St Peters' Congregation
St Peters is a tri-lingual evangelical Lutheran congregation which lies in the heart of the CBD of Pretoria. The St. Peters Congregation has ecumenical contact to other denominations in the inner city, thereby sharing common plights and challenges. Historically speaking it started as a congregation of German speakers and henceforth developed into a congregation which ministers in English, German and Afrikaans.
As from 2018, an outreach project toward Refugees and Migrants was started at St Peter, and a French language ministry is growing. In the congregation, people of diverse origin are bound together by the Gospel of free grace and unconditional acceptance, as proclaimed in the Lutheran heritage. Historical overview: In 1872, the first German services were held in the mission church of the Berlin mission. Missionary Grünberger served his mission congregation as well as the German group. In 1889, the decision was taken to establish a German congregation. Soon after, in 1890 the first St. Peters Church was consecrated. From 1891 to 1909, Pastor Grünberger became the first Pastor to serve this congregation. He was succeeded by Dr. (Phil) Lukas Pannenberg Viëtor (1912 – 1914) as well as Pastor CR Frowein (1914 – 1920). Over 36 years the congregation was served by missionaries from the Berlin mission. During the time 1920 - 1956 the congregation languished. Sermons were held at times only once a month. It was the input of missionaries like Schloemann, Schwellnuss, Sack, Papke and Kramer who carried the spiritual life of this congregation through. World-political happenings (WWI and WWII) influenced the development of the congregation as a number of Germans came to South Africa in order to establish another life after the lost World Wars. From 1957 - 1975 St Peter's experienced a time of growth especially through the leadership of Pastor Hellmut Lehmann, Pastor Holsten and Pastor Wejwer. During this time the building of the new St Peters’ Church took place, it was inaugurated on the 30/08/1964. From 1982 - 1990 the congregationwas served by a number of pastors, up to three serving simultaneously. While the German services were filled to capacity, services in English and Afrikaans were also started. A daughter congregation, founded in 1990, the Johannesgemeinde in Pretoria East, near the German School, became the focus of work in German, while St Peter saw significant growth in the English ministry, as black people previously excluded from the city made it, and the congregation, their own. Since 2006 the English Language Ministry constitutes the largest part of the congregation. Together, the language ministries are called by faith to live out in love the reconciliation Christ brought to us, and are strengthened by the community they experience to contribute to our society. St Peter's was a founding member of Pretoria Community Ministries, now Tshwane Leadership Foundation. In 2005, the community began an Orphans and Vulnerable Children outreach project in Stinkwater, now Refentse, valled Lefika la Botshabelo, which still continues. In 2018, a ministry to refugees and migrants, esp. from Francophone Africa, and French Language services were started. This was discontinued in 2024. Beside the services at St Peter, regular services in German are held in the German Old Age Home; and in Afrikaans in the Chapel at the Nicolson Street manse. |
Congregation Pastor: Dr Gertrud Tönsing Cell No: 083 780 4814 Email: gertrud.tonsing@ googlemail.com |
Church Services:
English – Every Sunday at 8:30, at St Peter (Holy Communion on the second Sunday of the month) Afrikaans / German bilingual – Every first and fourth Sunday at 10:15, 81 Nicolson Street (Holy Communion on the fourth Sunday of the month) German - Every second Sunday at 10:15 in the German Old Age Home with Holy Communion. Contact details: 012 322 3810 [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/St-Peters-Lutheran-Congregation-Pretoria-1297863523573277/ http://stpeters.org.za/index.php/en/ Physical Address: Corner of Lilian Ngoyi and Nana Sita Streets (Entrance Lilian Ngoyi) GPS Coordinates GPS: 25°44'59.8"S 28°11'34.5"E |