WESTVILLE Dutch Reformed Church celebrated its 40th anniversary on the weekend of 8 to 10 May.
The theme of the celebration was ‘Forty Years of Grace’. The current congregation, former members and visitors took part in the festivities.
The celebrations included a dinner on the Friday and were followed by a communion service on the Sunday.
Guests at the Friday dinner were entertained by the church choir, led by the church organist and choir conducter, Pieter Snyman. There were also classical musical contributions on the piano, organ and flute.
The current minister (since 2011), Alwyn Landman, led the Sunday service. He was assisted by a former minister Desmond Ras (1997-2003) and emeritus minister, Gerhard Kemp, who led the church for thirty years.
The church was founded on 30 April, 1975 after members of the Pinetown Dutch Reformed Church expressed the need for a church in the Westville area.
After seceding from the Pinetown church, the new congregation held their first services at the Westville Baptist Church and then later at the library hall of the Westville Civic Centre until it moved to the church building and current premises at 11 Byron Place in Westville.
Twenty-two of those original founder members are still members of the church today. Since 2008 the church premises have been shared with the Westville Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian Church service starts at 10.30am on Sunday mornings. The Dutch Reformed Church service is held before this at 8am.
Various church members have been involved in a number of community outreach activities over many years. Food parcels are delivered monthly to the needy residents of Flamingo Court – a low-cost housing development in Umbilo. The church is also active in assisting the Malvern Children’s Home, the Tuinsig Old Age Home on the Berea, the Highway Hospice and the Methodist Church soup kitchen.
The Westville Dutch Reformed church has also built up a close working relationship with the Reformed Church of Africa-Emmanuel congregation near Overport.
