Evangelical Lutheran Church Eersterust

E ORIGIN AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN EERSTERUS

INTRODUCTION
The Eersterus congregation has been established under difficult circumstances on the 1st August 1965. During the apartheid era everybody who was classified as so called “Coloureds” and residing in Pretoria was forced by the notorious Group Areas Act to settle in Eersterus (a township area specially created for “Coloureds” as they could not stay anywhere else in Pretoria).

PIONEERS
As there was no Lutheran Church in the newly established township, the late Ms. Sheila Ingwane and Ms. Martha Ohlson went around from house to house to seek and encourage congregational members to attend church services in the house of the late Mr. Norman Smith who resided at 446 Abrahams Avenue, Eersterust. It was thus in that house that the Lutheran Congregation in Eersterus was established on the 1st August 1965.

THE FIRST STEPS
The first congregation consisted of seven adult members and six children. During the first service, 4½ cent was given as Sunday collection. Mr. J Krope and the late Messrs. J Ingwane, N Smith and F Vein volunteered to lead the Sunday services. The first Holy Communion was served by the late Pastor B Seroti on the 22nd Augustus 1965. The first harvest festival was celebrated on the 12th September 1965. The amount collected for this fundraising effort was R16,68. The Sunday school started on the 19th September 1965, with the late Mr. Frank Vein and Mr. J Krope as the first Sunday school teachers. The late Mr. J Ingwane started teaching the first confirmation class in October 1965.

The first Elders, who were inducted on the 9th January 1966, were:
Mr. J Ingwane (Chairperson)
Mr. J Krope (Secretary)
Mr. F Vein (Treasurer)
Mr. N Smith
The late Messrs George Seckle, J Samuels, P Adams and A Leso joined them. A few years later, the late Ms. G R Davids became the first leader of the choir.

FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
Tea parties have been held to collect money to augment the church funds. The first tea party was held on the 20th February 1966 at the residence of Ms. Juliana Vein. An advance of R3,00 was taken from the Sunday school money. The effort made a profit of R16,64.

PROGRESS ON THE WAY FORWARD
As a result of the increase in numbers, a bigger venue was needed to hold services. The church applied to use a classroom at the nearby Jakaranda Primary School. The classroom at the school was used until the inauguration of the present church on the 27th July 1975. The congregation longed to have their own church building. They decided unanimously to contribute R10 per family towards a building fund. Eventually the congregation could afford to buy four stands in Kawie Avenue for R1,000.00 from the City Council of Pretoria. The amount of R686-75 was paid for the attorney’s fees.

THE REALISATION OF A DREAM
Dean Wahl drew up a plan for the church in 1974. Mr. D.S. Ramakgotla built the church. The dream of an own church building for the Lutheran congregation was fulfilled in 1975. The late Bishop D.W. Giesekke inaugurated the new church on the 27th July 1975. It happened in the same year that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in SA was established.

As a result of political riots and uproar in Mamelodi (the neighboring so-called “Black” township), the first Synod of the newly established Central Diocese of ELCSA was held in the Eersterust Lutheran Church in 1978. Dr. Manas Buthelezi was elected as the first Bishop of the Central Diocese at that historic occasion.


The congregation of Eersterus became a Parish within the Pretoria Circuit. The following Clergy have since served the Parish:
1975 - 1976: Pastor J. S. Mminelle
1976 - 1978: Pastor J. Khoza
1978 - 1979: Pastor N.C Fisher
1980 - 1981: Pastor Sekati & Pastor K. Nurnberger
1981 - 1988: Pastor H. J. Schutte
1990 - 1995: Pastor D. I Gorrey
1996 - 2002: Pastor H. J. Strübing
2003 - 2004: Pastor H. A. Mphephu
2003 - 2004: Pastor L.A. Nelson
2005: Pastor S. Marais

Two elders of Eersterus Parish became full-time pastors, namely Pastor R. Schultz and Dean D.I. Gorrey.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
With the advent of the new dispensation in South Africa and improvement in quality of life, many congregants moved to the previously created white suburbs (where Coloureds, Indians and Blacks were not supposed to live). Some of them must travel more than 30 kilometers to attend Sunday services.

The Parish has recently adopted a project to establish a multi-purposed Community Centre, comprising of classrooms, offices and a hall. Plans for the Centre which will cost about R5 million have been submitted for approval to the City Council.

During the month of May 2005, the first representatives of the Parish, Br. A Seckle and Br. B Samuels, accompanied the Pretoria Circuit delegation who visited Germany. Br. A. Seckle represented the Circuit, whilst Br. B. Samuels the Eersterus Parish. The outcome of the visit was the forging of a Memorandum of Understanding for mutual co-operation in the future between the Pretoria Circuit and their Partnership Circuit, Nienburg Circuit, in Germany.

In conclusion, we are deeply thankful to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, for bestowing upon us His blessings in abundance for the past four decades. Praise be to God!