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St. Matthew's Anglican Church (Namibia)

Coordinates: 22°57′41″S 14°29′42″E / 22.961510°S 14.495056°E / -22.961510; 14.495056
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Church and Rectory.

St. Matthew's Anglican Church is an Anglican church in Walvis Bay, Namibia. It is part of the Anglican Diocese of Namibia, which is a diocese of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.

The church was consecrated on 21 September 1924 by Bishop Nelson Fogarty.[1] It was originally built with wood and placed on stilts but was later covered in chicken mesh and plaster coating.[2] The bell of St. Matthew's dates to 1623.[1] Weighing 600kg, it is now cracked and no longer rings.[2]

St. Matthew's is the second oldest still-standing structure in the city.[2] By 2008, it was crumbling and had a dwindling congregation. Despite being the second oldest structure in Namibia's second largest city, it was not registered as an historical monument as of September 2008.[2]

The church is one of three in the parish of Walvis Bay; the other two are St. Saviour's and Holy Redeemer.[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Wilken, J. J. J.; Fox, George J. (1978). The History of the Port and Settlement of Walvis Bay: 1878-1978. Perskor Publishers. p. 93.
  2. ^ a b c d Hartman, Adam (20 September 2008). "St Matthew's Church faces gloomy end". The Namibian. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Parish: Walvis Bay: St Mathew, St Saviours & Holy Redeemer". Anglican Church of Southern Africa. Retrieved 15 October 2016.

22°57′41″S 14°29′42″E / 22.961510°S 14.495056°E / -22.961510; 14.495056