WATCH: Bassonia’s church for all

Baseline Family Church, previously Southern Christian Church, was built before there were any houses in Bassonia.

January 17, 2018

SHERNOVIA REDDY 3 minutes read

AUDITORIUM: The auditorium after it was done up.

FORMERLY known as Southern Christian Church, Baseline Family Church on 25 Pieter Acroyd Avenue in Bassonia has flourished over the years and now shares its rich history with Comaro.

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Baseline Family Church is now led by pastors Martin and Jessie Botma, who have been in ministry for over 21 years and make a powerful team wherever they go. They bring excitement and growth because of God’s hand upon their lives. They are vibrant and enthusiastic about God’s work and believe in serving the King with excellence.

Read more about them here: A journey to being pastors

Many may not know it, but Baseline Family Church was built on the mountain in 1983, before there were any church members or any houses built in Bassonia. Pastors Martin and Jessie therefore believe that God had a very specific plan for the building and the congregation that serves its community as a lighthouse on top of the mountain, for the ones who feel they have lost their way.

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“People said to us, good luck, because Bassonia is where the rich people live and rich people don’t need God and they don’t serve God. But we don’t agree because rich people need God,” said pastors Martin and Jessie. “Money cannot buy joy, peace, friendliness, goodness, meekness, family unity and happiness, etc. Only a living relationship with a loving God can bring that. Our passion is to connect people with their Godly purpose. So we endeavour to help people discover, train them for, and release them into their Godly purposes. We have also realised that people are travelling great distances to other churches – we want to invite the residents of Bassonia to come and visit us at least once, maybe God wants to connect you with us in order to serve your community.”

Tale of two churches becoming one

The Alberton Christian Centre was started by pastors Brian and Thea Jouxon at the Alberton Civic Centre in 1980. It was held at the Alberton Primary School Hall for a few months.

After the principal of Alberton Primary School fell ill, the church moved from house to house and then moved to the Alberton Scout Hall in 1982 and was nicknamed ‘The Hut’.

The pastors were then approached to take over the Southern Christian Centre at Mondeor Civic Centre in 1983. The Southern Christian Church was founded by Dr Andre and Nola Pelser, who are now senior pastors and founders of Harvester International Ministries in Cape Town. They had started off at the Mondeor Civic Centre.

Dr Andre and Nola left for Australia in 1983 and the two churches became one. Remember that ‘The Hut’ moved to the Mondeor Civic Centre.

Southern Christian Centre (Dr Andre and Nola) had purchased the land in Bassonia and began building in 1984. They acquired it with money they had made acting, and the real estate agent (Francios Wethmar) also forfeited his commission to help make it possible.

In September 1985 pastors Brian and Thea moved to the East Rand Church.

An elder (Francios Wethmar) took over until the end of 1985, when Dr Andre and Nola Pelser took over. On December 12, 1985 the building was dedicated.

In 1988 the Southern Christian Centre became affiliated with the Apostolic Faith Mission.

When Dr Andre and Nola moved to Pretoria, pastors John and Moira van der Schyff took over from 1989 to 1992. Pastor John Wasserman was also presiding pastor for about five months in 1992.