Church of the Redeemer
The Church of the Redeemer in Hillcrest, is a vibrant family church, with some 140 members.
The congregation has a children’s church, a Friday Kids Club, and Teens Club. It also offers morning and evening Bible Studies and has an enthusiastic worship team which accompanies a cross section of all kinds of Church Music. Today, the Church of the Redeemer is at the heart of a vibrant community, committed to serving God and it’s community. Excerpt based on an article by Robin – Crest magazine: Church of the Redeemer – Assagay – Hillcrest -KZN On a hillside overlooking the Assagay valley stands a picturesque little place of worship sustained by God’s grace and the hard work of its congregation. A notice at the wide-open gate reveals that this is a Lutheran church. Most of the memorials and gravestones around it bear German names, including Thies, Kassier, Cross, Volker, Gevers and Dedekind. The church was built just over 50 years ago by members of the local German-speaking community, some of whom came to the valley in the early 1930s, when the area west of Hill Crest village was beginning to open up. The church's story goes back over 80 years to the early 1930s, when an estate agent was selling land west of Hill Crest. One of the farms was bought by a Natal-born German, Friedrich Gevers, whose father had emigrated from Europe before the end of the 19th century. The Gevers family Friedrich, Maria and children - moved from the Estcourt district in the midlands. They became part of a wider local German community settled at places like Waterfall and Peacevale. In the early 1930s, a few local German speaking families started holding monthly services in their homes. Later, they joined the Durban parish of the Lutheran Church, attending services twice a month, still in people's homes." This continued in one form or another until the 1950s. At that time, there was a move for the local Lutherans to have a church of their own, more accessible than those in New Germany or Durban. Two acres of land in the valley were donated for the project by Mrs MCD Gevers, the mother of Friedrich Gevers, who lived at Blood River. The congregation committed to doing much of the work themselves, with those families unable to help contributing £10 a month to the building fund. Much of the work was done at weekends and the custom developed of regular gatherings at the site. While the men laboured, the women laid out picnic meals and the children amused themselves. The Church of the Redeemer was dedicated on July 20, 1953. It was at first served by a pastor from Durban, who held services there once a month. Initially, services in the church were held monthly and, over the years, what began as a healthy congregation dwindled to just eight members. “In the late 80’s the few remaining members were determined to revive the church, clearing the garden, paving the exterior and building the small hall. Lothar Volker was responsible for introducing English services twice a month, which he initially led. By 2006, the church had become an independent congregation. A permanent pastor was appointed, and weekly services began. Pastor Manfred Müller-Nedebock, who has served the congregation since 2014, is happy to say that the congregation now numbers some 140 members and has become a vibrant family church, having regular English speaking services at 8h30, every Sunday, and a German service at 10h00, twice a month, on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. The congregation a children’s church, and offers regular Sunday School, a Friday Kids Club, and Teens Club. It also offers morning and evening Bible Studies and has an enthusiastic worship team which accompanies a cross section of all kinds of Church Music. Today, the Church of the Redeemer is at the heart of a vibrant community, committed to serving God and it’s community. |
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Church Services:
English – 08:30 Every Sunday Holy Communion held at various services German – 10:00 every 2nd and 4th Sunday Holy Communion held at various services Contact details: (031) 768 1473 Physical Address: 1 Church Road Assagay, 3610 Webpage: www.hillcrestlutheran.co.za GPS Coordinates Lat: -29.781508000000002, Lng: 30.743890000000004 
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