History

Anglican Church of Christ the King
49 Ray Street Sophiatown
P.O. Box 474, Newtown 2113

Tel : +27 11 477 8410

The Anglican parish of Christ the King Sophiatown has its origins in the Ekutuleni mission established by Dorothy Maud and the sisters of the Community of St. Mary the Virgin (Wantage). It included a church, school, college mission for boys, a playground and a clubroom. Cooking, sewing and first aid classes were also offered to girls. A clinic was added later. From the first the vision was of "total mission", touching every side of the life of the people. At the time the infant mortality rate was 700 deaths out of every 1000 live births.

Sophiatown became a model for Anglican mission work throughout the country. In 1934 Fr. Raymond Raynes C.R. was sent to take charge of the parish. It was his successor, Fr. Trevor Huddleston C.R., who led the opposition to the forced removal of the people of Sophiatown from their homes and the reinvention of Sophiatown as the white suburb of Triomph. Fr. Trevor was also closely involved with the A.N.C. and the birth of the Freedom Charter.

Fr Huddleston has written about his time in Sophiatown as follows:

When the Native Land Act was passed in 1913 Sol Plaatje and other leaders decided that they must make their protest at Westminster. A later delegation in fact was able to see the Prime Minister, Lloyd George, and make their protest. But I am sure Kliptown will always be a real landmark in African history. Everyone was there who could get there. Of course Chief Luthuli was supposed to be there - he was then the President of the ANC - but he wasn't allowed to be there as he was restricted and banned. Yusuf Dadoo of the Transvaal Indian Congress was unable to go for the same reasons.

I suppose I was the only one of the Isitwalandwe(* Isitwalandwe is the highest honour awarded by the African National Congress.) award winners who was able to get there, because I was white and because I was a clergyman. At that time I think clergymen were regarded as harmless. But I have tried to alter that in the course of my life!