Mossel Bay, Lutheran Church

Abstract

Mossel Bay, Lutheran Church. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mossel Bay originated as a mission of the Berliner Missionsgesellschaft that was established in 1879. Quickly after its installation the location built a church and a tower in which a bell was hanging. Later the mission was transferred to the Evangelical-Lutheran church that replaced the older church by the current new one whose founding stone was laid on 9 April 1967. The church Immanuel has a light tower that is constructed with open bricks. On the top layer of the tower hangs a bell. On the shoulder in between two moulding wires figures a band of flowers that are surrounded by branches. Underneath is a small freeze with drops pointing downwards. On one waist of the bell stands the following text: Lobet den Herrn alle Heiden, Preiset ihn alle Völker. On the reverse side stands a reference to the foundry, Gegossen von C. Voss & Sohn in Stettin 1880 No. 801. Above the sound bow are four moulding wires, the top two close together. On the lip one finds a decorative freeze made up of leaf like figures, pointing upwards. The bell has been hanging outside in the open air in a region near the ocean. It is therefore not surprising that the bell has severely suffered from corrosion. In 2017 it was decided to remove the crown of the bell that probably was constituted of six angel heads. However, the crown was so rusted that it became dangerous to use the bell. The bell now hangs without a crown, hopefully for years to come.