Sent by the Cape Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church, the Swiss missionary Henri Gonin began to work in 1863 among the tribe Bakgatla ba ga Kgafela in the area of Saulspoort, near Rustenburg in South Africa. In 1870, under the leadership of Chief Kgamanyane, part of the tribe moved north and finally settled in Mochudi, Botswana. Missionaries from South Africa followed them (Pieter Brink and later E. B. Beyer). In 1892 the great chief of the Bakgatla, Linchwe I, was baptized; his example was followed by many members of the tribe. The missionaries placed strong emphasis on social, educational, and medical work. Following negotiations starting in 1976, the church gained autonomous status in 1979. Today, the church is no longer confined to Bakgatla in Kgatleng district, but has expanded to include the Basarwa, Bakalanga, coloured, whites, and others.
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