SCHOOL PRINCIPAL NOW BAPTISES AND MARRIES

The death of a member of a community with few social resources provided the impetus for the founding of a new church congregation which will hopefully be instrumental in improving the lives of some 400 people.

When the Rev. James Breintjies became involved with the funeral of one of the many part-time workers in the Schoenmakerskop area, he found himself with a whole new congregation with a great many needs. Soon he was conducting marriage services, baptising babies and counselling the bereaved and the distressed. The Rev Breintjies' road to the church and to Glendore and Schoenies, took some rather odd turns.

He was a school principal for some 29 years and will be remembered by former learners of Helenvale Primary, where he served. This was followed by a two-year stint as inspector of education in the Middleburg area for two years, before he became a full time evangelist.

On his retirement from teaching, he enrolled with the Theology College of South Africa to become a minister of religion and was ordained in March 1995, by the Rev Derrick Derbyshire of the St Peters Congregational Church in Charlo. He was given the task of establishing a congregation in Salt Lake and Windvogel Extension by 1996.

Services were held in the homes of the congregation members. Eventually, people from the Glendore and Schoenmakerskop areas filtered into the friendly new congregation.

Some families in the Glendore and Schoenies area work for the Western Districts Council at the Willows Resort, while others work part-time and live on farm land, explained the Rev Breintjies.

But they have little access to schools, churches, clinics or public transport.

Since he has started his church work in the area, he has married five couples and baptised 18 babies.

Improving social structures in his often remote congregational areas has become a prime task for the educationist turned evangelist.

In Glendore congregation members are working hard to erect a church building on land granted to farm labourers by one of the local farmers.

Currently services and Sunday School are held under a tree. Once the building is standing, the Rev Breintjies hopes to improve help to needy members of the congregation.

More info from the Rev Breintjies on Tel no. 456 2983.

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