The Wolvendaal Church was built by the Dutch East India Company in 1749. It is one of the oldest Dutch Reformed Churches in Sri Lanka. It is also one of the oldest archaeological religious sites in Colombo. It is built in the Doric style, in the form of a Greek cross. The walls are almost five feet in width with gables above. There is a dome in the centre which had a gilt weather-cock that was destroyed by lightning in 1856. As a result, the brickwork was replaced with a wooden roof.
The Church can accommodate approximately 1,000 people. There is a special pew in the Church which was previously occupied by Dutch governors. The Baptismal Font is placed on a carved tripod. There are large stained glass windows with intricate designs.
According to the book The Faith of Our Fathers, by Rev. Fr. Pushparaj, “In Dutch times and in early British days, great interest was shown in the church by people. Evidence of this is shown in the large stained glass windows presented by the Britishers, Governor Sir William H. Gregory and Mr. W.H. Wright. Another was installed in memory of Sir Richard Morgan by public subscription. The other two windows were installed by the Church in memory of two lady benefactors of the Church named Schroter and Raymond. A veritable monument of the oldest Dutch institution in Sri Lanka, the Wolvendaal Church is the only unspoiled evidence in Colombo of the architectural skill of the Dutch who ceded the country to the British by the Treaty of Amiens in 1796.”
In the past, there was a strong English congregation. But after the Burghers migrated the numbers reduced significantly. At present the English congregation is about seventy five. People from different backgrounds attend the Church. In 1999, the Church celebrated its 250th anniversary. Presidents and other political leaders of Sri Lanka have participated in its worship services.
Occasion
The bi-centenary commemoration service of the Church was held in 1949. The preacher was the Assistant Bishop of Colombo, Rev. Lakdasa De Mel. A special souvenir which was edited by Dr. R.L. Brohier and Mr. L.E. Blaze was printed to mark this occasion. After the first Independence Day celebrations held on the 4th of February 1948, Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake attended the Independence Day service at Wolvendaal church. In 1998, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary celebrations of independence, a similar service was held in the Church.
The Church is now dilapidated and in a dismal condition. It depends on a small congregation and on funds from tourists or donations which is not sufficient to maintain the Church.
Mahinda Hettiarachchi is one of the oldest members of the English gathering. He is a Retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, and a former Warden of the Church (for over thirty years). He first entered the Wolvendaal Church in 1953. He remembers that in the past the church was under the care of the Dutch Reformed Church General Consistory (now Christian Reformed Church) with no worship services, where the department of archaeology was in overall control of maintenance. Rev. Felsianus commenced the English worship where his family was the first to join.
He says, “the Wolvendaal Girls High School which was located in the same premises was a very well known highly respected school. In the year 1993 the English leadership took the initiative and commenced a Sinhala service at Wolvendaal which I believe was done for the first time in the church history. The Wolvendaal church is internationally known as a Dutch heritage building and visitors from all parts of the world make it a point to visit it when touring Sri Lanka. All constructions in and around the church, are of historical value where, even painting of any area, needs to be approved by the Department of Archaeology.”
All birth and marriage registers, as old as the church are in safe keeping in a separate area of the church. Even hand drawn pictures of former church leaders together with normal photos are in safe keeping. Centuries old silver wear used for baptism and other functions too are kept safely. Considering the need for prompt and lasting solutions to the Church building the Dutch government with the engagement of the Christian Reformed Church of Sri Lanka has now established a body known as the Wolvendaal Foundation. This body right now is in the process of attending to all windows, replacing the old structures where ever necessary. Hettiarachchi is personally aware of a tunnel believed to be running to the Colombo Port from within the church. Having traced it he, however did not encourage anyone to go in.
Young law student
Prabath De Silva, a retired Judge recalls that when he was a young law student in 1981, he would walk from Hulftsdorp to this church in the afternoons and spend time in prayer. As a person who is fascinated by the historical sites, Wolvendaal Church has been a very special for him. The Dutch rulers started building this church and it took years to complete the construction of the building. In 1751, it was consecrated for public worship. He says, “Since its inception, the church services were conducted in Dutch, Sinhala and Tamil. Later, during the British rule, the Dutch burghers adopted English as their language and the English language services were started. Today, we have worship services in English, Sinhala and Tamil on Sundays.”
The pulpit, special pews for important people and the organ belong to the Dutch period. There is also a collection of old Dutch records. De Silva further says, “in my young days and later years, I would often visit (sometimes with my friends) this church not only for worship and prayer but for its historical value. The building was preserved and well maintained in the past. But now, this once magnificent edifice is now in a dilapidated condition and it urgently needs repairs. It is an important archaeological site and a historic monument. My family and I are members of the Wolvendaal Church.”
Brother Claude, a Deacon of the Church was born in the area and his mother and father got married there. His father served as an elder and Deacon for over thirty years and his family has been there from the beginning and has a long history with the Church. He has been a Deacon and a Local Consistorial member for over three years. He has been a part of the church ever since he could remember and he has seen many changes. Both local and foreign pastors have served the church in many ways contributing to the church’s development up to date.
Responsible
There is a quotation from Genesis, 28:22 “And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” Brother Claude says that as the deacon he is responsible “to collect the alms and money, and see that it is given to the poor. With the consent of the local consistory, visit and see the needs of the parishes and support the pastor, and elders in the church other administration duties. He says, “I have looked to help the pastor to grow the church by the number of people attending, but more importantly to help people grow in spirit. And in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour.”
Pictures by Ranjith Asanka