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History: The sturdy stone church at Glen-Lynden was built as a result of co-operation between the Scottish 1820 Settlers and their Dutch-Afrikaner neighbours to meet their need for a church of their own. It was built in 1828 under the leadership of Thomas Pringle with the support of the Cape government. It is built in the form of a T, a plan which is common in Scotland. The extraordinary massive buttresses on the western side were added in 1834. The first minister, the Rev. John Pears, was inducted on 23rd May, 1829, and the first church council was established at the same time. Pears was succeeded in 1833 by the Rev. Alexander Welsh who worked at Glen Lynden up to 1859 and who was the ancestor of a number of Welshes who distinguished themselves in various fields of public life. The manse next to the church was built during the incumbency of Alexander Welsh. The church was a Dutch Reformed Church from its inception and it became the mother-church of the congregations of Bedford and Adelaide. In spite of being a Dutch Reformed Church, it retained its connection with the Scottish settlers. When it was replaced by a larger church nearby in 1874, the practice of holding Presbyterian services in it from time to time was continued. This tradition was maintained until 1958 when the Scottish 1820 Memorial Church was built at Eildon, higher up the Baviaan’s River. The original little church still serves as a mission church to this day.

The village of Glen Lynden is situated in the Baviaan’s River Valley about 29 kilometres north of Bedford. It was originally called Baviaansrivier, but the name was changed to Glen Lynden in 1829 at the request of the inhabitants.
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Construction Date: 1828
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