Amanzimtoti welcomes newly appointed Methodist Church pastor, Andre du Plooy (48) and his family to the town.
Andre will take over the reins of Amanzimtoti Methodist Church on Sunday, 11 December.
The Du Plooy family of his wife Anne-Marie and children Phillip (18), Stefan (14) and Jamie (6) moved to Toti from Scottburgh.
Andre was born in Durban and did his schooling at Margate Primary and Dundee High, before becoming a policeman stationed at Nongoma SAPS for six-and-a-half years.
From the police service, he went into business in Sabie and it was there he started to get involved in a small church. “I did my studies part-time in Pretoria over seven years, before moving to Bronkhorspruit,” said Andre. “From there I moved to Rustenberg, and then to Dundee as a full-time pastor. We moved to Scottburgh for four years, before making our way to Toti.
As a youngster I often drove through Toti with my family. I saw the Methodist Church on the hill and I wondered what it was like.
So far we have enjoyed Toti. It’s not fully a city, but it is busy enough with enough activity.”
As the new head of the church, Andre will concentrate on helping to build and bring about renewal, with some re-building and re-shaping in the church.
“I want to help folks call the church their home,” he said. “The towns on the coast are similiar in that they are laid-back. Toti is a wonderful environment, with great surroundings and diamond people.
I also look forward to working with the other churches in the area. I always say I’m not a Methodist minister, I’m a minister in the Methodist Church.”
