pictured: Rev Jacob Mahlangu (2nd from right)
There was a time when the 'appeal news' section had a prominent spot on page 2 of several Dutch newspapers. But there you didn't really read about changes in South Africa. So now in this missionary news, a piece about a moving pastor in former KwaNdebele.
Vaalbank and Leeufontein within KwaNdebele
Rev Jacob Mahlangu (2nd from right) worked in the churches of Vaalbank and Leeufontein since 2012. Vaalbank and Leeufontein are two of the nine church councils installed in the area where missionaries of the CGK worked from 1980 onwards. In 1980, this was still the KwaNdebele homeland; in 1994, it became part of the republic of South Africa (again).
In 2007, the church council of the Kereke ya Reformed ya GaNdebele was disbanded. That church council had pastoral oversight over an area the size of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe combined. That already worked awkwardly at the time the Dutch missionaries were there. Therefore, that one congregation was split into nine churches. Vaalbank and Leeufontein called Rev Jacob Mahlangu in 2012.
Consultancy work
In addition to his work in both those congregations, Rev Mahlangu was also appointed consultant to the church of Vezubuhle. The church council there got to know him over the years and decided this year to try to have him not just as a consultant (i.e. for Communion Sundays), but just fully - as a congregational pastor. This was exciting, as in Vezubuhle they had never had their own pastor before, but a couple of experienced pastors from the region helped write a letter of appeal. This was handed over - with a concrete promise of livelihood for the pastor and his family - and then the wait was on.
Rev Mahlangu did not make the congregation wait too long, and accepted the appeal. When the mission consultant was briefly in South Africa in August, he met with the church council members and the pastor. He discussed with them a number of issues of interest to both church council and pastor.
Rev Mahlangu has now bid farewell to his old congregation. He preached on the parting words spoken by the apostle Paul to the elders of Ephesus, as we read in Acts 20. We wish Rev Mahlangu and his family many blessings in the new congregation. We hope that the congregations of Vaalbank and Leeufontein will soon be able to call another pastor.
