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Mowbray Baptist Church - Spiritual Home Away From Home

Poster on Church building

I have been attending church services at Mowbray Baptist Church in Cape Town since June whenever I go for week long residential classes at University of Cape Town. How did I find myself at this church? It was after making enquiries from a Baptist pastor in Cape Town, whose church (Reformed Baptist) I had planned to attend but could not do so because it is very far from University of Cape Town (UCT). Mowbray Baptist Church is a multi-national, multi-cultural church in Cape Town, South Africa. As Mowbray is a cosmopolitan area, close to the University of Cape Town, Medical School, and Cape Town University of Technology campuses, there are members and adherents from many different countries in sub-Saharan Africa as well as the rest of the world. The church was constituted in 1903 in Observatory and moved into newly-built larger premises in Mowbray in 1979.

Church Pastors
The church is led by Pastor Geoff Milligan and Pastor Joshua Lungu. Pastor Geoff Milligan is a Bible-based conservative evangelical ministry and a missionary vision, who enjoys ministering in a multi-national church with a wide cultural diversity. In 2001, he became the pastor of Manor Community Church, where he served until coming to Mowbray. He and his wife, Gill, responded to the Lord’s leading to begin their ministry at Mowbray Baptist at the beginning of March 2007. The Milligan’s have two children, Craig, a married teacher in Johannesburg, and Debra who is a qualified occupational therapist working in Mitchell’s Plain.


Gill and Geoff Milligan

Joshua Lungu

Pastor Joshua Lungu, a Student Pastor, whose ministry is mainly to students and in leading corporate worship, hails from Kitwe on the Copperbelt in Zambia. He grew up with an Ngoni stepfather and Bemba mother. After graduating from high school, he studied and gained a certificate in general agriculture. He was very active as Youth Director in his church, completed a course in church planting, and served as an assistant pastor in Mufulira. After working for a time as a farm manager, he heard God’s call to study for the ministry and came to South Africa. Here he has gained a Diploma in Pastoral Theology at the Trinity Academy Theological College in Pietermaritzburg and a BA Theology Honours degree at the Bible Institute of South Africa in Cape Town. In addition to his busy schedule, ministering especially to students, and preaching and leading worship on Sundays, he is currently also studying for his Masters degree in the Old Testament.


Church Ministries
Some of the ministries of the church include Growth groups, Ladies’ and Seniors’ Growth Groups, Women in Action, Men's Fellowship, Missions, Peakview Pre-Primary School, Quiet Mornings, Sunday School, Youth Fellowship and Students.


Sunday morning worship service

Impressions
  • Some of the impressions that I have had of the church include the worship service which comprises English and vernacular songs (mostly Xhosa). The songs are all projected using a projector. Most of the English songs are familiar to me making me feel home away from home.
  • Another thing that has impressed me is how the church e-mails visitors within a week. Also I had a call from one of the pastors within a week. Churches need to learn that first time visitors need to be made to feel at home early.
  • Something else that has made an impression to me is the regular online monthly newsletter. This carries a devotional letter from the Pastor and also news of what is happening in a church. For a visitor this is useful for knowing what has been and is happening in a church. The church website is regularly updated and provides useful information for members and visitors.
Conclusion
In a nutshell this is a brief account of Mobwray Baptist Church whose vision for 2011 is “Getting it RIGHT … getting it DONE … for the glory of GOD.

For further information visit the church website: http://www.mowbraybaptist.za.org

Pastor Joshua Lungu with Gabriel




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