Andrea Daniels
The Curatorium of URCSA at the Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University, examines again, at the end of this year, a few final-year students to be legitimized in order to be called as ministers by congregations. We would like to introduce them to you in the next few weeks. Last week it was John Majiedt; this week we introduce to you Andrea Daniels:
Andrea was born in Stellenbosch where her father is the pastor of URCSA Ryns Congregation where she is also a member. She attended Weber Memorial Primary School and completed her high school years at Luckhoff Secondary School. She obtained a BTh degree as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Theology at Stellenbosch University.
The people who made the deepest impact on her life were her parents. They mean a lot to her and will walk the extra mile. Her father had a profound influence on her vision of becoming a pastor. He is a softhearted person with a humble attitude and it was he who taught her what it entails being a servant of the Word in the context of URCSA.
Her mother’s influence was especially how to have a good hart and how to show compassion to others. Everybody is always welcome in her house and she will treat everyone with the utmost respect, irrespective of their cultural backgrounds.
Andrea’s hobbies are reading, watching movies and helping others whenever she can – this is where she experiences God’s blessings. She also loves to read the Bible, because although the world is full of stories, the best ones you will find in the Word of God.
She would say her strongest characteristics are her eagerness to serve God wherever she can and her faithfulness to live according to God’s Word.
Andrea’s dream for her future congregation is simple: firstly to serve God and to serve Him in truth. Secondly she would like her congregation and church council members to focus on those lost members who don’t join the church anymore and to let them feel at home again in their midst. She will also support the growth of the various ministries in her congregation, because the more people who are saved, the wider the gospel of Jesus Christ will be spread.
The first thing she would like to learn in her new congregation is about their history – how and when it was established, who were the previous pastors, who are the members, especially the elderly because it will be from them that she will learn mostly about the history of the congregation! She would also like to know more about the congregation’s different ministries and who started it, which community projects the church is involved in, because, as Church, it is not only the congregation members who have to be cared for, but they also have to care for the broader community and its members.
Her trial sermon is on Sunday 2 September at URCSA Ryns Congregation Stellenbosch at 15:00. Contact Andrea at [email protected] for more information.