Three Rivers Baptist Church
We finally had to do the bittersweet farewell to our long serving elder Kobus van der Walt, who retired from ministry. This was bitter because he has been a pillar not only to our church, where he has given his life for close to twenty years, but also to me, and now we have to navigate without him and his servant-hearted and lovely wife Jeanne. It is sweet because they left in the best possible terms anyone can leave ministry.
We also had the pleasure recently of ordaining brother Mike Gumede into eldership, a man we had earmarked as from the previous year with Kobus but just kept praying.
Orange Farm Church Plant
Services have continued, although we had many attendees sick and hospitalised. I must say that, at times, I have felt like I am here to bury people considering the funerals I have had to do in just less than a year. I take encourage in the fact that some of those I bury are truly brothers and sisters in the Lord that I shall see again.
We have had brothers like Siya Pantshwa and Nhlakanipho Sithole coming through to teach and the congregation was wonderfully blessed. Kathorus Bible Church has also expressed interest to support the plant in any way possible.
I have been blessed with support from a core team since we started with the plant, from those who prepare food to those who transport people. But one family in particular has been a blessing in this regard: Thulani and Nolitha Bhengu. What a wonderful, gospel-centered couple they are. They have indeed carried the church plant in their shoulders. I blessed the Lord for them. Preaching and helping with the songs, the husband and wife have been respectively instrumental.
Personal Update
I have been growing in expository preaching with the help of Word Partners led by Jeff Gage and watching lessons from Steve Lawson and I am slowly seeing some improvement in my preaching.
Last year I asked for prayers in my pursuit for a wife. This February, the Lord has amazingly answered our prayers and blessed me with a lovely, humbly, beautiful suitable helper. Her name is Nomvula from KwaZulu-Natal. We have already been through counseling and lobola negotiations. Lord willing, we will be getting married in the next few months. To best summarise this moment is what Will Smith’s character says in the last scene of the movie The Pursuit of Happyness: “This part of my life, this little part is called happiness.”
The support I have had from many brothers and sisters has been overwhelming to say the least. Thabani Mthethwa is one in particular, who has, as many others, been closer to me than blood brothers and sisters.
Prayer Items: Praise
- Thank God for a new elder in Three Rivers Baptist Church.
- Thank God for books received from HeartCry.
- Thank God for support from brothers and Kathorus Bible Church for the Orange Farm church plant.
- Thank God for providing a lovely life and ministry partner to share my life with.
- Thank God for great support from brothers like Chris Mnguni and many others during this process of lobola negotiations.
Prayer Items: Petition
- Pray for a blessed, Christ-glorifying, and gospel-saturated marriage to Nomvula.
- Pray for more men to help in the ministry in Orange Farm.
- Pray for funding for the ministry in Orange Farm.
In Christ’s service,
Athi Mgqibelo