St Michael and All Angels; Canon Levi Kraai, ordained by Bishop Gore-Browne in 1913; Canon J.W. Mogg, who served the diocese from 1915 to 1945; Archdeacon S.W. Wade; Archdeacon Joseph Thekiso; Fr Theophilus Naledi
Theophilus Naledi
Theophilus Naledi is a retired Bishop of Botswana in the Church of the Province of Central Africa, who was born at Bothithong near Vryburg in South Africa in 1936.-Early career:...
, afterwards Bishop of Botswana; Archdeacon Richard Stanley Cutts, afterwards Dean of Salisbury and later the Bishop of Buenos Aires
Bishop of Buenos Aires
The Bishop of Argentina is a bishop in the Anglican communion, the head of the Anglican Diocese of Argentina.Buenos Aires succeeded the Falkland Islands as the episcopal seat for the whole of South America during the 19th century, but it is now the seat only for the Diocese of Argentina within the...
; Fr Alan Butler
Alan Butler (priest)
Alan John Butler, a Director of the Kuruman Moffat Mission in Kuruman, South Africa, and Canon of Kimberley Cathedral, was a priest who served in the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman for a major part of the second half of the twentieth century...
, latterly Director of the Kuruman Moffat Mission; Canon George Pressly; Fr John William Salt
John William Salt
John William Salt OGS is a retired Anglican Bishop of St Helena. Enthroned as bishop in 1999, he retired in March 2011. He has lived in the island of St Helena, which is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean.-Early life:...
O.G.S., afterwards Dean of Eshowe
Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal
Eshowe, is the oldest town of European settlement in Zululand. Eshowe's name is said to be inspired by the sound of wind blowing through the more than 4 km² of the indigenous Dhlinza Forest, the most important and striking feature of the town...
and Bishop of St Helena; Kimberley-born Fr Brian Marajh, consecrated as Bishop of George
Anglican Diocese of George
-History:The seat of the diocese is Cathedral of St Mark in George in South Africa.-List of Bishops:* Henry Bindley Sidwell 1911-1936* Herbert Linford Gwyer 1937-1951* John Hunter 1951-1966* Patrick Harold Falkiner Barron 1966-1978...
.
Current archdeaconries and parishes
While some of the parishes in the diocese date back to the beginnings of Anglican work on the Diamond Fields and in Kimberley’s hinterland, for example St Mary's, Barkly WestSt Mary's, Barkly West
The Anglican Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Barkly West, was for some years the principal parish church on the Diamond Fields, South Africa, and the churches established soon afterwards at the Dry Diggings – what would become Kimberley – were at first mere outstations.-An Anglican presence on...
and the Cathedral Parish of St Cyprian
St Cyprian's Cathedral, Kimberley
The Cathedral Church of St Cyprian the Martyr, Kimberley, is the seat of the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman, Anglican Church of Southern Africa. It became a Cathedral when the Synod of Bishops gave a mandate for the formation of the new Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman in...
, their boundaries have not been invariable. The archdeaconry structure has been even more dynamic, responding to the needs of the day at different periods. In 2010 an experimental division between north and south was replaced when the new archdeaconries of the Molopo, the Kgalagadi and the Karoo were created.
Archdeaconry of the Karoo
- The Cathedral Church of St Cyprian the MartyrSt Cyprian's Cathedral, KimberleyThe Cathedral Church of St Cyprian the Martyr, Kimberley, is the seat of the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman, Anglican Church of Southern Africa. It became a Cathedral when the Synod of Bishops gave a mandate for the formation of the new Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman in...
, Kimberley. - St Alban’s, De Beers
- All Saints, Homevale
- St Barnabas, Floors
- St James, Galeshewe
- St Matthew’s, Barkly Road
- St Augustine’s, West End
- St Mary's, Barkly WestSt Mary's, Barkly WestThe Anglican Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Barkly West, was for some years the principal parish church on the Diamond Fields, South Africa, and the churches established soon afterwards at the Dry Diggings – what would become Kimberley – were at first mere outstations.-An Anglican presence on...
- the oldest Parish Church in the Diocese - St Mary Magdalene, Ritchie
- St Paul’s, Vergenoeg
- St Peter’s, Greenpoint
- St Francis, Roodepan
- St Thomas, De Aar
- Good Shepherd, Nonzwakazi
- St Martin’s & Annunciation, Douglas
- St Andrew’s, Douglas
- St Barnabas, Britstown
- St Andrew’s, Philipstown
- St Matthew’s, Richmond
Archdeaconry of the Molopo
- St John’s, Mafikeng
- All Saints, Montshiwa
- Resurrection, Mmabatho
- Transfiguration, Setlagole
- St Stephen’s, Vryburg
- St Peter’s, Ganyesa
- Holy Cross, Pudimong
- St Philip’s, Huhudi
- St Chad’s, Taung
- All Saints, Pampierstad
- St Mary’s, Matalong
- Hartsvaal Parish
Several of these parishes have numerous outstations
Archdeaconry of the Kgalagadi
- St Matthew’s, Oranjekruin
- All Saints, Paballelo
- St Andrew’s, Prieska
- St Anne’s, Niekerkshoop
- St Paul’s, Marydale
- St Philip’s, Boegoeberg
- St Francis, Manyeding
- St Mary-le-Bourne, Kuruman
- St Peter’s Wrenchville
- St Laurence, Danielskuil
- St Michael and All Angels, Batlharos
- St Paul’s, Mothibistad
- St John’s, Bothithong
- St Winfred, Maruping
- St Monica, Tsineng
Several of these parishes have numerous outstations