DIOCESE OF KLERKSDORP / DIOCESE OF MATLOSANE, Anglican Church of Southern Africa.[1]
Diocese established in 1990, a division of the Diocese of Johannesburg.
Pro-Cathedral: Church of the Resurrection, Ikageng, Potchefstroom.
The arms were registered with the Bureau of Heraldry under certificate No 2165 dated 26 March 1990. The blazon reads:
Vert, a chevron rompu Or and in base an Agnus
Dei proper.
Brownell[3] writes: “The chevron rompu is reminiscent of the cross-section of a church with a high nave and side aisles, while the Paschal Lamb or Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) in the base of the shield is symbolic of Christ and recalls that John the Baptist said of Our Lord: ‘Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.’ (John 1:29, 36)
“[The chevron] can also be seen as alluding to the many faults in the strata of the Witwatersrand gold reef which extends well into the diocese.
“The colour green is often associated with growth and renewal.”
The Agnus Dei is traditionally shown holding a staff with a pennant, often that of St George (which is the case here).
About the diocese:
The diocese, which extends along the Vaal River south-westwards as far as the Transvaal Province formerly did, was previously the western part of the Diocese of Johannesburg.
As the Johannesburg Diocese also did, it extends northwards at its western end to take in the mountainous parts closest to the Botswana capital, Gaborone. The area east of this remains part of the Diocese of Pretoria.
The decision to split the Diocese of Johannesburg was taken in 1982, but the partition, Brownell notes, only took place in 1990.
While the diocese covers a large portion of North West Province it also extends into Gauteng.
The new diocese in the west was initially called the Diocese of Klerksdorp, since its bishop was seated there. However, when the town of Klerksdorp was incorporated into the City of Matlosana, the diocese’s name changed – however, the diocese uses the spelling Matlosane instead.
Bishops: The first bishop of the diocese was D C T Nkwe. The current incumbent is Bishop Stephen Molopi Diseko.
Languages:
The Matlosane Diocese uses English and Setswana in administration and worship. While Afrikaans is widely used in the diocesan area, it is chiefly the language of people with a Calvinistic church connection.
Afrikaanse
blasoen:
Die blasoen mag so vertaal word:
In groen, ’n goue gebroke keper, in die skildvoet vergesel van ’n paaslam van natuurlike kleur.
Die Paaslam dra tradisioneel ’n staf waaraan ’n vlaggie vasgemaak is, dikwels dié van Sint Joris (wat hier die geval is).
