WHITE RIVER – At 18:10 on Tuesday White River Fire Station was alerted to a fire at the Neon Church building.
Around that same time Past Danie van Wyk was taking the second bite of his dinner with his family when his phone rang with the news that the building that hosted his church was engulfed in flames.
By the time the blaze was extinguished, after 20:00, a man who lived inside the building had died.
When Danie received the call he jumped in his car with his wife and three daughters and drove to the church from their house on the Uitkyk Road, as fast as he could to join members of the congregation who were already on site.
“When we arrived I was very sad and said, ‘Look our church is gone’. But the congregation members assured me that it was only the building that was gone and that the church was standing around us,”
said Danie’s wife, Tashai van Wyk.
The building did not have electricity, so they suspect that a gas bottle might have exploded, causing both the man’s death and the fire.
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They managed to save the church’s generator as well as the contents of the children’s church that were not affected by the blaze. At the time of the fire the building did not only host the church, but was also home to a plant rental company, a carpenter who made furniture and other items, as well as a wood shop.
The building did not have insurance or sprinklers. It used to be the home of a vibrant lifestyle centre, including the pub Kokopelli, until the church opened three years ago under the watchful eye of the Van Wyks.
The couple have been ministering together for almost 25 years. The family moved to the Lowveld three years ago with nothing and had to live with Tashai’s sister.
“We came here with some instruments from our previous church, but had no congregation. Now we have one but no longer have anything else,”
a disheartened Danie said.
One of his most beloved possessions, a bass amp that his father gave to him when he just started out as a pastor, was also destroyed in the fire along with his daughter’s piano that they used for praise and worship.
However, Tashai said just as God gave this church to them in the first place, she is sure that He will provide for them again.
“Yes, of course I am sad, but I am not discouraged, and we will continue with the good work we do,”
she said.
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For the owner of the building it was also a huge loss, as he had built it with his own hands. “Yes, there is a lot of damage, but nobody could have seen this coming,” owner CJ van Rhyn said. “What is brilliant for me is how the White River community stood together and have supported us throughout this tragedy.”
He said he does not want the building to be a risk, and that he plans to demolish it on Monday. Mbombela fire chief Petrus Mthiyane said they could not confirm the origin of the blaze and have handed the case over to the police.
Provincial police spokesman Sgt Gerald Sedibe said they are still busy with the investigation and that they could also not yet confirm the identity of the victim, as not all of his family have been notified.
“We suspect it is one of the workers of the plant hire business, but we cannot say for sure yet,” Sedibe said.
• The Van Wyks will host a service on Sunday at their home on the farm Shiloh at 11:00. They invite everyone for a bring and braai. Those who want to donate to help rebuild the church or provide support, can go to the Neon Church Kerk Facebook page.
