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Eastside is a church committed to seeing the Kingdom of God advance. Not only in Pretoria East and Hatfield, where our two campuses are, but all over the world.
On any given Sunday, we have multiple organisations represented in our church community by people who are committed to seeing the good news of Jesus go out in power to expand the Kingdom of God.
Meet some of the people in our Eastside community who are giving their time, skills, and resources to make a difference.
Click on a mission above to jump to that section
Zimbabwe, Pretoria
Barry Wannel and Heather Anandlal
I am working with OM Zimbabwe in our Church Mobilisation Department. My main role is Prayer Coordinator, dealing with Churches and other Mission organisations sharing OM Zimbabwe's Prayer points.
I am also involved with Member care, keeping in contact with Zimbabweans working on the OM ships and also assisting where necessary with those who are returning to Zimbabwe or have already returned, dealing with challenges resulting from re-entry to Zimbabwe.
My name is Heather Anandlal and I am originally from Ireland. I joined OM in
1994 to serve in Albania as part of the church planting team when there was no
church or even believer in the country.
Now 32 years later I am still serving with OM here in Pretoria. One of my ministries is called Empowered Generation, where we go into the schools in the township areas and do special programs with the kids based on biblical principles teaching them that they are created and loved by God with a divine purpose. Giving them skills and tools that they can use in their lives to help them navigate their challenges and make good choices.
I am also the Field Training Officer for OM South Africa and so heavily involved in the OM REACH Training base at Boshkop both in training and coaching/mentoring. Our vision is to see Vibrant Communities of Jesus Followers Amongst the Least Reached. This is shown by the VCHJF cycle in which we train churches, believers and new missionaries.
A new initiative is to mobilize the local churches to recognize the Least People groups in their own communities and to begin prayer walks, evangelism with the goal to establish Discovery Bible Study groups in these communities. We have
begun to do prayer walks once a month in areas where there are diaspora groups (Somalis, Pakistan, etc). I head up the initiative in Eersterust, a community that is being destroyed due to drugs and alcohol, but also where
there is a large Muslim community.
My story is not such a happy one, but one which shows the reality of some young people's lives. A boy in the school in Eersterust came to school one day without his schoolbag. He was about to be punished (I won't say how), but one
teacher showed compassion and asked where his school bag was. He said it was at home and the teacher asked why he didn't bring it. The boy said because he hadn't slept home that night. When asked why he hadn't, he said that his dad
had chased him out of the house to go sleep somewhere else. We want to bring hope and the love of Christ to these communities.
Pretoria - Serving partner communities through Abba's Pride — six rural churches across three provinces.
Dr. Steph Brown and Joshua Brown
Dr. Steph Brown serves as Executive Director of Abba's Pride, a ministry of Eastside Community Church. With a background in International Psychology, Steph has served with Abba's Pride since 2017 and as Executive Director since 2020. She oversees the ministry's partnerships with six rural churches across three provinces and Abba's Pride's six ministry programme areas, including the development of our new Learnership Programme.
Steph's heart is for Abba's Pride to walk a life journey alongside children in partner communities, from their earliest years in ECD programmes to becoming functioning adults who know and follow the Lord, bringing transformation to their communities and beyond. The Learnership Programme has become an important final piece of this vision.
Her 2026 highlight has been working with our incredible Abba's Pride team who work hard to reach the children, youth and their families in the communities we partner with. Their heart to serve and influence communities for Christ brings lasting change.
Josh Brown serves at Abba's Pride, the outreach arm of Eastside Community Church, overseeing After Care programmes that share the Hope of Christ with school-age children (R–12) in rural, under-resourced communities through local churches.
Josh also leads TLOTSO, a Youth Leadership Development programme that disciples high school and young adult leaders. By giving young people opportunities to lead, they begin to see themselves differently and discover what God is calling them toward.
Two years ago, Josh and Steph saw a gap as TLOTSO learners matriculated and transitioned into adulthood. They began a Learnership programme for young people from partner communities, intentionally developing them spiritually and professionally.
A recent highlight was seeing TLOTSO leaders from the partner Winterveldt Born Again Church lead Holiday Club independently. The Abba's Pride team stepped back to give these young leaders an opportunity to shine, and it was special to see God working through them.
Pretoria - alongside colleagues around the world
Crezandra Evans, Jason Watson, and Michael du Toit
I serve with the Lausanne Movement, supporting communications and the digital community for YLG 4, the Fourth Younger Leaders Gathering. Through storytelling and communications, I help younger Christian leaders connect, receive mentoring, and grow in faith, leadership, and mission.
In March 2027, around 1,500 younger leaders from around the world will gather in Brazil and participate virtually. A recent joy has been seeing Joshua Brown, a worship leader and missionary at Eastside, and Jesse Burnhams, one of our younger pastors, selected for this ten-year journey of discipleship, friendship, and collaboration. I would love for Eastside to pray for and support them.
It is also a gift that Mike, Jason, and I serve with Lausanne, while Eastside elders Jenny and Udobong are YLG 4 mentors. God has given Eastside a beautiful opportunity through these connections to learn from the global church and participate in his mission.
What I'm involved in
I serve as Director of Content for the Lausanne Movement (lausanne.org), a global movement that connects and equips Christian leaders for the Great Commission. My work focuses on content and communication, developing resources that help Christian leaders and local churches engage more deeply in God's mission around the world, and hosting the Lausanne Movement Podcast.
A recent highlight
A recent highlight has been developing a church-based small-group resource, Becoming a Global Disciple (lausanne.org/globaldisciple), designed to help believers take small but meaningful steps into God's global mission. The resource has now been downloaded more than 2,000 times by movement leaders, and 200+ ministry leaders from 50+ countries joined a five-week cohort to learn how to facilitate it in their own contexts. I've been especially encouraged to see leaders from such diverse parts of the world learning from one another and exploring how they can help their churches become more actively engaged in God's mission.
Helping Global Christian Leaders Serve Better Together
I work for the Lausanne Movement, which helps Christian leaders from different countries and parts of the church connect with one another so they can serve God's mission better together. Put simply, Lausanne creates opportunities for people to meet, pray, learn from one another, and work together so that more people can hear and respond to the good news of Jesus.
I lead Lausanne's communication department. Through the work I lead, I help equip and mobilise Christian leaders to serve more faithfully and effectively. This can mean helping a pastor in one country learn from a ministry leader in another, helping churches see what God is doing beyond their own setting, or helping leaders discover relationships and opportunities to work together. I especially value helping people hear from voices and places that might otherwise be overlooked. In 2025, more than 7,200 leaders were involved in Lausanne's global mission networks, and one major study gathered the perspectives of over 1,100 evangelical leaders from 119 countries. I do this work from Pretoria alongside colleagues around the world.
South Africa-based, currently working on a project in Uganda (Kajjansi Airfield)
Jurg Van Dyk
We exist to spread the Gospel by providing professional design advice and facilitating the construction, renovation, and maintenance of facilities used in faith-based endeavours.
Our Vision
In doing this work, we follow important core values:
The work we do at MMM is an important 'building block' in helping people of every nation, culture, and language experience the goodness of God in their current circumstances.
MMM's ministry is all about people. Men and women of all ages work together at MMM, bringing a range of skills, abilities and gifts which blend to create a combined team ministry.
Our ministry is a practical demonstration of our spiritual commitment. Our work is the love of God demonstrated in a practical way, and it is a ministry that is built on the firm foundation of prayer.
Kajjansi Airfield upgrade in Uganda for Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF)
We are currently upgrading the MAF airfield at Kajjansi to CAA specifications. Kajjansi Airfield is the second busiest airport in Uganda. MAF embarked on this project due to rising water levels in Lake Victoria. The 1100m runway was lifted by an average of 1m, and the runway strips were widened to 80m as required by CAA specifications. The drainage system was upgraded to prevent flooding during the rainy seasons.
Currently based near Pretoria, after nearly four years there following the move from Eswatini (Swaziland). Previously served over 40 years in Swaziland and three years in a country in West Africa. Planning to return to Eswatini from around 6 October for five weeks.
Lorraine and Stephen Stavropoulos
We are staff members with TWR (formerly known as Trans World Radio but re named around 20 years ago due to the fact that we use other media besides radio). Our Logo includes the phrase "Speaking Hope to the World". TWR uses media to distribute the Gospel in over 200 languages, preaching and teaching the Word of God, so that lasting fruit will be produced. The primary focus is to unreached people groups and places that are difficult or impossible to reach by any other means. The app TWR 360 is a library of programs on many topics and in many languages. Locally, the team in the Kempton Park office released an app called "Pure Talk".
We served over 40 years in Swaziland where the shortwave and medium wave transmitters reach Southern, East, Central and North and NE Africa and three years in a country in West Africa where medium wave transmitters reach from NE Nigeria and Cameroon across to Mali and Mauritania.
Since moving from Eswatini (Swaziland) to Pretoria close to four years ago, we continue to serve on an as needed basis, working remotely from our retirement cottage at Glenhaven and on the ground wherever and as needed. Lorraine edits programs from home via the internet and responds to the special type of long-distance listeners called DXers, who write in for verification of hearing the TWR Africa radio signal in many countries around the world. She sends the verification card via email these days. She selects an appropriate picture, includes the verification details and a Bible verse. Stephen helps with projects, advises on the technical side, taking part in weekly online meetings, serving the Lord as an electrical engineer. A backroom boy enabling others to extend their preaching reach!
We are planning to go to Eswatini from around 6th October for five weeks again.
Story highlight from Somalia:
The story concerns a man who had travelled away from his home region and went to Bosaso for business purposes. One day, a violent crime occurred near where this man from the Hiiraan region was staying. He was arrested and detained for four years without trial in a prison in Bosaso, Puntland State. Since he was not known in the town and had no friends or relatives, no one came forward to speak on his behalf. He lost all hope of release and believed he would die in that prison cell in Bosaso, where temperatures can reach over 45°C throughout the year. In the prison, inmates were allowed to have radios for rehabilitation purposes, as they had no other means of interaction—they put him in a solitary confinement.
One night, while searching for a radio frequency, he heard voices from a Somali Christian broadcast and tuned in. It turned out to be the Thru the Bible program from Trans World Radio. He was drawn to the message and continued listening for over a month and a half. One night, after the broadcast ended, he decided to pray to God (to be freed from the solitary confinement) through Jesus the Messiah and spent the entire night in prayer. Just before dawn, he fell asleep and was suddenly awakened by the prison commander in the morning, who told him to leave the prison. There was no trial, no judgment, no legal representation, and no human rights intervention—he was simply released.
He could not believe that on the very night he surrendered himself to Christ and prayed in His name, he was released the following morning. From that day onward, he never forgot what had happened to him and fully dedicated his life to Christ. He later returned to his home region near the border of the South West State of Somalia. When he shared his story with the Somali Evangelical brother, the Dutch team involved in the ministry wanted to support him, but he declined, saying that God had already blessed him with livestock such as camels, goats, sheep, and cows. He said that he is rich. The missionaries were astonished by the extent of God's grace through radio ministry. He then wrote a Somali poem in which he expressed his experience and his present testimony. The translated English Version says:
1 "At first, I was a Muslim,
I carried a knife—
anyone who was not like me,
I would cut off his head.
2 Today, I am a Christian,
I stand for unity and peace.
Anyone who is not like me,
I welcome with open hands.
3 Before, my mind was dark,
confused and lost in ignorance.
But when I found Christ,
His light removed my darkness.
4 Now my mind is like a mirror,
reflecting the truth.
Everything I have,
I surrender to Christ.
5 O Christ, You guide me always,
day and night.
Wherever I am,
I live in Your name.
6 If hardship comes,
I hold onto Your name.
Even if my head is cut off,
I will stand in Your name.
I will never leave You.
This is a testimony that clarifies the multitude that radio frequency from Trans World have reached. The listener has never written to us because the convert in question is a nomad and Hakin (the Somali Dutch Citizen) communicates with him orally.
Southern Africa regional office, Pretoria — role covers the Southern Africa region (Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe)
Marie Mohlomi
I've been working with OneHope for just over a year at the Southern Africa regional office in Pretoria. OneHope is a global nonprofit organization committed to reaching every child and youth in every generation with Jesus and His Word.
We believe the life-changing narrative of the Good News brings hope and has the power to affect destinies. We create research-based, contextualized Scripture engagement programs and work alongside the global Church to share them with young people. Through OneHope's diverse partnerships, more than 2 billion children have received God's Word since 1987.
OneHope in Southern Africa works with churches in Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. My role is the Southern Africa Operations Coordinator and I serve our teams in Southern Africa with support in finances, strategic planning, logistics, inventory and asset management.
Click here to read a recent story highlight from Zambia.
Christina serves as Head of Creative Mission for Message South Africa; Tim serves as Africa Development Director working across the continent.
Christina and Tim Tucker
Christina and Tim serve with The Message in Africa, part of The Message Trust, a global movement dedicated to sharing the good news of Jesus with young people and communities through word and action. Across Africa, we partner with local churches and leaders to reach young people through evangelism, discipleship, leadership development, and community transformation initiatives.
As Africa Development Director, Tim helps build partnerships, support national teams, develop strategic opportunities, and mobilise resources that enable ministry growth across the continent. Christina serves as Head of Creative Mission for Message South Africa and mentors creatives from our hubs around Africa. She facilitates initiatives that mobilise and equip creative evangelists to reach the "least, last and lost" through schools, community outreach, music, arts, events, and proclamation of the Gospel. Together, we are passionate about seeing local leaders and young people empowered to share their faith, transform their communities, and become lifelong disciples of Jesus.
One recent highlight has been seeing the growing impact of our ministry across several African nations, particularly through the development of new and emerging hubs. In Uganda, we celebrated the launch of the Bloom Creative Space, a safe environment where young women are encountering God's love, building meaningful friendships, and gaining practical skills for life. In Ethiopia, our ministry continues to grow rapidly, with young people engaging in discipleship programmes, leadership training through Grab a Towel, and preparations underway for a major Mission Week bringing together local churches and international teams.
We have also been encouraged by progress in Nigeria, where the legal foundations for The Message are being established and prison discipleship ministry is developing, and by exciting opportunities to explore future ministry in Zimbabwe and Togo. Across all these contexts, what encourages us most is seeing local leaders take ownership of the mission and witnessing young people respond to the Gospel. Despite challenges, God continues to open doors, build partnerships, and create opportunities for transformed lives across the continent.
Southern Members of Eastside Community Church, Pretoria, South Africa. Served as missionaries with the Navigators for 42 years (the past 20 years located in Pretoria). Current role: coaching and mentoring Navigator leaders working in the cities of Africa.
Udobong and Gertie Idemetor
Udobong and Gertie Idemetor with their daughter, Miriam are members of Eastside Community Church, Pretoria. Udobong & Gertie have served as missionaries with the Navigators for 42 years (the past 20 years located in Pretoria). The Navigators is a Worldwide Disciple making movement operating in over 120 countries including South Africa. The movement is committed to the advance of the Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom into the nations of the world through spiritual generations of labourers devoted to knowing Christ and making Him known in their spheres of influence. This means discipling individual believers to the point that they, too, can disciple other believers. This principle is well captured in 2 Timothy 2:2 "And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."
Our current role is to coach and mentor Navigator leaders working in the cities of Africa, as they seek to advance the Gospel into the different demographics of the city. Apart from our continental role we also work with individuals and small groups to help them deepen their walk with God and in-take and understanding of the Scripture.
Below is a testimony of Navigator team in Sedibeng Municipality on evangelistic outreach to Sebokeng area of the Vaal, carried out on Saturday August 15, 2026.
The evangelistic team reported back at the end of the outreach: "Good evening. These are the list of names. 40 people received Christ this past Saturday 🔥🔥🔥"
Response from the leadership: "Dear Nav Family, the above message is encouraging from the Evangelistic effort done by the Youth in Sebokeng township last weekend. The work of follow-up must now begin."
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Eastside Community Church
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