Grief as blaze guts Maitland NG church
Determined congregants hold service in parking lot after finding their much-loved old building destroyed by fire
CONGREGANTS of the more than a century-old Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk Maitland, now known as Gemeenskap Kerk in Maitland, turned up to a shell of a building yesterday morning after it was destroyed in a fire at the weekend.
The building was gutted by the fire, which started at about 9pm on Saturday.
City fire and rescue spokesperson Theo Layne said it took firefighters around two hours to extinguish the blaze and the cause was yet to be determined.
Reverend Riaan de Villiers of a neighbouring Nederduitse Gereformeerde (Dutch Reformed) church said he went to the scene after receiving a call from Juanita Greyvenstein, the minister of the Maitland church.
He said Greyvenstein was away on holiday in the Eastern Cape, but he was able to step in because they were in partnership with her church.
“It was opened in 1904 and was full of wood inside, and now there is nothing left – the back office is the only part that survived.
“Many people had special connections to the church and they’re very traumatised,” De Villiers said.
He said congregants who had not heard about the fire turned up for church yesterday morning and they had a service in the parking lot.
“We had quite a huge response in terms of people sharing stories of how they were married there or how their children were baptised there.
“People were just weeping outside, it was heartbreaking to see.
“We got everyone together and prayed, sang songs and shared stories,” De Villiers said.
He said the church was an inclusive one and was a home to many, including some homeless people.
“There was a lot of grief, people are shattered.
“So we still had one another for a service, even though we don’t have a building.
“There are churches that can accommodate the congregants, but they said they would be back here next Sunday at 10am for their service and will have it in the parking lot.”
De Villiers said the last service that was held in the church was on Christmas Day.
He said he would guess that the fire was caused by an electrical fault.
Meanwhile, Rabbi Sam Thurgood said the cause of the fire that damaged the Arthur’s Road Synagogue in Sea Point earlier this month had been identified as an electrical fault.
“We don’t have the report yet, but the insurance company indicated that the likelihood was that the fire was caused by an electrical fault in the roof. And in principle, they have approved the claim.”
Thurgood said they still had a long road ahead.
“We are very glad that it looks like it is working out.
“We are currently operating out of temporary premises and our holiday season is busier as we have visitors from Joburg.
“We have had very vibrant and well-attended services.”
It was opened in 1904, now there is nothing left inside. The back office is the only part that survived Reverend Riaan de Villiers
Neighbouring Nederduitse Gereformeerde church