The Dutch Reformed Church in Botswana – general information.

From being a church within the Bakgatla tribe, the Dutch Reformed mission has since blossomed into a church within the entire Botswana, with congregations from as far South as Lobatse and as far North as Makaleng (Francistown) and Maun. The expansion gained momentum from the independence of Botswana in 1966, when the Mission Church enjoyed the status of a Circuit or Mochudi, which soon conceived the idea of establishing an autonomous Church in Botswana with a view to intensify evangelisation, and start theological training for Batswana in Botswana, and started negotiations with the mother Church in South Africa.

At this time there were also a few branches of the Dutch Reformed Family, being Lobatse and Ghanzi. After successful negotiations, with the aid of the Liaison Committee for Dutch Reformed Churches in Botswana over a period of some years, the Dutch Reformed Church in Botswana was established as a fully autonomous Church on the 20th November 1979 A.D. at Mochudi.

The church currently consists out of two circuits, being the Mochudi and Sikwane Circuit. The congregations of Mochudi Bogare (central), Mochudi Bophirima (Mochudi East), Phaapane, Selebi Phikwe and Makaleng are part of the Mochudi Circuit, whilst the Sikwane Circuit consists of Sikwane, Mochudi-West, Gaborone, Tlokweng, Lobatse, Kgalagadi, Ghanzi and Maun.

The Congregations of Maun, Phaapaane and Tlokweng are the youngest congregations in the church. The Dutch Reformed Church in Botswana also liaises with the Synod, Circuits and congregations of the Dutch Reformed Church in Northern Cape.

The Synod also comprises out of several cultural groups, being Batswana, Coloured people and Afrikaners, as well as immigrants from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi, etc. The current membership of the church is around 11 000 people, with 9 ordained pastors. We also have 4 propponents, and several students training at Kgolagano College in Gaborone.