ARTS website: https://arts.ac.ug/

Why would anybody want to exchange a life of relative quiet in Greenville, South Carolina for the chaos of the East African city of Kampala, Uganda?

The answer is rather simple. The glory of Christ is the reason. Nobody and nothing is as important as He is, or more deserving of the praise of mankind. He is the only hope for salvation, and the one who bring order and calm in the lives of people, and in societies as a whole. There is nobody as deserving of our praise as He is. Therefore I would like to see His worshipers multiply everywhere, especially in Africa, bringing glory to Him on a continent which is still known as the Dark Continent (this is not because of the skin color of the people, but because the light of the gospel has hardly penetrated the surface).

I was born and raised in South Africa. Because of this, I have been exposed from an early age to Bantu speaking nations of Sub-Saharan Africa. I grew up in a Christian household, and therefore am able to interpret cultures in South Africa through a biblical lens. During my teenage years I became aware of the immense power which black witch doctors still wield on their communities. Even in churches among the black nations, the influence of the animistic belief system was (and still is) evident. This syncretism obviously led to confusion and unbelief. The result I witnessed was shocking. People attended church on Sunday, but then also went to witch doctors to seek their “magic” to “solve” problems. Of course, this magic means that trust is placed on something in creation, which results in even greater problems. One of the harshest realities I got to know was the practice of “muti murders” in South Africa. These are murders committed on the instruction of witch doctors, where body parts of the human victim is harvested for the purpose of making “medicine” the witch doctors would use to “treat” various ailments. Apart from the witch doctors themselves deceiving the people, the superstitions which are part of the animistic religion is astounding. Fear of mythical creatures such as the Tokoloshe, and also a genuine fear of harmful spirits kept (and still keeps) these people in bondage.

Since the Bantu speaking people of Sub-Saharan Africa are very similar in culture and language, the same problems are present in Uganda as I have witnessed growing up in South Africa. The only way to be liberated from this captivity is to be forgiven of sin and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other way. When there is repentance of sin, and faith in Christ, the power of the witch doctor suddenly is very weak. Yes, they can still cause harm. They may even cause death, but that is insignificant when compared to the benefits gained in life and in death when resting in Christ. In Jesus Christ, that fear of the witch doctor is replaced by a hope of eternal life. The societal practices such as polygamy is recognized as sinful, and therefore harmful. In the greater culture then can become more stabile. I sincerely believe that the current culture which is resting on syncretism or the fear of witch doctors will change radically when many are converted to have faith and obedience to Christ. The foolishness of unbelief offers no hope.

I am of the opinion that the greatest need of Sub-Saharan Africa is diaconal. Poverty and earthly needs are severe. The second biggest problem is a desperate need for solid theological education for pastors and other church leaders. This is where I believe I can make the biggest impact. If troops of pastors can be trained and sent back to their local communities, preaching the Word of God faithfully, I expect radical change. I do not only want to see individuals converted, but I would like to see whole cultures be liberated from the shackles of Satan. This is why I focus on theological training at seminary level. I want to see strong churches which can stand, and even grow while storms are raging around them.

A little bit about myself:

I am married to the most wonderful wife I could ever ask for. Lizette and I have been married for over 30 years, and we have two grown daughters. She is truly a Proverbs 31 woman, and someone I can count on for support. Like myself, she also is a native from South Africa. We speak Afrikaans as our native language. We have two adult daughters.

I am a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and a full time faculty member of Africa Reformation Theological Seminary (ARTS) located in Kampala, Uganda. Since this position is self-supporting, I am dependent on the generous gifts of churches an individuals who desire to support this work. I have a Master of Divinity from Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (GPTS), and is nearing completion of a Doctor of Ministry through Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (RPTS) At his point I am seeking to be able to get enough income to be able for my wife and I to move to Kampala as soon as possible. Until that realizes, I need enough donations to be able to travel to Uganda three times a year for the purpose of teaching locally.

ARTS is a fully accredited seminary offering high quality masters degrees for the purpose of training men and women to be of service in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The flagship degree is a 130 credit hour Master of Divinity degree, with the eye on men who are called to serve as pastors. The seminary also offers a Master of Arts Biblical Counseling, as well as a Master of Arts in Theological Studies. The latter is offered as three alternatives; Biblical Counseling, Christian Education or Pastoral Leadership. ARTS is solidly grounded in the Scriptures as the revealed Word of God, holding to the Three Forms of Unity and the Westminster Standards. With this uncompromising approach, ARTS is in a position to make an impact on not only Uganda, but throughout East Africa.

Since my post-graduate studies at RPTS have been in Biblical Counseling, my focus is primarily on that field. Developing new courses are in the pipeline. I have received a special request to develop a course in trauma counseling, which I would like to start as soon as possible. I will also be more involved with counseling at the seminary's Biblical Counseling Institute once living in Kampala.

Soli Deo Gloria!