Sonrise Church pastor dies at 61
Sonrise Christian School and Church loses one of their own.
Past Emil Rudolf Zwart died after years of serving the congress of Sonrise Church in Eldeen for 35 years.
The 61-year-old pastor and father, who lived his life providing spiritual leadership to his congress, suffered a cardiac arrest and died at Arwyp Medical Centre in Kempton Park on April 29.
Zwart was born on May 27, 1959, in Durban to Hans and Lydia Zwart. He graduated from the University of the Free State in 1981 with a Bachelor of Commerce, a diploma in theology in 1985 from the South African Bible College and completed his studies with a master’s degree in theology at Abilene Christian University in 1993.
His daughter, Sandy Zwart, who will remember him for his contagious laugh and humble spirit, described him as a generous father who always put his family and ministry first.
“He taught his children how to secure their faith, put others first and to also love graciously and unconditionally. “He served his community faithfully and without complaint. No task was beneath him,” Sandy said.
The compassion he had for others empowered him to also served as an administrator at Sonrise Christian School for 25 years.
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“My father would want to be remembered as a faithful follower of Jesus who used to put God first,” Sandy added.
Emil is survived by his wife, Penny, Sandy and his two sons, Billy-Joe and Zachary, with their wives Sherae and Jade, Milly Watson, his mother-in-law, as well as his sister, Dorothy Whitby, whom he looked after, and his three grandchildren, Noah, Judah and Alyssa.
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