20-586: Wolvendaal Church ( Wolvendaalse Kerk ) is located in Pettah , a neighbourhood of Colombo . It is one of the most important Dutch colonial-era buildings in Sri Lanka and is one of the oldest Protestant churches still in use in the country. In 1736 the governor of Ceylon , Gustaaf Willem van Imhoff , sought approval from the Dutch East India Company ( Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC) to demolish
40-527: A British Crown Colony for the next 150 years. When the island become a British colony, many Dutch ministers left, and the church system collapsed. In the 19th and 20th centuries DRC church membership consisted of the Burghers, a Dutch word for citizens. They were not necessarily of Dutch origin, but were persons who held to Calvinist faith. But in the 19th century membership begin to broaden, with separate Tamil and Singhala congregations being formed. In 1992
60-486: A brazen lion. This lion had a crown on its head, bearing a sword in one hand and seven arrows in the other, representing the seven united provinces of the Dutch Republic. In 1856, a bolt of lightning destroyed the lion and seriously damaged the dome. The roof was later replaced with an iron covering. The church is capable of seating 1,000 persons. Inside the church there is a solidly constructed State Pew (to accommodate
80-551: A lesser extent. Notable landmarks in the neighborhood include: This Western Province, Sri Lanka location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Christian Reformed Church in Sri Lanka The Christian Reformed Church of Sri Lanka (formerly known as the Dutch Reformed Church of Sri Lanka ) is the oldest Protestant church on the island. On 6 October 1642,
100-657: Is the Groote Kerk in Galle. In January 2005 the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) established the Wolvendaal Foundation to preserve the church's architecture. Its ultimate aim is to further cordial relations between the various races and religions on the island. Pettah, Sri Lanka Pettah ( Sinhala : පිටකොටුව ( Piṭakoṭuva ), Tamil : புறக்கோட்டை ( Puṟakkōṭṭai )) is a neighbourhood in Colombo , Sri Lanka , located east of
120-758: Is the oldest organ in Sri Lanka. The seats for the governor and his officials, who sat higher than the sitting congregation, are still well-preserved with sight worthy wood carvings. The Dutch Reformed Church is currently known as the Christian Reformed Church of Sri Lanka. The church has several locations throughout the Colombo area. Wolvendaal Church is the only Dutch church on the island that has been continually in use, with in 2018 services in Tamil, Sinhalese and English every Sunday. A similar Dutch Reformed Church building
140-653: The Christian Reformed Church in Sri Lanka. There has been a movement for the amalgamation of traditional Protestant Churches (including the Church of Ceylon , Methodist Church , Lanka Baptist Sangamaya, Salvation Army , Presbyterian Church of Sri Lanka and the Christian Reformed Church in Sri Lanka (formerly the Dutch Reformed Church ) as well as the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India into one body, namely
160-617: The Church of Sri Lanka. The Christian Reformed Church of Sri Lanka currently has 31 churches and over 5,000 adherents. The church office is located in Galle Road, Colombo . The Christian Reformed Church of Sri Lanka owns several historical church buildings, e.g. in Kalpitiya , Matara and Galle . The church has sister church relations with the Christian Reformed Church in North America , Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa and since 2008
180-710: The Dutch Reformed Church. The DRC church membership grew rapidly, and in the 18th century there were over 53,000 members in Colombo and 200,000 in Jaffna. The Reformed Calvinist faith was propagated by its schools. During a period the Reformed Church was the state religion. The Dutch period started in 1656 and lasted until the late 1700s. In 1796 the British occupied the Maritime Province of Ceylon, and Ceylon remained
200-492: The Dutch governor) with numerous ebony and calamander church chairs ( kerkstoels ), dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries. The baptismal font , on an ornately carved tripod stand, dates back to 1667. The pulpit is typical for a Dutch Reformed church, where the minister stands higher than the congregation on a richly ornamented wooden structure. On the walls of the church are many mural tablets while there are many more built into
220-486: The church celebrated its 350th anniversary. It is the oldest Protestant denomination in the island of Sri Lanka , and the Wolvendaal (which means the 'Valley of Wolves') Church is the oldest Protestant church building. The latter church celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2007. Over the past years attempts have been made to increase church membership through evangelism. In 2008 the Dutch Reformed Church changed its name to
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#1733085389442240-502: The church, including the last governor, Johan Gerard van Angelbeek , who died in Colombo in 1799, three years after the British occupation. From the time of its dedication through to the end of Dutch rule, Wolvendaal was the principal place of worship, although Kasteel Kerk remained the main religious seat for the European and local officials of the VOC, until it was demolished in 1813. The organ
260-546: The city centre Fort , and behind the Colombo Port . The Pettah neighborhood is famous for the Pettah Market , a series of open air bazaars and markets. It is one of Sri Lanka 's busiest commercial areas, where a huge number of wholesale and retail shops, buildings, commercial institutions and other organisations are located. The main market segment is designed like a gigantic crossword puzzle, where one may traverse through
280-796: The entire markets from dawn till dusk, but not completely cover every part of it. Pettah is derived from Tamil : Pettai , an Anglo-Indian word used to indicate a suburb outside a fort. Today, the Sinhala phrase, pita-kotuwa (outside the fort) conveniently describes the same place. Pettah is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic area. Moors , Bohras and Memons are the predominant ethnic group found within Pettah, however an average amount of Sinhalese and Tamil populations also exist. There are also various other minorities, such as Burghers , Malays and others. Religions include Buddhism , Hinduism , Islam , Christianity and various other religions and beliefs to
300-468: The existing church ( Kasteel Kerk ) within the Colombo Fort and construct a new one on the same site. However, the VOC refused this request, and it was not until the arrival of Governor Julius Valentyn Stein van Gollenesse in 1743 that the impasse was overcome. He decided that the new church would be erected in the area beyond the city walls, which at the time was swamp and marshland. The Europeans mistook
320-494: The external walls. The floor is paved with granite flagstones (purportedly brought from Holland) interdispersed with engraved tombstones, of those who lie buried within the church or whose remains were relocated from the Kasteel Kerk. Many famous names of 300-year Sri Lankan history, Dutch, Burgher, Singhalese, Tamil and English, can be found among the gravestones within and outside the church. There are five Dutch governors buried at
340-570: The first Protestant church service was held in Galle, following the capture of the fort at Galle by Willem Jacobszoon Coster in 1640. Protestantism was introduced as a missionary religion in Sri Lanka in 1658 by Dutch missionaries after the Dutch defeated the Portuguese on the island. When the Dutch took over there were already three religions present, Buddhism, Hinduism and Catholicism. All Roman Catholic churches, schools, and monasteries were transferred to
360-456: The packs of roaming jackals for wolves, and the area became known as Wolvendaal (Wolf's Dale or Wolf's Valley). The site that was selected was on a hill which commanded views across the town and over the harbour and was in proximity to the town's entrance. The site was also occupied by a small church, which had existed from the earliest period of Dutch occupation, when the Wolvendaal neighbourhood
380-597: Was a quiet suburban parish . The foundations of the church were laid in 1749 and it took eight years to build. It was completed on 6 March 1757, when it was dedicated for public worship by Rev. Matthias Wirmelskircher, rector of the Colombo Seminary. At the dedication there were two governors present, Joan Gideon Loten and his successor Jan Schreuder , together with members of the Council, reverend ministers ( Predikants ), prominent Burghers and their families. The church
400-448: Was constructed in the Doric style of the period, in the form of a Greek cross (i.e. legs of equal length), with walls nearly 1.5 m (five feet) thick, constructed of unusually large kabok (clay ironstone ) with coral and lime plaster. The high roof in the middle of the building resembles a dome and was originally arched with brick and roofed in blue Bangor slate roof tiles surmounted with
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