When Dr Martin Luther, Augustinian monk and professor at the University of Wittenberg made his 95 theses public in 1517, it was the start of a huge wave of change which would sweep across the entire world. In his many writings, he argues not only against the "Holy Catholic Church", but also against dangerous tributaries of the Reformation. Luther's insights, which he accquired through an intense struggle with the Bible, laid down in his confessional writings form the basis of the Lutheran faith.

When Jan van Riebeck landed at the Cape in 1652, there were a number of German Lutherans among the first settlers. They were however, limited in living out their form of worship because - according to the Peace of Augsburg of 1555, the ruler of a specific area determined the religious orientation of his subjects. The Cape was dominated by the reformed belief. Despite several requests by Lutherans for a preacher of their own, the authorities refused. In 1774, Martin Melck sponsored a warehouse in Strandstreet. Being able to prove that the congregation had the necessary means to finance a preacher and build a church, the Lutherans got the right to free worship in 1780.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Strand street was founded in 1780, the warehouse converted to a church building. Other places of worship outside of Cape Town soon followed, such as Stellenbosch and Wynberg. In the nineteenth century, a split occured in the Strand street church, and a new church was formed in Longstreet, Cape Town in 1853 - the St Martini church. After dissolving again shortly afterwards, the church was officially inaugurated in 1861 as the "Deutsche Evangelische Lutherische Gemeinde St Martini".

Missionary work had already started among the indigenous population in 1737 and out of this, the Moravian church and the ELCSA had grown. The differences in origin and history of the Lutheran church explain its division.

Founded in 1890, the church made use of a small wooden chapel in Kasselsvleiweg, Bellville South for nearly 60 years. Because of the apartheid policy at that time, the church had to move from the area in the 1950's, and the chapel continued to be used by the Lutheran coloured community. For a number of years after the move, the congregation was allowed to make use of the church hall of the NG Moedergemeente in Teddington street.The new church building in Middelstreet was inaugurated in 1963.

In the first 50 years of the church's existence, it was served by pastors from Cape Town. Many times the services were held on Thursdays, due to the irregular time of the trains on Sunday evenings. One pastor in 1905 was left stranded in Bellville on Christmas Eve after he had conducted the service there, and had to spend the night alone in a hotel in Parow with no gas for light and the hotel manager and cook having gone home already!

Pastor Wittenberg was the first full time pastor of the congregation in Bellville, followed by Pastor J Peters, who served there between 1970 and 1976. After a period of no permanent pastor, Pastor Gerhard Plüddemann took over in 1979 and served the church for 15 years. Pastor Felix Meylahn followed in his place, serving the church from 1994-2000. After he left the church, pastor Muriel Kossmann served for half a year, until Albrecht Hahne was inaugurated as the new pastor of the congregation in July 2001.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bellville caters for German speaking as well as Afrikaans and English speaking Christians who wish to associate themselves with the Evangelical Lutheran faith. We seek to give worshippers the opportunity to experience the true preaching of the Gospel and the administering of the Sacraments. They should have the opportunity to actively participate in activities which will allow them to grow in and live out the Lutheran faith and way of life on a continuous basis.