It has been three months now that Marcelle and I have been settled in Robertson. It is time for an update...
The transition from Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia, to Robertson, a small town in the Langeberg Municipality in the Western Cape has been as smooth as one may have hoped it to be.
The area is not unknown to us. In 1976 my father, Ernst -Joachim Rieck (1927-1997) bought a small piece of land near Bonnievale, on the banks of the Breede River. The small farm is located about 20 kilometres from where we live in Robertson. It is now owned and managed by my youngest sister and her husband, a winemaker by profession.
Robertson is surrounded by a number of little towns (dorpies). We are 26 kilometres from Bonnievale, 26 kilometres from Montagu, 16 kilometres from Ashton and 16 kilometres from McGregor. Worcester, the biggest city in the Boland is approximately 50 kilometers away. The Breede river runs through our area and provides plenty of water for the sprawling farming community. It is literally the land of milk and honey. Fresh produce is aplenty...
Robertson Reformed Community Church started as a home fellowship group in 1999 and constituted as a church in 2006. Pastor Roland Eskinazi, with whom we have a longstanding friendship, preached the inaugural sermon at that time on behalf of the Goodwood Baptist Church in Cape Town, the church which oversaw this church plant. Sybrand de Swardt (now at Lynnwood Baptist Church in Pretoria) was the first pastor., serving for a few years. After a time of pastoral vacancy the church called Mark Lillie to be their pastor. Mark served the church for 14 years. Two years ago the pulpit became vacant. In 2024 I responded to the call to be their third pastor.
It is somewhat strange to leave a church where you were a founding member, and a longstanding member, and to start all over again as the new kid on the block. You begin as the unknown quantity, having to earn the right afresh to be trusted to be the people's pastor. It is good to be humbled!
But here we are!
The induction service took place on the 2nd of March 2025. Christo Beetge of the George Baptist Church officiated. Our elder Dr Willem Venter led the charge to their new pastor, and he with our three deacons, Mark Powell, Russell Weyer and Dawie Cloete laid hands on their new pastor on behalf of the congregation. We have a great leadership team. Thank God for these men.
Getting to know the congregation is our great priority right now. Understanding the people you are preaching to is key to pastoral ministry. With this in mind, Marcelle and I have been visiting our people. Some have been wounded by life's trials. We have seen some people that have stopped coming to church returning, and we have seen some new people coming. There is a good spirit in the church. God has sustained this congregation in a wonderful way through some challenging times.
On a good Sunday we can now have up to 70 people. We are however not content to merely fill our pews. We are here to help our people to become Christ-like followers and exporters of the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Discipleship and evangelism are key activities of the church.
Robertson, a town of 27 000 people, along with its environs is in need of the gospel. In fact, every new generation needs to hear the gospel afresh. Robertson sadly has many prosperity driven, man-centered cults. These do not produce revival and renewal, although this is what they claim. People in such churches are hard to reach, because they think that they have "the franchise on Jesus''.
It seems to me that expository preaching and expository living are in short supply.
We have work to do.
Pray that we may be an encouragement to those churches that do seek to be faithful to Jesus in Robertson.
Pray with us then that we might be able to lend an effective hand to the greater cause of Christ in Robertson and beyond.
1 comment:
I don't see a "contact" page on your site so thought I'd try leaving a comment to ask if you could shoot me an email (Tim at challies dot com). There is a fair chance I'll be in Windhoek later this year and had a question or two for a (former) local.
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