On the search for a new church

Anyone who knows us as a family know that we are a family of believers in the Bible and have over the years attended church on a regular basis...I have been told in the past that I am arrogant when it comes to religion and what I believe in and maybe to some it might appear to be that way, however I would rather choose to say that I am rather passionate.

Johan and I were married at Holy Trinity Church in Pietermaritzburg...it is one of many Church of England in South Africa congregations and we were married there because of my family church background.  That is not to say that my family had ever attended this church, because we didn't...in fact as a youngster after moving to Pietermaritzburg from the UK, we children attended Scottsville Baptist Church which was just down the road from where we lived, and this was only because they presented great holiday clubs which we went to to keep us occupied and I reckon also to keep us out of my mother's hair...haha.  No, our ties with the Church of England stemmed from the days before we moved to South Africa, but sadly when we arrived here in the early 70's, there was no congregation to go to.  Then in my matric year, the Church of England started a congregation in Pietermaritzburg and that was the beginning of great things for both the church and for us too.

So after Johan and I became engaged and we had to decide where we were going to be married, we decided on Holy Trinity.  Johan was a regular at the Evangelies Gereformeerde Kerk which you will no doubt deduce to be an Afrikaans church and it was...(still is).  However after we were married we moved over to his congregation for some years where he served as an sidesperson, and because he attended Bible College for a year, also ran a Bible study and did some lay preaching.  We didn't stay for too many years though and decided to leave when Mark was 2 and Matthew, 4, so that they could grow up with more continuity and have an easier understanding for God's word.  It is difficult when you have two parents from different backgrounds, religions and cultures, to marry the two and raise your children the best way you know how.  Anyway our decision was one made purely on language ability, as at that stage the boys heard and spoke more English than they did Afrikaans.  So it was that we went back to the Church of England, and until recently we have stayed there.

Moving to Pretoria we discovered that there are two congregations in the city, both of which are very small and both of which have deep seated problems of which we were made aware even before moving.  We did however give both congregations a try, only to leave after a year or two in each because of the problems that abound.  It is sad to say, but it so often happens in small congregations that there is too much church politics and when you start to become involved you have to decide whether to accept things and turn a blind eye to things you know are wrong or get out...we decided to get out.  We did however stay within the Church of England and joined the congregation at Midrand...some 60 km or so away from where we live.  We had a lovely two years or so with them and then sadly decided to move on.  The decision was not made lightly and was simply a matter of economics.    Johan was unemployed and it became too costly to travel so far...now with the toll gates it costs even more than it did two years ago.  So for the last two years we have been searching and visiting and trying in vain to find a new spiritual home and we thought we had found one earlier this year when a new congregation of a world renowned church started close to home.  We were quite enthusiastic and once more began attending church on a regular basis, however after some months the hype began to wear off....this church is a lot more charismatic than we are used to, but that was okay, we went with the flow, but then their worship time became boring and predictable singing only from their own song repertoire and not even considering any other songs of worship...we did in fact sing the same songs week in and week out, over and over again.  But still that isn't the reason we decided to leave...we left because they allow women to preach and I'm sorry if I offend some women's libbers who feel its alright for women to do the same things as men, but we are old school and have been taught that where a woman may give guidance and council within the church environment, that it is not her place to preach....that's just the way it is.

So we are once more on the search for a church that we can attend where we will feel at home and welcomed and be able to learn and grow in our spiritual well being....otherwise we will have to make a plan to get back to Midrand where we know we were happy...