Fifty years in one paragraph:  that is quite a feat and I have not managed it!

Ordained into the Church of England ministry, Patrick was the founder and first pastor of St John’s Church, Bothasig, where he ministered for four years and built the first church building for C of E worship there.  He accepted a call to be rector of Christ Church, Blairgowrie, Randburg, where, for a while, he also took care of the CESA churches at Krugersdorp and Kenilworth.  He started the Good Neighbours book ministry to help the church at large in Southern Africa; and Patrick ran it, with June’s help, for a number of years.  This ministry has grown far beyond all expectations in the more than 35 years of its existence and now has three busy branches.  After a dispute with the bishop over denominational ethics, Patrick was forced to leave CESA in the 1980s, and started The English Reformed Church in Randburg, where he was the senior pastor until his retirement.  His vision and energy led to the founding of John Wycliffe Theological College, with the purpose of training men (from any denomination) for the preaching ministry, without charge.  Students are able to study for the B.Th., Masters degrees and PhDs, which are awarded by the Universities of the North West and Orange Free State.

Although suffering a serious heart attack in 2013, Patrick was able to resume preaching from time to time within a few months, and in 2015 was involved in the establishment of a new church work in Hout Bay.  For several months the Lord enabled him to take the main burden of this work and he flew to Cape Town from Johannesburg most weekends to conduct the Sunday services, including preaching, as well as the Monday Bible study.  However, Satan has been very busy at Hout Bay and the English Reformed Church has withdrawn from any part in that work.  Instead Patrick was asked by the Elders to take responsibility for the preaching at the morning worship at North Riding and our congregation have been very glad to have him back in the pulpit every Sunday.

Despite all the stresses and strains of the pastoral ministry, the Lord has blessed us abundantly and we rejoice that our three children are all walking with him.  Rosalind is a busy advocate at the Johannesburg Bar and assists the church treasurer on the financial side.  Andrew, his wife and three small children live in Cape Town and worship at a church in Fish Hoek.  Mark, his wife and three boys live in Kansas, USA, and are active members at the Reformed Presbyterian congregation where they worship.  We have this year celebrated 56 years of marriage and in November Patrick will reach his 80^th birthday, d.v.  Surely the Lord is great and awesome in his grace to men, and his wisdom is far beyond our understanding!

Yours in Christ,

Patrick and June Stevenson