About Us
Brackenhurst Baptist Church meets people’s spiritual needs through the preaching and teaching of God’s word. Marriage, family, and personal counselling are available for those with special needs. Our pastors are equipped and ready to serve you. We have a heart for people just like you.
Sunday Morning: 9:30 AM | Sunday Evening: 5:30 PM
Welcome to Brackenhurst Baptist Church on the Web
If you are in our vicinity and are interested in a God-honouring church, as well as knowing what the Bible has to say and how it applies to your life, join with us for our services as we worship, fellowship and study God’s word together. We want to minister to you and your family. Give us the joy of knowing you personally and the opportunity to grow with you spiritually.
Our Purpose
Founded in 1972, Brackenhurst Baptist Church is an independent Baptist Church. We exist to glorify God by making disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ in all nations. Committed to making known the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and proclaiming his word in our community and the world, our prayer is that men, women, and children from every walk of life will see the Saviour in all that we do. We want all who attend to learn of the salvation and of the hope that is found in Jesus Christ.
Here you will find that God and his word are taken seriously as the key to true life and joy—now and eternally. We desire to be a place where God’s grace and presence are tangible, and where the Holy Spirit is powerfully working to transform believers and convert unbelievers through the preaching and teaching of the word.
Brackenhurst Baptist Church ministers to the individual as well as the entire family by proclaiming truth and equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry.
Visit Us
If you would like to visit us or attend our services, our church building is conveniently located on the main street running through Brackenhurst, directly next to the Bracken City shopping centre.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I park when I arrive?
What facilities do you provide for the disabled?
What happens in the event of a medical emergency?
God has graciously gifted our church with several medical specialists in different fields. Should a medical emergency arise during the service, it is very likely that one of the doctors or nurses in the congregation will notice. If not, church members will alert one of the medical professionals, who will quickly and quietly come to your assistance, and continue to watch over you until an ambulance arrives (if necessary).
Who do I speak to for more information?
You can speak anyone you, as a visitor, don’t recognise, who will probably point you in the right direction. Members are stationed at the entrances to welcome you and will be able to answer your questions or direct you to the correct person to answer. You can ask anyone around you to introduce you to one of our pastors.
Will I be expected to say anything?
Is there a dress code?
There is no strict dress code, but you will quickly notice that the general ethos of the church is rather conservative. Our only request in terms of dress is that you dress modestly so as to avoid any unnecessary distraction during the service.
Can I meet the pastor?
Our pastors would love to meet you. If you arrive early enough or hang around for a little while after the service, there is a good chance that one of the pastors will notice you and introduce himself. However, should you deliberately wish to meet one of the pastors, do not hesitate to introduce yourself. Ask one of the welcomers to help you identify the pastors.
How long are the sermons?
Someone once said that we live in the age of the sermonette, and sermonettes make Christianettes. We place a high priority on preaching. A typical Sunday morning sermon will last anywhere from 45–55 minutes. On Sunday nights, we try to have more of a prayer than preaching focus. Because of that, sermons are deliberately kept sorter, generally in the region of 25–30 minutes.
Can I get a copy of a sermon?
Can I distribute your material to friends?
Unless otherwise specified, all material on our website is free of copyright. You are welcome to redistribute the material in any form. We ask only that material be distributed unedited and that you do not charge any more than it cost you to produce the material in the form in which you are distributing it.
How do I begin the process of church membershp
We have a very defined (and slow) process toward church membership, which begins by attending and seeing if BBC is the church for you. For more details on pursuing membership go here.
Will you baptise my child?
We believe that baptism is an act of obedience for those who have been saved by God’s grace and have requested baptism. We do not baptise infants. We also believe that baptism brings a Christian into formal association with the church. We, therefore, baptise people into church membership. We only baptise those who have indicated their desire to join in membership with the church.
Can I take Communion?
We do not practice “closed Communion” in our church. That is, the Lord’s Table is not only for members of BBC. We do, however, believe in “close Communion.” That is, Communion is only to be taken by those who are believers. If you are a baptised believer in good standing with another gospel-preaching local church, or seeking membership in a gospel-preaching local church, we invite you to partake with us.
Can I use the building for a wedding or funeral?
Weddings and funerals are performed only for church members or those seeking membership with the church. Speak to one of the pastors if you have any questions about this.
A Brief History of Our Church
In 1972, God began a work that he would bless and use to touch the lives of many people. Jason and Marlene van den Heuvel moved to the Brackenhurst area and began a Sunday School and Bible study in their home at 21 Chrissie Street.
The work soon developed into a home church and services were first held in their living room and later in the double garage. It was at this time that the first pastor, Jack Moorman was called. Jack was an American missionary to South Africa.
In 1976 a piece of land on the corner of Hennie Alberts Street and Roy Campbell Street was purchased from the Baptist Union of South Africa for the purpose of building a church. Work on the church building commenced soon after the purchase and the building was dedicated and the church constituted in 1978.
In 1988 Jack Moorman was called to the UK and the church called John Grant to the pastorate. John had been a deacon in the church for some years and was also the architect and building supervisor of the church building.
In 1993 John Grant resigned and the church called Doug Van Meter, an American missionary to be the pastor-teacher. The Lord led Doug, after two years’ ministry at the church, to immigrate to South Africa, thus dropping his American financial support, as BBC assumed full financial responsibility.
In addition to the above vocational pastor-teachers, the church has also been served by a number of other vocational and non-vocational elders over the years.
Our Pastors
Doug Van Meter
Pastor
Doug Van Meter has served as the pastor-teacher of Brackenhurst Baptist Church since 6 July 1993. Doug’s primary ministry in the church is the exposition of Scripture each week from the pulpit. He is also responsible for the mission and discipleship ministries of the church and is involved in much counselling. Doug is married to Jill and has five daughters—Allison (married to Tommie), Katy, Lydia (married to Gomolemo), Jessica (married to Joel), and Danielle (married to Shane)—and a growing number of grandchildren.
Paul Moore
Pastor
Paul Moore has been a member of BBC since the late 1980s and has been involved in various ministerial capacities over the years. Having raised three sons with his wife, Sandy, Paul is now a grandfather. He runs a fencing business. He was affirmed as an elder on 15 November 2020. Paul has been married to Sandy since 1982 and together they have three married sons and a growing number of grandchildren.
Stephen Scholtz
Pastor
Stephen Scholtz was ordained to the eldership on Sunday, 20 November 2022. He is employed as a software developer and is married to Suné.
Quintin Starkey
Pastor
Quintin Starkey joined the membership of Brackenhurst Baptist Church in 2009 and has served in a variety of capacities since then. His keen interest in missions work has helped him build relationships with various missionaries over the years and he heads up the missions planning team at the church. Quin, who runs a metal recycling business with his brother, was affirmed as an elder of the church on 15 November 2020. Quin has been married to Dennae since 2009 and together they have three three daughters and a son.
Edwin Steytler
Pastor
Edwin Steytler was ordained to the eldership on Sunday, 14 October 2018. A long-standing member of the church, Edwin is employed by Novozymes as a technical specialist in the baking and food industry. He is heavily involved in the music ministry and in the missions committee of the church. He is married to Carolyn and they have four children: Christopher, Dylan, Abigail, and Brodyn.
Tommie van der Walt
Pastor
Tommie van der Walt joined BBC in 2010 and has been actively involved in teaching and discipling over the years. After serving for several years as a missionary in Asia, Tommie returned to South Africa where he now serves as the ministry director of Imprint Training and Equipping, a ministry that seeks to leave a healthy imprint on the ever-growing church in Southern Africa. He was affirmed as an elder of the church on 15 November 2020. Tommie has been married to Allison since 2010 and together they have one daughter and two sons.
Anton Beetge
Pastor
Anton Beetge was ordained to the eldership on Sunday, 1 September 2019. A pastor’s kid, whose father previously served as an elder at BBC, he has served faithfully in various ministerial roles prior to and since his appointment as an elder at Brackenhurst. Employed as a dentist, he is married to Kerry-Anne and they have two daughters (Erin and Julia) and two sons (Aiden and Ezekiel).