Ds Adriaan Jacobus Louw succeeded Ds van Warmelo on April 8, 1893.
AJ Louw was born on January 23, 1859, in Paarl. He completed his theology training in Stellenbosch in 1884.
Louw’s first position was at Riebeek West until 1888.
While being in Riebeek West he got to know a young DF Malan as well as JC Smuts as boys in the congregation.
After Riebeek West, Louw was called to Vryheid and thereafter Heidelberg.
While in Heidelberg, Louw had various calls to go to other areas but turned them down every time.
In 1906 Louw became a trustee of the Transvaal Church, an actuary from 1897 to 1916 and a moderator from 1916 to 1925.
Early in the second Anglo Boer War, after the occupation of Heidelberg, Louw was arrested and sent to Ceylon.
He remained there until the end of the war.
Upon his return from Ceylon he continued his ministry in Heidelberg.
Louw, together with Theo Donges, started a school and hostel for orphaned war children.
Louw played an important role in the establishment of Heidelberg Volkskool for the Afrikaans speaking community.
Louw was the first principal of the school.
Louw’s wife, Maria J Louw died at the age of 60 on April 29, 1920, after being ill for some time.
She is buried in the Heidelberg Kloof Cemetery.
After the death of her mother, Charlotte Louw took on the responsibility as the daughter of the minister, visiting and supporting the members, especially the children.
She would hold concerts for them from time to time and visiting the children with flowers, sweets or puddings.
Dr AG Visser was Louw’s neighbour.
When Visser’s two older children, Andries and Annatjie became ill in 1921, Charlotte visited them with a bowl of jelly.
When the children got better Visser sent Charlotte a basket of roses with a poem written on an envelope which he had written at the breakfast table.
For Louw’s 66th birthday, Visser composed a poem especially for him.
He did the same at his 70th birthday which he read out at the birthday function.
A few months later Visser died.
Louw resigned his post in Heidelberg in September 1931. He served the congregation for 40 years and was followed by Ds PJ Viljoen on April 9, 1932.
Louw died on the September 23, 1935 in Pretoria and is buried in Heidelberg.
