Andile Bhali (19) from Alberton wrote: I wrote to Kerkbode because I want to show how grateful and thankful I am. There is no denomination that has shown me love like the NG Kerk. It is the only denomination that has taught me what the term ministry means. After my studies I see myself as a dominee of the NG Kerk.

This is my story.

I was born on 8 January 2004 in Vosloorus at Botshelong Private Hospital on the East Rand of Johannesburg. My grandma raised me in Leondale, a suburb near Johannesburg, as my parents had to work far away. She took me to the Anglican church.

My godmother, Nomangesi Gladys Magaga, is a close family friend. Music brought us together on our mother and son journey. She supported me on my musical journey and found sponsors so I could join the Drakensberg Boys Choir in my early teens in 2017.

One of the songs we sang in this choir was from the Liedboek van die NG Kerk (Song 425 “Kyk die Heer het opgestaan”). I enjoyed singing these words so much that I fell in love with Afrikaans. 

After my Granny retired, she moved back to her hometown Tarkastad in the Eastern Cape. I came to stay with her after my Drakies studies. At Raymond Mhlaba Senior Secondary School I joined a Christian youth group. One day, our group leader, Mrs Magda Greyling, invited me to come to a prayer meeting at her church, the NG Kerk Tarkastad. This was my first time in an NG kerk and I so enjoyed singing from the Liedboek with the organ that I decided to come again.

Ds André Oosthuizen warmly welcomed me and I got the opportunity to join the church choir and attend catechism classes. My choir director Thea Wait would practise with me from the Liedboek after our choir practices on Saturday mornings. I got very popular because of the high notes I could sing during Sunday services. 

I love the discipline in this denomination and the sermons always give me hope.

Then I got the opportunity to attend another school in KwaZulu Natal. Here I continued to attend services at the local NG kerk and continued with catechism until, due to Covid-19 regulations, we were no longer allowed to go to church anymore. 

In August 2021 a very traumatic incident took place at my school. From then till August 2022 was a very dark time in my life. I left school and stopped going to church. Next I moved back to Johannesburg to be with my mother. One day as I was sitting alone, I had the thought that I should find the nearest NG kerk because I always found help in that denomination. So I found the Facebook page of the NG Kerk Alberton-Wes where I found the contact details of one of the kerkraad members who brought me in contact with ds Deon Louw.

After I told him my story, he didn’t rest until he got me back into a school. He also made sure that I continue with catechism. And, oh yes! I got the opportunity to sing again in a church choir. The members welcomed me and gave me contacts of people who are in the music industry.

My favourite hymn is Lied 334 (if I’m not mistaken) of the Liedboek van die NG Kerk:

God is Liefde, juig ons harte

en bedink wat Liefde doen.

Dat Hy ons sy Seun gestuur het

om ons sonde te versoen.

I always have hope for the NG Kerk.

• Andile Bhali is a 19 year old who recently posted on Kerkbode’s Facebook page asking how he can tell “the very positive story of mine as a black member of the NG Kerk”. We contacted him and invited him to tell his story. This is an edited and shorted version of his emailed essay.