Methodist Church of Southern Africa

Vernon van Wyk is the Warden of the Methodist Order of Deacons. and oversees the training of deacons throughout the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA). The vision statement of the Deacons in the MCSA is: 'To share Christ's love through service, and to help the church respond to the needs of the wider community'. Deacons are service-oriented and build bridges between churches and communities.
Vernon is also the HIV/AIDS Coordinator for the Highveld and Swaziland District of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.  Education is high on its agenda, with 47 schools, mostly in Swaziland. AMCARE is one of its flagship programs. It was established by the Alberton Methodist Church as a community outreach program, with 8 social workers and 30 home-based care-givers. AMCARE feeds approximately 3,000 people a week.  It feeds and nurses over 350 HIV & AIDS patients, and cares for some 350 orphans and child-headed families.  The HIV Voluntary Counseling, Testing and Wellness Clinic has 2 registered nurses and 3 full-time counselors and locum doctors. Twice a week, AMCARE supplies about 400 litres of soup and 800 loaves of bread to 5 clinics and 240 children at 2 schools. Facilities also include a fully equipped training center, which accommodates up to 60 people and 3 large vegetable gardens to provide patients with fresh vegetables in food parcels. AMCARE also has a Victim Empowerment Shelter in Alberton which houses up to 20 abused women and children, and provides social work and early childhood development services. (Source: Game for the World). 

Please remember Vernon and his ministry in your prayers.

Recently, Vernon visited Deacons in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), comprising the Natal Coastal District and Natal West District, as part of his role as Warden of the Methodist Order of Deacons. Wendi Tiedt (see photo below) will be one of the Deacons ordained at the Methodist Church of Southern Africa ordination service on Sunday 21st September, 2014. She is involved in a number of mission and outreach projects including a primary school reading programme, a municipal clinic feeding scheme, AIDS Outreach, hospital library ministry, and economic empowerment, in addition to preaching and pastoral care and visitations. Please remember Wendi in your prayers, and especially as she prepares for ordination. 

KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa

Back row (L to R): Harry Gerber, Ernie Nightingale (former warden), Vernon van Wyk (Warden). Front row (L to R): Jackie Foster, Wendi Tiedt (Ordinand) and Bruce Templeton (Probationer 2015)

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Methodist Diaconal Order Annual Convocation

The Annual Convocation for the Methodist Diaconal Order begins on 6th March. Deacons belong to an ordained ministry of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. Their ministry may include working in a pastoral context in a Society or Circuit, or, working in secular employment e.g. education, health care, welfare and social upliftment organizations. Deacons seek to be Christ’s servants in the world and encourage the Church community to a ministry of servanthood. Apart from local pastoral ministry or church planting projects some practical aspects of service that the Order of Deacons could engage in are: poverty alleviation; care for the sick and dying; care for the aged or youth; evangelism and mission outreach; and parachurch organisations.

The annual Convocation of the Order includes the Presiding Bishop (President of the Order), the Executive Secretary, the Warden, members of the Order and probationers.

Vernon Henry Van Wyk will be among those gathering for the Convocation and we look forward to news and  photos. We pray a blessing on the gathering of diaconal ministry agents.

A prayer at the beginning of things
Endlessly loving One,
your sign after flood was a rainbow
arched in radiant care for 'all living creatures';
Your sign on Sinai was refusal to be bound by any name except 'Watch what I am doing!'
Your sign in the exile was a call to look out for 'new things' never witnessed before;
and your sign in its fullness was a choice to take on flesh as your own.
Always, always, loving One,
You are making new beginnings we could never predict.
Teach us to be ready,
to watch well,
to see you
in a wholeness that breaks through all walls
and draws us to yourself
in unashamed delight.
Through your Beloved, hear our prayer. Amen.
(Rev Dr Lee Levett-Olson)