 Merensky sought refuge amongst his Christian converts in the Middelburg district and founded the station at Botshabelo (“city of refuge”) – which soon became the most important station of the Berlin Society in South Africa.Here were established a school, seminary, workshops, mill and printing press; and from here BMS influence spread throughout the Transvaal.By 1900 there were more than thirty six stations and nearly 30,000 converts in the region.