Whispers from the past echo within St Matthews Anglican Church. This isn’t just any church. It’s a living testament to faith resilience and the enduring spirit of a community. St Matthews stands as a silent observer of history. Its foundations were laid not in Cape Town but in Keiskamahoek in 1855. Bishop Armstrong founded St Matthews Mission on land donated by Chief Socishe. The mission faced challenges. Constant tribal conflicts and disputes with British settlers marked its early years.
The first mission school building rose in 1855. It was built by Military Chaplain Dacre before Reverend H B Smith arrived. Smith was accompanied by an agriculturalist a schoolteacher and a government interpreter. Ninety-one scholars enrolled in 1856. The long distances they travelled led to requests for boarding facilities. Early buildings included the missionary’s house a matron’s quarters classrooms and a church. These were built from local materials and well-baked bricks with thatched roofs.
Reverend Smith left in 1858. He was replaced by Reverend W H L Johnson who only stayed a year. In 1859 Chaplain Dacre was replaced by Reverend W Greenstock. He started an industrial education centre. Boys learned carpentry. Girls learned home crafts cooking and domestic duties. Nineteen-year-old Charles Taberer joined the staff in 1862. He played a significant role in the centre’s development. The carpentry section expanded to wagon building a tinsmith’s shop and a printing press.
By 1880 the first girls’ boarding department was established. It was the first such facility for African girls in the Cape Province. In 1883 the school had 50 boys in residence. Mrs Taberer served as matron. A Native Training School opened in 1895 to train Native Teachers. A hospital and nurses’ training facility followed in 1923. A secondary school was added in 1926.
In 1955 the Department of Bantu Education took over the school. The state acquired most of St Matthews land in 1970. After 114 years the Anglican Church ended its direct involvement. The hospital moved to Keiskammahoek town becoming S S Gida hospital in 1976.
Though its educational role changed St Matthews remains an integral part of the community. It conducts outreach programs and an annual career day. It supports the Keiskammahoek Child and Youth Centre. This centre provides counselling treatment and life skills training. The centre originated from St Matthews parish and is supported by the Taberer family descendants of Reverend Charles Taberer. St Matthews continues to adapt and serve. Its history is a testament to the power of faith in the face of adversity. It is a place of hope and continued service to the community. It is more than a church. It is a legacy.