In the rolling farmland inland of Ballito you will find Leef Gemeente, a church built by and for its community.

Founded nine years ago, Leef Gemeente was originally housed at Curro Salt Rock before moving to the Ballito Business Park. But the church soon grew to the point where it needed its own space.

Land off the R102 between Ballito and Tongaat was donated by a church member, as was the building itself, which was completed in 2020.

“If I had to sum up what our church is, I think the generosity that led to this building is a perfect example,” said pastor Evlyn Hodgson.

“A church is the kingdom of God and we believed that if God wanted it to happen, He would support it. Our congregation made that will a reality.”

Leef Gemeente does not collect tithes in a traditional sense, in the hope that the congregation will be generous in their own circles within and outside the church.

Pastor Hodgson said their stance on membership is similar.

“We think people need to take responsibility for their own spiritual journeys and relationships with God,” he said.

“We don’t ask people to jump through hoops to join us, but rather we hope to meet them where they are and guide them as part of our community.”

That community is about a 100-strong, with Sunday services at 8.30am and youth (ages 13-21) on Fridays at 6.30pm.

The motto of Leef Gemeente is ‘Sy Woord in Jou Taal’ (His Word in Your Language) and all services are held in Afrikaans.

“We are a biblical teaching based church and focus on the words of the Bible during services. Afterwards, we enjoy having the space to sit and be together in a less formal way, out of which smaller home groups are often formed.”

Pastor Hodgson studied at the Auckland Park Theological Seminary and has lived with his family in Ballito for 13 years. He joined Leef Gemeente eight years ago.

To find out more about the church, visit Leef Gemeente on Facebook or reach out via email at evlynh@gmail.com

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