Former Germiston resident inducted as Bishop

An important celebration was recently held at Gracepoint Church, in Glenferness.

Former Lambton resident the Rev Gary Rivas, one of the founding ministers of Gracepoint Church, was inducted as the bishop of the Central District of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.

It was a momentous occasion, attended by the other bishops of the Methodist Church and presided over by Presiding Bishop Zipho Siwa.

Rivas was born and raised in Germiston (growing up in Merdyk Road, Lambton) and attended Colin Mann Primary School and Bedfordview High School.

He felt a calling to the ministry early on and began training as a Methodist minister in 1996.

He served in Germiston and then East London, after which he was stationed in the Fourways Circuit.

In 2003, his wife, Jacqui, was also ordained as a Methodist minister and, in 2004, they planted Lonehill Methodist Church, now known as Gracepoint.

It grew quickly from a tiny congregation that met in a school hall, to a thriving congregation with thousands of members and an unmistakable impact on the community.

Rivas has held various leadership roles, including being the superintendent of the Fourways Circuit within the Methodist Church. He and was elected as bishop of the Central District earlier this year.

The district is located within three provinces of South Africa: Gauteng (from Midrand to the Southrand and through to the West Rand), North West (from Lichtenburg to Vryburg) and Christiana in the Northern Cape.

His recent induction was a moving service that effortlessly blended the centuries-old traditions and customs of Methodism with modern expressions of worship and what it means to be a relevant church community in the 21st century.

It set the tone for his term in office as bishop, as he seeks to lead the Methodist community under his purview to greater unity, connection, relevance, authenticity and faith.

For more information visit www.centralmcsa.org.