100 YEARS

BROOKLYN METHODIST CHURCH

1910  -  2010

To God be the Glory

Great Things He Hath Done

A Message from the Bishop of the Limpopo District

It was nearly 40 years ago that I spent a year at Brooklyn as a youth worker, and it was during that year that I candidated for the ministry. So for a brief period in our lives, in those formative years, my wife and I shared at a personal level one of those 100 years of Brooklyn history. At that time in the early 1970s the social order was under scrutiny, from the political injustices of the apartheid system, to the traditional authoritarian values entrenched in our society. Young people were in many ways more confused and more outspoken than they have been at other times in world history.

One of the important opportunities that was allowed in the congregation was that young people be given space to question and discover. Many of the older generation were very wary of this, but the radical being and nature of Jesus opened the very doors that conventional order likes to keep shut. Maybe this has always been a part of the Methodist tradition, not imposing systems and ideology, but ensuring that people be given space to emerge, trusting in the truth and grace of God, even when some may choose to question faith and tradition.

Today we celebrate Brooklyn’s story, and 100 years on the church is still here, still making space for people to hear and experience the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ. The fashions and ideals change, but this essential calling of people to faith, and to allow themselves to be changed and shaped by the awesome holiness of God, this does not change, and indeed must remain the core, heart and soul business of the church’s life at any place, and at all times.

On behalf of the Methodist people of the Limpopo District I express my gratitude for the faith and commitment of our mothers and fathers who have died, and to you, young and old, who now continue on the journey of faith and service through the life of Brooklyn Church.

Gavin Taylor

District Bishop

A Message from the Superintendent of the Moreleta Circuit

On behalf of the Moreleta Circuit, I herewith wish to greet the Brooklyn Community as we celebrate with you in joy and thanksgiving on this milestone of Grace. The faithfulness of our mothers and fathers in the Church has allowed the Christian witness and ministry of the Good News to touch the lives of every single person who has in some way or other been connected to the life and ministry of the Brooklyn Methodist Church over the past 100 years. We thank God for this Amazing Grace opportunity.

We praise God for the grace that leads you on as you embrace the challenges that this ministry and witness holds for the present and future of your community of faith. Our vision and mission must be to make Good News happen all the time as we continue to remain faithful to God’s call to “proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ for healing and transformation”.

God’s blessing and peace be with you on your journey.

Rev Simon Prins

Circuit Superintendent

A Message from the Brooklyn Minister

My brothers and sisters

100 YEARS! How and what should we remember?

If our philosophy of history is shaped by time, then 100 years could seem as long or as short as the twinkle of a star. The ten years that Leslie and I have been with you seems like a twinkle. What was important 100 years ago?

What happened in1910 may be of novel interest and irrelevant to the immediate future.  Few people are aware, for example, that the year 1910 saw:

• the first woman pilot
• the first policewoman
• United States forbidding immigration of anarchists, paupers and the sick
• the first Fathers’ Day celebration
• the discovery of Pygmies
• the first round-trip flight over the English Channel
• mass panic because the earth passed through the tail of Halley’s Comet
• independence from England in proclaiming the Union of South Africa.

Time and events do not tell the soul of the story. It is far more meaningful to describe our 100 years of Brooklyn history in the language of community.

Henry Kissinger’s philosophy of history was motivated by his search for insights into contemporary problems. He was obsessed with “the greats” of governments, whether they were blunderers and bureaucrats or geniuses and men of vision. He used both these terms when describing individuals and great powers. So, too, the written history of both the Church’s golden and dark moments revolves around the personae of ecclesiastical movers and shakers. That is the Church’s recorded history. Yet far greater than that record is the unwritten history of a Church. It is the record of the often forgotten stories of ordinary Christians, the stories of grandparents, parents and children. The narrative of their history lies in the bonds of their friendships, the stories of their marriages, their dreams, their struggles, their daily work. But what makes their story unique is that they were bonded to one another in Jesus Christ. Here on this little piece of earth in Murray Street they cemented bricks but also cemented souls to God.

Theirs is the largely unwritten and, sadly, soon forgotten record of devotion to Christ, faithfulness to His call, commitment to His ministry and a passion for souls.

With Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane they prayed these words:

“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one …”.

We are in Christ because of their passion for our souls. With them we pray the same prayer and recommit our lives to the same Jesus, so the unborn of this family will give thanks for our passion for their souls in their centenary celebration in the year of our Lord 2110.

Rev Paul Bester

Minister Brooklyn Church

Acknowledgments and Thanks

This is a story about the Brooklyn Methodist Church told by the people of Brooklyn for the people of Brooklyn and their friends. I want to thank all those who responded to my request and told me their stories so that present and future generations can know how our Church was established and grew. Many of these stories are included in the text but there are many others who just enjoyed sharing, so to one and all – THANK YOU. Thank you, too, Frances de Souza for proof-reading and editing the script and to those who read and gave advice, especially my husband, Chris. I also want to thank Leon Vlok for designing the cover of the book and Ina and Linda who helped to put it together. Indeed, I want to thank everyone who helped whether by providing eats, arranging flowers, singing or just by enjoying the centenary celebrations.

Lorna Cooke and her card team made the Brooklyn Church cards and Dee Pullen was responsible for the mugs. To all a big “thank you”. A big thank also to all who shared their recipes for the recipe book and Naomi and Elonah O’Neill who were responsible for the layout of the book.

I want to acknowledge the sources I used which include “Pretoria 1838-1938” and commemorative booklets from Wesley Church (Legacy of the Past), Sunnyside Church (75 years), Hatfield Church (Golden Jubilee) and Valley Church (Opening of the new church). Various “Notices of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society” and the “Journal” of the Rev Owen Watkins were also used.  I also used commemorative programmes from Brooklyn services. Sheila Iles and Jean de Swart made the Osborn Lowe and Maynard papers available to me and Ruth Jobson gave me papers collected by her late husband, Alister. These papers provided a mine of information. Alister also took many of the photographs used in the book. To all these I say “thank you”.

This is your story from the past. It is up to each of us to write the story for the future as we seek God’s will for Brooklyn and for our own lives.

Blessings

Joan Jackson

OUR CENTENARY HYMN

Our father God, O Wond’rous Lord

We humbly seek your face

And thank you for your living Word

That comes to us through Grace.

We bless you for this sanctuary

With which we’ve been endowed

A hundred years so faithfully

You’ve guided and empowered.

We lift our hearts in gratitude

For servants that have heeded

The call to serve with fortitude

When sacrifice was needed.

O Living Word we now rejoice

For service, labour, love

For faithful witness and good choice,

Inspired from above.

We pray, O God, for vision clear

To strive unto the end,

For when we hear Your voice so dear

We shall not sway or bend.

So bless us in this heavenly home,

And grant our hearts to shine,

Ne’er let our hearts grow faint and roam

From our great love sublime.

Amen

Phyllis Reed

EXECUTIVE OF THE BROOKLYN METHODIST CHURCH

Circuit Superintendent: Rev Simon Prins

Society Stewards:

Mark Randall – Chairman

Lorraine Bisschoff

Marc Greenland

Ulrich Kahts

Joyce Nyandoro

George Lotter

Wilma Cloete

Trevor Balzer – Church Treasurer

Naomi O‘Neill – Intern

Willem Prins – Intern

Carol Lotter – Director, Pastoral Care Centre

Joan Jackson – Circuit Steward

Taiki Dimas – Youth and Worship Pastor

Maya Baruffa – Children’s Ministry Pastor

Office Staff:

Ina Jamie

Jenny Abbott

Linda Kahts

PAST MINISTERS OF BROOKLYN METHODIST CHURCH

Rev Edward Dunstan  (1945-1957)

Rev S Freeland (1958-1965)

Rev Jim Ferris (1966-1971)

Rev R Light  (1972 – 1980)

Rev Milton Martin (1981 – 1991)

Rev Peter Johnstone  (1980 – 1985)

Rev Tim Attwell (1986 -1993)

Rev Hansie Matheus (1992 – 1996)

Rev Dave Morgan (1992 – 1996 )

Rev Mike Crockett (!996-1998)

Rev Dermot Thornberry  (1997-1999)

Rev Viv Harris (1999-2000)

Rev Robert Greenland  (2000-2006)

Rev Paul Bester (2001 – 2008)

Rev Paul Bester (as Supernumerary minister) (2009- 2010)

Rev Ross Olivier (2008)

Rev Schalk Pienaar (2009-2010)

The Brooklyn ministers were also assisted, from time to time, by a number of probationer ministers such as those studying at Rhodes University who spent their holidays working at Brooklyn.

BROOKLYN METHODIST CHURCH –   1910-2010

CHAPTER 1 – THE STORY BEGINS

2010 and Brooklyn Methodist Church is 100 years young! 100 years have passed since Brooklyn was started as a preaching station from the Sunnyside society in1910. What is the story of how Brooklyn came into being?  Lets go back in history and look at how Methodism came to Pretoria and follow the story to find Brooklyn’s place in that history.

Early Pretoria

The first inhabitants of the area we now know as Pretoria were the ba-Kwena people. They lived along the Apies and Crocodile Rivers in a rich and fertile valley, well watered and stocked with many species of game.  However, in about the year 1825 Mzilikazi, the Ndebele chief, invaded the area and wiped out the local tribes and their cattle were taken over by the invaders. Mzilikazi built two military kraals on the Apies River and conquered the whole area up to the Magaliesberg and what is today the Hartebeestpoort Dam.  It was here that Robert Moffat, the London Missionary Society missionary from Kuruman, visited Mzilikazi in 1830. He described the area that is now Pretoria as having “hills and valleys with groves of rich foliage” with numerous streams of running water.  Mzilikazi and his people left the Pretoria area in the 1830s and moved west and then north into what is now Zimbabwe.

Into this valley came the Voortrekkers in the 1830s.  Early accounts by the explorers describe how many animals like buffalo and elephants roamed the area. Some of the names of the Trekkers who settled in the area were Pretorius, Bronkhorst, du Toit, Vermeulen and Minaar. They built farms along the Apies and Crocodile Rivers and in what is today Sunnyside, Moot and Arcadia. By the early 1850’s the people wanted a church building and a minister of their own. In 1854 work on the first Dutch Reformed Church building on what would later become Church Square was started. It was a small rectangular building and the money to build it was collected by subscription list. The church was consecrated in 1857 by Ds van der Hoff. When this building was demolished some of the windows were bought and put into the Brooklyn Church which was in the process of being built.

The first Methodists in Pretoria

The earliest evidence of Methodists in Pretoria is a petition dated 28 March 1867  addressed to the Hon President and members of the Executive Committee of the ZAR (Zuid-Afrikaanse Republiek) It was signed by eleven members who asked for permission to continue holding services in the Government School building. The signatories to the petition were: J N Jackson, Wesleyan (local) preacher, M Douthwaite, E J Howe-Pascoe, John Williams, Edward Tilney, Elizabeth Tilney, J Douthwaite, Robert Brough,              H Austin, C Strachan and C Tilney. The old Government School where they met was at the north-west corner of Church Square where the Palace of Justice (Supreme Court) now stands.

In 1871 the Rev George Blencowe from Natal visited Pretoria on a journey to meet the Methodists in the Transvaal. He recommended starting a mission in the Transvaal with Pretoria as one of the centres.  “One thoroughly reliable man, who will act with prudence and energy, and two young men with him will be all that is necessary at present. He could visit Pretoria, the seat of government and a town of nearly three thousand inhabitants.” (Notices of the WMMS1872). When the Rev William Wynne, who was stationed at Potchefstroom, visited Pretoria in1872 he found “Wesleyans who had removed from Kimberley and had purchased farms near Pretoria”. They assured Wynne that they could support a minister if one was sent to Pretoria. In 1873 the Rev George Weavind was sent to Pretoria in answer to these requests and he started a formal Methodist Society.

Weavind saw that the schoolroom was not adequate as a place of worship and he wrote: “We selected and purchased an erf of land, one hundred and fifty foot by seven hundred and fifty foot in the principal street for which we paid one hundred and thirty pounds”. Erf 327 had its longer footage on Andries Street and the hundred and fifty foot length was in Church Street. The Deed of Sale was dated 8 December 1875. Those who signed the Deed as curators of the Wesleyan Church were: Charles Evans, T W Beckett, Henry W van Breda and Daniel Jackson. All the building material for the new building had to be brought by ox wagon from Natal so it was probably only completed by 1878.

In 1880 the Rev Owen Watkins was sent to start a “Transvaal Trial Mission”.  In his Journal he described his arrival in Pretoria in his wagon with “Wesleyan Mission, Pretoria, Transvaal” emblazoned on its side.  He was met and welcomed by the                 Rev George Weavind and Mr Thomas Beckett. Watkins and Weavind worked closely together and mission work flourished.  Watkins found that a number of small societies had been started by local African men who had left their homes to work in Natal or the Cape and had been converted there.  They returned home to their tribal areas and started schools and worship services teaching their people what they themselves had learnt when they were converted. When Watkins met these people he realized that there were many men and women who already saw themselves as members of the Methodist Church.  In 1885 the farm Koedespoort was bought by the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society to establish the Kilnerton Institution which came to comprise a High School, a Practicing School (Primary School) and a Teacher’s Training College where African people from all over the Transvaal and further afield were educated. Many of our Methodist ministers were trained there as were some of the leading African leaders of today.  From 1994 to 2008 Kilnerton housed John Wesley College where Methodist probationer ministers were trained. It now houses the District Office of the Limpopo District and the Education for Missions and Ministry Unit.  It is also a Conference and Community Centre for retreats and other meetings.

In the 1950s, due to the laws of the time, the people from Kilnerton Village, which was established to provide accommodation for the Methodists who wanted to live near the mission, were moved to Vlakfontein. Vlakfontein is now Mamelodi.  In 2009 Mamelodi Central Church celebrated its fiftieth anniversary.  The Mamelodi Methodist churches form part of the Moreleta Circuit, of which Brooklyn is also a part.

In 1880 the Methodist Church in Pretoria was enlarged to hold three hundred people.  It was also given a bell. The thatched roof was replaced by a zinc roof and the mud floor covered with wood. Vestries were also added. There was now a Sunday School and a Band of Hope. The Trust Committee allowed seven small shops facing Church Street to be built as the rental provided a source of income.

The first District Meeting (Synod) of the newly formed Transvaal and Swaziland District took place in Pretoria on 23 to 28 January 1882. The Rev Owen Watkins was in the Chair and only the Transvaal ministers attended. In 1888 lay members attended Synod for the first time, among them the Pretoria Circuit Stewards, E F Bourke and T W Beckett.

In 1892 Revival Services were held. By this time the church had once again become too small and in 1893 plans were prepared by the architect, Mr W T Vale and six thousand pounds raised to pay to enlarge the church.  The opening services were held on 6 January 1895.

At this time, too, people began to talk of starting new preaching places. Services were started at Trevenna, Skoolplaats, Sitkraal, and Brickfields, all places of yesteryear that have either changed their names or were closed when the Methodists moved away from the area.  Other places where services were held were Hatherley (on the way to Cullinan north of Mamelodi) and Westdene (on the corner of Potgieter and Pretorius Streets). The services were taken by local preachers and the people met in private homes, school rooms or the open air.

In 1895 the Pretoria Temperance hall was bought to provide accommodation for the Sunday School. It was renamed “Wesley Hall” and housed the Girls’ School. The Boys’ School, with Mr H C Collyer as headmaster, met in the Church Hall.  The school functioned from 1883 when it was established until 1899 when it was forced to close because of the South African War. All property was administered by the Wesley Trust. The Trust administered the shops (built on church property), the schools, a Wesleyan Soldiers’ Home, a Railway Mission at South End and later helped with the church building schemes at West End, Pretoria North, Villieria and Sunnyside. The Trust was Chaired by the Superintendent Minister and consisted of the following lay leaders of the church: T W Beckett, A Johnston and his brother E Johnston, E Bourke, G Heys, T Vos, W J Foot, W E S Lewis, R Roberts, T J Rodda, Ezra Turner, J H Kneen and L G Baker (secretary).

Who were these early Pretoria Methodists?  Many held influential positions in commerce and the government and you will recognize their names in some of the street names in Pretoria. Thomas William Beckett (1854-1924) owned a shop on Church Square and for thirty years served on the Methodist Church Trust Committee. He built a shop on the corner of Church and van der Walt Streets and by 1891 had branches in nearby towns.  When the Pretoria Club was established in 1885 he became a member. During the South African War Beckett’s home “Merton Keep” became a hospital.

Leslie Guard Baker was a founder member of the 1894 Wesley Church. He was a senior Society Steward and the Baker Memorial Hall at Wesley Church is named after him. Edmund Francis Bourke (1852-1926) came to Pretoria from Natal and, like Beckett, was a shopkeeper in van der Walt Street. He became a citizen of the Transvaal Republic and was a member of the second Volksraad. In 1903 he was chosen as the first Mayor of Pretoria after the South African War. Andrew Johnston (1865-1919) was an Irishman who four times served as Mayor of Pretoria. These are just some of the early Methodist lay leaders who helped to establish the Methodist Church in Pretoria.

In 1895 the Methodists at Sunnyside began to think about having a church of their own but the South African War (1899-1902) put all expansion on hold. At the time Methodists had to travel into the city to worship at Wesley Church. In 1902 erf 207 was bought by the trustees of Wesley Church and given to the Sunnyside members to build a church. The Chairman of the District at the time was the Rev George Lowe whose son, Osborn, served as a leader at Brooklyn for many years. The Sunday School was started in 1903 and the church opened in 1904. Brooklyn was an outreach from the Sunnyside Church in 1910. Mrs Winifred Lowe, the wife of Osborn Lowe, attended the Sunday School at Arcadia which was held in the stable of the home of Mr William Miller, a local businessman. When the Sunday School grew too big for the stable it moved to the Methodist Manse in Pretorius Street. One of the teachers, Miss Mary Slade, taught in the Arcadia Sunday School for 70 years.(Pretoria News,19 April 1968)

Other churches were also built during these years. Many other people moved to Pretoria too. The Minutes of the Local Preachers Meeting dated17 December 1897 record the arrival of an Indian Christian school teacher who was a Methodist named Joshua Rajakari. He started a school and a Methodist Society at Brickfields in what is now Pretoria West. In April 1898 the Rev Weavind wrote in a letter to the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society that: “There are a large number of Hindus in Pretoria and I am sure that it would be good and encourage work among these new people if we could supply a church building”.

The establishment of other Methodist Churches in Pretoria

We have seen how the Methodists at Sunnyside asked for their own service and soon had a Society and a church building in the suburbs.  But what about Methodist Churches in the other areas around the town of Pretoria? The Methodist Society in Gezina was established in 1904 at the same time as the Sunnyside Church. A small wood and iron building formed the first church but in 1907 General Smuts, the Colonial Secretary at the time, laid the foundation stone of the new church building which was opened in 1908. As at Brooklyn, the windows in the church were originally part of the old Dutch Reformed Church on Church Square. The Riviera Society started as a Sunday School in the 1930s. In 1947 new premises were built and opened by the Rev J B Webb. The Villieria Society was established in 1914. A new hall was opened in 1948 also by the Rev J B Webb. The Valley Society established in 1970, met in the Villieria Hall until the present building was opened on 18 November 1973 by the Rev Stanley Pitts, the ex-President of Conference. The Valley Society now incorporates the other three older societies.

The Hatfield Society came later than Brooklyn and was established in 1923 by Mr Ezra Turner, a local preacher who had preached in the first Wesleyan chapel to be built in Pretoria. He planned a school-chapel which was built in Schoeman Street. In 1923 when the Hatfield Chapel was opened there were three Methodist ministers in Pretoria. They were the Revs J A Girdler (Wesley), D Streat (Sunnyside) and H D Leigh (Gezina). A morning service was conducted by a minister once a month and the weekly evening services were conducted by local preachers. Hatfield was served by the minister at Wesley until the late 1930s when the minister at Sunnyside, the Rev S Sudbury was given charge. In 1939 a new hall was opened by the Rev E Botterill, the Chairman of the District. When the Rev Edward Dunstan, a Supernumerary Minister, was appointed to Brooklyn he took charge of both Brooklyn and Hatfield. This double oversight continued during the ministries of the Revs S Freeland and J Ferris as well. In 1971 a minister was appointed to serve at Hatfield, with oversight of St George’s at Eersterus as well. The most modern of our neighbouring churches is the Glen Methodist Church which started during the late 1970s. The foundation stone for the Glen Church was laid towards the end of 1980s.  The Willows Methodist Church, now in the Central District, was established at the time that the Hatfield Church was demolished. So we see how the Methodist outreach in Pretoria grew and spread as the city itself grew larger.

Brooklyn Methodist Church starts to become a reality

The suburb “Brooklyn” was established in 1903 on what had been part of one of the original farms owned by a Trekker named Bronkhorst.  This was sold on his death in 1848 and had passed through a number of hands by the time that “Brooklyn” was established.  It was named after the Brooke family who owned land and lived in the area. Among the people who moved into the new suburb were Methodists who were linked to the Sunnyside Church and who started a Sunday School in the new area.

At the 11 December 1906 meeting of the Wesley Trust a letter was read from “ Mr W McLean and others asking that the erf purchased at Brooklyn for 125 pounds be taken over by the Trust and fenced. They promised to erect a building thereon without any further appeal to the Trustees” (Minute Book of the Wesley Trust). The meeting agreed to help the Brooklyn Methodists.  Mr William McLean was the Superintendent of the Brooklyn Sunday School from 1905, which indicates that a Sunday School had been in operation for some time. It also indicated that there was a group of Methodists who were keen to have their own place of worship. Mr McLean was Sunday School Superintendent from 1905 to 1920. A baptismal font with an inscription to his memory stands at the back of the present church at Brooklyn. The McLeans were among the founders of the Brooklyn Church.

In 1960 Mrs Frances McLean wrote for the Golden Jubilee booklet:

I arrived in Brooklyn just in time for the opening of the little Church there, and have the happiest memories of my association with it during the first ten years of its life. I am keenly interested to hear that now it is proving much too small, and that it has been decided to build a bigger one. …

In 1905 the first Sunday School in Brooklyn was started by Frank Roberts and William McLean, meeting in the Government School. Soon after a small band of workers, with great vision and foresight, secured a fine site and began to plan for a building. Early in 1910 the foundation stones were laid, one by Mr McLean, Superintendent of the Sunday School, on behalf of the children and the other by Mrs Thomas Beckett on behalf of the congregation, and in October of that year the Church was opened, with great rejoicing. The President, Rev John Howard, came from Johannesburg.

There were no roads or electric lights, and few houses near the church, the congregation assembled walking across the veld, carrying lanterns for the evening services.

On 26 June 1910 two foundation stones were laid – one on the east and one on the west side of the church. One stone was laid by Mrs Thomas Beckett, the wife of one of the first Methodists in Pretoria, and the other by William McLean the first Sunday School Superintendent. These were preserved when the old church was demolished and have been built into the back wall of the present church.

On 13 June 1907 the Wesley Trust discussed “The Brooklyn Scheme”. Those present at the meeting were: the Rev W Meara (in the Chair), the Revs Amos Burnet, G W Thorn and J A Girdler, and Messrs E H Johnston, W J Foot and L G Baker (secretary).  This is what they had to say:

The Rev G W Thorn submitted a proposal to erect a small church at Brooklyn, the cost in cash not to exceed three hundred pounds. Some material and labour were expected to be given. He hoped one hundred and fifty pounds would be in hand by the time that the foundation stone was laid, and that the Brooklyn people would raise the interest on any loan that may be required. The building would not be proceeded with until half the cash required was on hand.

After discussion the following resolution was passed: “That this Trustees meeting approves the erection of a small church at Brooklyn, the outlay not to exceed three hundred pounds, provided that half the cost is raised before building operations are commenced, and that satisfactory arrangements will be made by the Local Committee to raise a loan for any balance required and guarantee to pay the interest thereon.”

It was also resolved that the Chairman of the Trust Meeting would nominate Building Committees for Brooklyn, Pretoria West and Gezina, and that the Secretary of the Committee would be an ex-officio member of these committees. The building plans for Brooklyn were prepared by the architect Gordon McIntosh. The Superintendent of the expanding Pretoria Circuit in 1909 was the Rev William Meara, a man of vision who saw the Methodist Church grow as new Pretoria suburbs were established.

The church was completed and opened on 5 October 1910.  The windows, eight large and one small, and the front door came from the “old” Dutch Reformed Church on Church Square which was built in 1882. In 1905 the building was demolished to make way for a new Dutch Reformed Church and the windows and door were purchased for the Brooklyn Church that was being planned. These windows had been specially made in Durban and brought up to Pretoria by ox-wagon. Fifty years later when the “old” Brooklyn Church was demolished some of the windows were handed over to the Old Pretoria Society for safe-keeping and later handed to the S P Engelbrecht Museum of the Nederduitse Hervormde Kerk, where they are now housed.

For fifty years this first church building served the Brooklyn Methodist Society.  At first they did not have their own minister but were served by the ministers from Sunnyside. As the number of members grew the church building was enlarged. In 1924 verandahs were added on the east and west sides of the church which provided more accommodation for the congregation and Sunday School scholars. Then a vestry was added and later a storeroom at the back of the church where equipment like extra chairs, was stored.

The Sunday School met for the first time on 7 May 1905.  There were 14 scholars –         6 boys and 8 girls. They met on the verandah of Mr Frank Roberts’ home. Down the years the Sunday School was very active and won Efficiency Certificates from the Pretoria and District Sunday School Union. There were a number of Sunday School Superintendents during these years – William McLean from 1905 until 1920 and then Frank Roberts (who was previously the secretary of the Sunday School), G H Hallett, R G Owen, Charles Maynard, Harry Hayman and Osborn Lowe. Some of the Sunday School teachers who became Methodist ministers were the Revs Dr J B Webb (who was a President of Conference), Roland and Samuel Roberts and Douglas Thompson. The last three were past Sunday School scholars too.

In 1944 the Rev William Kidman, a Supernumerary Minister, was appointed to take charge of the congregation at Brooklyn. He visited the members and found a Superintendent for the Sunday School and a leader for the Primary Department,                Mrs Winifred Lowe. The “Little Church” where the Primary School meet is called the “Winifred Lowe Hall”.

Osborn Lowe, one of the most influential leaders at Brooklyn during this era, was the son of the Rev George Lowe and his wife who were pioneer missionaries at Good Hope Mission in the Soutpansberg. While Winifred, his wife, ran the Primary Department, Osborn served as Sunday School Superintendent. He was responsible for a number of other tasks as well, both at Brooklyn and in the wider Methodist Church.

During the Great Depression in the 1930’s and also during the two World Wars when many of the men from Brooklyn served in the armed forces, times were hard. During the war years there was talk of closing Brooklyn but the people of Brooklyn opposed the idea and the church remained open.  During these years the Brooklyn and Hatfield congregations shared a minister. They were in succession the Revs Dunstan, Freeland and Ferris.

In 1896 three young men from England who were beginning their ministries in the Methodist Church travelled to Potchefstroom on the new railway to the Transvaal. They were the Revs Edwin Botterill, Ernest Titcombe and Edward Dunstan. All three were to leave a lasting impression on the Methodist Church in South Africa.  Dunstan began his ministry in Klerksdorp and then served in various societies in the Transvaal. He retired while serving in the Johannesburg East Circuit and then in 1945, almost fifty years after his arrival in South Africa, he was sent to minister at Brooklyn as a Supernumerary minister. The membership of both the Brooklyn and Hatfield churches had fallen during the war and when Dunstan took over there were 82 members at Hatfield while Brooklyn had fifty families on the roll. Dunstan had to begin building up the congregations again. He remained at Brooklyn until 1957 when he was 87 years old and during his time the Dunstan Hall which was named after him, was built.

Under his ministry the church building soon became too small and Sunday School classes had to be held outside in the church grounds. By 1950 the congregation was divided as to whether to build a new church or to build a hall for the Sunday School. In the end they decided to build a new hall and a smaller hall for the Primary Department. The new hall was called the “Dunstan Hall” in recognition of the role that their minister had played in building up the congregation. The plans were prepared by Mr Age Jonker and the contractors were Messrs. Kennard & Irons (Pty) Ltd. The new hall was built on the southern side of the church property which was covered with dense undergrowth. In the commemorative booklet for the Diamond Jubilee we read that when the undergrowth was cleared to build the hall a burglar’s den with the equipment they used for robberies was found. After the Dunstan Hall was opened the ground was cleared and a garden planted under the direction of Osborn Lowe. He also built small alcoves in the garden for the Sunday School classes.

In 1955, the year that Pretoria celebrated its centenary, the Primary Department marked the occasion by planting a small oak tree grown from an acorn from the first oak tree that had been planted in Skinner Street, Pretoria.  The tree is still to be seen in the church grounds. In 1955, too, Brooklyn celebrated its Golden Jubilee. There was a re-union of old scholars, a Thanksgiving Service and a Candle-lighting Ceremony in the Dunstan Hall.

Some years ago Alister Jobson told the story of the little oak tree. He said that the acorn was picked up outside the Sunnyside Primary School. Mr Osborn Lowe planted it in a pot at his home in Waterkloof. When the tree was big enough it was planted on the East side of the Minor Hall where it grows today. At first it was surrounded by a diamond wire cage to protect it but when it outgrew the cage it grew into the magnificent oak we know today.

The 150^th Anniversary of Methodism in South Africa was celebrated by extending the Primary Hall. It was doubled in size and equipped with small pews, a miniature pulpit and communion rail to match those in the big church.  All the furniture was donated by members of the Church and old scholars. At the opening of the newly completed Primary Hall Mrs William Nichol, the wife of the Administrator of the Transvaal, addressed the gathering after which a plaque inscribed “Winifred Hall and Children’s Church” was unveiled. The doors of the “Little Church” were opened by the Rev James Massey, the Circuit Superintendent and the Rev Edward Dunstan dedicated the building.

With the growth of the Sunday School the number of members was also increasing. The vision of a new church building in time for the Golden Jubilee in 1960 began to take form. In 1957 a brochure was prepared telling people about the proposed church building. A Planned Giving Campaign was organized by    Mr W E R Wells. In 1957 the Rev Edward Dunstan retired from active ministry having seen Brooklyn change from a small struggling community to a large thriving congregation. During his latter years at Brooklyn he was assisted by student ministers from Rhodes University. They included the Revs Goodrum, Schoonraad, Parsley, Ian Scott and J T Willis. The Rev Willis remained at Brooklyn from the time of the Rev Dunstan’s retirement until the arrival of his successor, the Rev Sydney P Freeland.

In 1958 Sydney Freeland was appointed to Brooklyn. He was to work at Brooklyn for half of his time while also working as Secretary of the Christian Citizenship Department, which was based in Pretoria. He took up his duties at the same time as the Planned Giving Scheme and the Church Building Scheme were being launched. In addition to his work at Brooklyn he also had pastoral oversight over Hatfield Church.

In 1960 another brochure was published. On the front cover was a picture of the proposed church building and on the back cover was a picture of the old building and the words: “This Church has served the Brooklyn community faithfully for fifty years. Will you help us replace it with a worthy building adequate to meet the needs of today?” Inside were messages from the Rev Robert Bellis, the Circuit Superintendent and the Rev Syd Freeland, Brooklyn’s own minister.

In 1960, the year that the Golden Jubilee Church was being built, Conference sent the Rev Raymond Light to assist the Rev Freeland and two years later he was relieved of the work of the Christian Citizenship Department allowing him to concentrate on his ministry at the Brooklyn and Hatfield churches.

CHAPTER 2 – THE GOLDEN JUBILEE CHURCH

Under the ministry of the Revs Freeland and Light plans for the new Golden Jubilee Church progressed.  The Planned Giving Campaign was well supported and finance for the new church building was sought. The cost of the building was not to exceed                 R 30, 000. The building had to conform with all the rules and regulations laid down by the Methodist Church in its Laws and Disciplines.

The new Church would need more land and so the half-erf next door was bought for         R 3, 600, of which Mr Jack Maynard donated R 600. The Methodist Connexional Office loaned Brooklyn R 12, 000 to build the Church. Tenders were called for and all exceeded the proposed price of R 30, 000 because of the deep foundations recommended by the Consulting Engineers. The Trust Committee decided to exclude the Minor Hall to cut costs but the Sunday School raised the necessary R 5,000 so that it could be included in the new church complex. The lowest tender for R 34,000 came from T C Lamb (Pty) Ltd. and was accepted.

The Stone-laying ceremony of the Golden Jubilee Church took place on 27 November 1960. The Rev Deryck Dugmore and Mr A J Maynard (Jack) each laid a foundation-stone. The stone laid by Jack Maynard can be seen in the little prayer chapel at the back of the present church. The foundation stones of the “Old Church” were preserved in the wall of the vestibule of the new Church. When the Church was extended they became part of the wall at the back of the present church (under the window of the sound room and on the other side of the aisle).

A year elapsed between the laying of the foundation stones and the opening of the Church on 3 December 1961. All the pews, carpets, pulpit, communion table, seats for the Minor Hall and Choir and everything needed to furnish the Church had to be bought. The Women’s Auxiliary raised over R 2,000 and paid for the carpeting and kneeling cushions. The Sunday School gave the church bell which cost R 200 and the Maynard family the organ which cost R 3,600, in memory of their parents. The organ was dedicated at a special service led by the Rev Freeland on 6 December 1962. It was presented to the congregation with the words: “On behalf of Miss A Maynard, Charles Maynard and myself (Jack Maynard), and in loving memory of our parents Mr and Mrs

C C Maynard, I now present this organ to the Brooklyn Methodist Church, and ask that it be dedicated to the glory of God”. An organ recital followed by Willem Mathlener of the Conservatoire of Music, Pretoria. There is also a bookcase at the back of the Church with a plaque saying “In loving memory of C C Maynard  – 16:02:1946”.

The Communion Table was the gift of Mr D J Kuys and many other items were donated by members of the congregation. The pews from the “Old Church” were reconditioned and placed in the gallery where they are still used every Sunday.

Two Golden Elm trees in the front of the Church were presented by Mr and Mrs Osborn Lowe and planted by the Parks Department. Altogether the Golden Jubilee Church cost in the region of R 50, 000.

The Official Opening of the Golden Jubilee Church took place on 3 December 1961. The Rev Deryck Dugmore, President of Conference was assisted by the Revs Robert Bellis,  the Circuit Superintendent, S Freeland, R Light and  Messrs W Wells and A Gordon Ellis, the architect. The Rev Dugmore preached the Thanksgiving Sermon. The organist, Mr W Abendroth, organized special music for the occasion, with a 30 voice choir.

Until recently, the choir has been a feature of worship at Brooklyn.  Here is what Dawn Haswell, a choir member of long-standing, had to say about the contribution of the choir to worship:

What does it take to be a choir member? First and most importantly it takes a heart for God and a strong desire to worship Him. It takes a singing voice that can hold a tune, a sense of commitment to attend practices and services, an ability to be a friend and (very important) a well-developed sense of humour.

I am told that Mr Abendroth was the first organist at Brooklyn, and he was followed by many talented and committed organists among whom were, and not in any order, Valerie Borchers, Garth Brink, Fred Parsons who played the organ when Maurice Darroll was our conductor, Cosmo Henning, Liz van Zyl,                 Jon Drury, Petro Botha, Peter Hulley, Chris James, Heather de Jager and our own much loved Andre Wessels.

There are many who remember our choir when it was at its peak with Doris Boulton as our conductor. Doris was a truly talented lady who had a beautiful singing voice and an amazing knowledge and love of music and a rigid sense of right and wrong. To be at all choir practices was RIGHT and to be late was WRONG. We were about twenty in number and she instilled in us a desire for excellence and we soon learnt to work hard. She loved arranging concerts and even had the choir dancing! She organized a bus trip for the choir and their spouses to go to Mmabatho to take part in a choir festival and we ladies were resplendent in long dresses.  The guest of honour, President Lucas Mangope, was two hours late and this was VERY WRONG! Nevertheless, it was a wonderful experience to be on the stage with all the other choirs and we saw again how easy it is for some choirs to dance as they sing. We remember with gratitude Doris’ quick intelligence and great sense of humour.

As well as singing at services the choir has often provided musical entertainment for special occasions at Women’s Fellowship, Seniors Friendship Club, Men’s Fellowship parties and farewells. The full choir, smaller groups and soloists have given pleasure at these times.

We have sometimes joined with the Sunnyside Church to form the larger choir needed to sing cantatas such as Stainer’s Crucifixion, excerpts from Handel’s Messiah and other works. This has always been a wonderful experience for the Brooklyn singers.

As we sang introits, anthems and hymns we ourselves were uplifted by the beautiful music and powerful and comforting words.

The choir under the organist, Andre Wessels, sadly disbanded during 2010. The numbers were dwindling and Dawn, our soloist moved to Durban. Presently a worship team provides a slot at the morning service and now and then soloists sing anthems.

The new Church could seat 250 people but more could be accommodated if necessary. At the opening service about 600 people attended, some having to stand outside as the Church was full.

At the evening service 22 new members were publicly received into the church by the Rev Freeland. The Thanksgiving Services continued on the next two Sundays.

The Minor Hall was dedicated after the new Church. On 10 December 1961 the Minor Hall was dedicated by the Rev Freeland. The piano in the Minor hall was a gift from  Miss Maynard. The Minor Hall, for which the Sunday School raised R 5,000, became the meeting place of the Junior Church.

On 17 December 1961 the Sunday School conducted the services and all the various departments were represented. At this service the church bell was rung for the first time. The Sunday School celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in 1965. Again the celebrations took the form of a Thanksgiving Service led by the Rev Freeland. The service took the form of a candle-lighting service in the Dunstan Hall with the address by the Rev Robert Bellis. The final installment of the R 5,000 promised by the Sunday School was handed over. At this ceremony Mr and Mrs G O Lowe, who had been Sunday School Superintendent and leader of the Primary Department for 21 years, formally retired. Alister Jobson took over as Superintendent of the Sunday School and Sheila Rowe (now Iles) took over as leader of the Primary Department. The Junior Church was run by Dennis Hurrell with Dennis Bouwer as secretary. The Christian Recorder of 7 May 1965 published a report on the Sunday School’s Diamond Jubilee in which they paid tribute to the role played by the Lowes in the growth of the Church at Brooklyn.

Mr Lowe has been a Sunday School teacher for fifty years. Apart from his outstanding record at Brooklyn, he has been responsible for the beautiful layout of the gardens round the church property. The sweeping lawns, winding paths, rockeries and terraces, also the little outdoor classrooms under the indigenous trees on the terrace behind the Dunstan Hall, will ever be a monument to this fine servant of God. Mrs Lowe, too, has been a wonderful example to her staff in the Primary Department. With a teaching record of forty-seven years, she has more than doubled her five talents as she has fed His little lambs at Brooklyn.

The Women’s Auxiliary

The first Brooklyn women belonged to a Women’s Association and helped to see to the cleanliness of the church building.  Then in 1915 the first official Methodist Women’s Auxiliary was formed by Conference. The Women’s Association at Brooklyn became a Women’s Auxiliary.

On 3 March 1965 the WA celebrated their Golden Jubilee. Over 200 people attended the celebrations, many from other branches of the WA and from other organizations. The WA President at the time was Mrs S P Freeland with Mrs K D Allen as Secretary. During the service tribute was paid to the founders of the Church at Brooklyn. Tea was served in the Dunstan Hall which had been especially decorated by Mrs Calderwood with panels of white and gold.

In her address Mrs Freeland named the previous Presidents of the WA – Mesdames             L J Hayman, B G Herbert, W Wells, G O Lowe, L C Reynolds, C L Serfontein, G N Holden and I R Griffith. She also mentioned Mrs M G Nicholson, a founder member of the Brooklyn WA.

A project of the Brooklyn WA during the 1960’s was collecting for the planned Queenswood Methodist Old Age Home. They did this together with the Sunnyside WA. Mrs Winifred Lowe of the Brooklyn WA was District President of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Northern Transvaal District from 1967-1970. Together with Mrs Marge Shepperson they formed a fund-raising committee in aid of the Home. Others on the committee were Mrs Dulcie Gilmer and Mrs Dorothea McDonald. They arranged various fund-raising events like a fashion show in the Pretoria West show grounds. The Queenswood Methodist Home for the Aged was opened in 1969. A member of Brooklyn, Chris Jackson, was one of the founders. Other Brooklyn members who were supporters of the Home from the beginning were Ray and Mavis Wagner. This interest has been maintained and each year the Brooklyn ladies have a stall at the Queenswood fete. The Men’s Fellowship also sell boerwors rolls at the fete. There are a number of members of the Brooklyn Society who presently live at the Home. Three ladies, Lorna Cooke, Beryl Smith and Joan Jackson, visit the Frail Care Section weekly.

In 1970 there were both Morning and Evening WA’s at Brooklyn. The Diamond Jubilee booklet records that there were 58 members of the morning group and the evening group had 31. The President in 1985 during the 75^th anniversary of the Church was Mavis Wagner. The Morning WA held a 70^th birthday party on 4 September 1985. In the Church Newsletter Mavis asked that the ladies make the Church into a “sweet-smelling basket” for the 75th anniversary church service. The ladies also prayed for the young men doing active service on the border,

The Evening WA was closed because of lack of support and in 1980 when Mrs Shirley Johnstone arrived to minister with her husband, Peter, she re-established the Evening WA for those who could not attend in the morning. In 1984 Shirley was President of the EWA with Phyllis Hulley, the President elect. The EWA distributed the produce from the Harvest Festival to social welfare families in Pretoria. The WA has now become a Women’s Fellowship as more women began to work outside of their homes and could not get to the meetings. This is what Mrs Doris Botha, the President of the Women’s Fellowship has to say:

In 1967 I became President of the Brooklyn Women’s Auxiliary. What a privilege it was working with the group of strong Christian women that belonged to the group.

We voted for the president each year and after that we had a very hard-working executive that met once a month. Apart from that our ladies were involved where needed. We met once a month for our main meetings – sometimes with a speaker and sometimes one of our own ladies spoke. We always had lovely tea and eats supplied by ladies of the group and sometimes did catering for weddings and parties if asked to do so.

We also did street-collecting and stood mainly at Ginsbergs and Hatfield Bakery, although we sometimes stood at other venues as well.

Visiting always played a huge part in our lives. The sick, sad, bereaved and anyone needing help we tried to reach, visit and help. We also remembered birthdays.

However, soon the years rolled on and we all became older. It became more difficult to move and do the things we once did. I was working at the university at that stage as my three boys were there so I was out of the WA for a number of years. When I came back I once again joined the WA which had by then become a Women’s Fellowship.

We have a happy get-together once a month and try to get an interesting speaker, enjoy our tea and chatting to each other. If anyone is ill or in any kind of need, we visit them and we also invite new-comers to tea at our homes.

Our treasurer, Willie Zweep, tries to balance the budget and arranges the main Women’s Fellowship project – a Christmas party for patients from Westkoppies,  a hospital for mentally disadvantaged people. This takes the form of a tea party with eats and small gifts for the patients.

The Women’s Fellowship meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 09:30 in the Dunstan Hall and all ladies are welcome.

On 22 November 1970 Brooklyn celebrated its Diamond Jubilee – fifty years in the “old Church” and 10 years in the new Golden Jubilee Church. The minister at the time was the Rev Jim Ferris who had been appointed to the Pretoria East Circuit to serve at Brooklyn at the Conference of 1965. He served the Hatfield and Brooklyn Churches from 1 January 1966. At this time there were 700 families on the Brooklyn Church Roll. The Rev Syd Freeland returned to preach the sermon at the Diamond Jubilee Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, 22 November 1970.

The Men’s Fellowship

The Diamond Jubilee booklet records that the Men’s League, now the Men’s Fellowship had a membership of 25 in 1960. Today the Men’s Fellowship also invites women to attend its meetings.  This is what Ralph Webber, the President of the Men’s Fellowship has to say:

When the Rev Milton Martin was the minister at Brooklyn we had a flourishing Men’s League. We met once a month on a Monday evening and had a full dinner, prepared by a small group of ladies from the Church.  However, as time went by, the ladies who did our cooking slowly fell away until there was no-one left to cook the meals, so the League dissolved.

After a few years, Roy Page-Shipp, John Iles and Ralph Webber got together after church one Sunday to discuss a means of resuscitating the group. Ralph suggested having breakfast on a Saturday morning, cooked by our own men, and after much discussion we decided to try it out.

The first few months went slowly but then the enthusiasm and popularity of the idea took root. Roy was elected our first Chairman and the group continued to grow, under the name of the “Men’s Fellowship Group”.

We invited people from outside of the group to address us, and we were able to obtain excellent speakers on a very wide range of topics.  Naturally, the quality of our speakers attracted more and more men to the breakfasts, and the excellent food offered at an exceptionally reasonable price added to the attraction. The topics of the talks vary from travelogues, to history, to art, ecology, evolution vs the Bible, archeology, the “maths of fairy tales” and many others topics.

As time went on we started to get complaints from the ladies of the Church as they felt that they were being left out and wanted to attend! This led to us inviting them to join us, but still under the name of the Men’s Fellowship Group, and we started to get about 15 ladies on a regular basis. We also started inviting ladies as guest speakers and were fortunate in obtaining some really outstanding lady speakers.

In 1999 the Men’s Fellowship Group “took over” the 09:30 church service on Father’s Day and this proved to be extremely popular and has now become an annual event. It always includes a choir item by the men singing in unison. Since 2005 the Rev Paul Bester has conducted this choir. At these services we hand out book-marks to all the men attending the service.

In 2003 we organized an outing to the Buddist Temple at Bronkhorstspruit, and this proved very popular.  In 2004 we arranged for a group to see the film “The Passion” and in 2005 a bus outing to the Tswaing Crater. In 2006 our outing was to the Rietvlei Dam, followed by a trip by bus to Cullinan in 2007 and by car in 2008, when we joined the Cullinan Methodists for a church service. The outing for 2009 was a picnic and a guided tour of Smuts’ House Museum, Irene.

Every year in October we have an evening get-together in place of our usual breakfast. This is usually a “bring and braai” but we have a “potjiefees” supper every few years.

The popularity of the Men’s Fellowship has grown over the years to the extent that it has become an integral part of our Church activities and has probably become one of, if not the most significant source of fellowship at Brooklyn Methodist.

Youth Groups

In 1970 there were Wesley Guilds as well as the Sunday School. The Senior Guild had 35 members, the Inter-mediate Guild had 70, the Venturers had 25 and the Junior Guild had 25. In 1985 the Rev Peter Johnstone and the Circuit Youth Group held a camp for Stds 2-5 (grades 4-7) to which Brooklyn children were invited. Some of our present members may remember it! Today, in our Centenary Year, we no longer call our youth groups “guilds” but we still have a number of groups for the different age groups.  We have a Youth and Worship pastor, Taiki Dimas, and a Children’s Ministry pastor, Maya Baruffa, to lead the work. John and Sheila Iles are among the present teachers who have seen a number of generations of Sunday School children pass through the Brooklyn Sunday School and youth groups.

The Seniors Friendship Club was started in 1983 and still meets on the fourth Friday morning of the month.  This is what Sheila Iles, the Leader and one of the founders of the Club, has to say about their group:

Our Brooklyn Seniors Friendship Club was started 28 years ago by Yvonne Verster and the Rev Milton Martin, who was the minister at Brooklyn in 1983. We have been meeting on the 4^th Friday of each month since then except for December when we do not meet. We have a wonderful band of “workers” and we meet on the 3^rd Monday of each month in different members’ homes, to discuss and plan our Senior Friendship mornings. Phyllis Matthews and I are the only two who started as “workers” way back in 1983 and are still attending today!

We meet at 10:00 each month on the 4^th Friday and would welcome any seniors who would like to join us. Devotions are led by one of our ministers, followed by welcomes, birthdays and any notices. The seniors number themselves around each table and the person with the chosen number takes the flowers home.

Over tea and enjoyable eats we share a time of fellowship with those around the table. Then it is time for “entertainment”. Sometimes we have a speaker on a subject of interest to our seniors, or something musical, singing or dancing. We have had pre-schoolers coming to do ballet for us and they are so cute! We have had slide shows, Bingo and even an exercise class, done by sitting on chairs so that everyone could take part.

The highlight of the year is when the Pretoria Boys’ High School Dixie band, String Quartet or Jazz Band come to play for us. The last few years our own Brooklyn choir has come to entertain us in November, our “Christmas” or last meeting of the year. This is always a lovely meeting to end the year and a good time is had by all. We try to finish by 11:45 to get people back to their Homes before lunch. We are very grateful to those who transport our seniors who come from a number of Homes. Dennis Koster fetches folks from Princess Christian Home and Robin Barker fetches the folks from the Queenswood Home in the church combi. Because there are so many he has to make two trips there and back which means he starts very early in the morning. Some of our workers also transport people from their homes.

One of the memorable meetings this year was the party the Club hosted for Mrs Iris Swemmer when she turned 100 on 27 March 2010.  Many of her friends also attended and Iris stood up to thank everyone and gave an excellent speech. It was a wonderful morning!

During the early 1970’s the Church acquired the property next door. The house, which had been the home of Margaret Roberts, the “herb lady” and her family, was used by the minister, Ray Light, as an office and also used by the Sunday School. Then someone suggested that it be used as a Nursery School. A survey was done and the need for such a pre-school was established as all the existing schools in the area had waiting lists.

The first principal was Lorraine Viljoen. The first group of parents put a lot of effort into preparing the new pre-school. It was run by a Governing Body that always had Brooklyn church members on it. The church treasurer was the school treasurer. The Church supported the school in many ways like maintenance and sometimes finance.

There were three groups – seniors, middle and the younger group from 3-5years. The school had a marked Christian flavour. The School visited the “seniors” group and sang to them as well as performing a Christmas play. Some of the ministers of the Church would tell the children Bible stories, thus keeping the connection between the school and the Church alive.

Parents were always very involved and the school was a happy place and for many years was considered one of the top nursery schools in Pretoria.

Dee Pullen, the then Principal, was very involved with the Early Childhood Movement in South Africa and the minister, Milton Martin, kindly allowed workshops to be held in the Dunstan Hall, and thus the Church was very much part of the development of the ECD movement in South Africa as the school was run on ECD lines.

The nursery school was one of the first “white” schools to open its doors to “black” children in the area.

The founder and mainstay of the nursery school was Ruth Jobson. She worked for the church in various capacities for many years, including as a Sunday School teacher and leader of the greeting card renovating ministry.  Another person who had an impact on the nursery school was the church secretary, Hazel van Rooyen. These notes were supplied by Dee Pullen who would like to thank all those who worked for the nursery school.

During the 1970s Life Line, an interdenominational organization started work in Pretoria, initially under the patronage of the Brooklyn Methodist Church. A number of the Brooklyn members enrolled for their course in counselling those in trouble.

In August 1978 Brooklyn held a Lay Witness Mission. Roger Seeman, one of our members tells us about it:

6,7 and 8 August 1978 were red letter days in the life of Brooklyn Methodist Church. They saw Brooklyn’s first ever Lay Witness Mission. The Lay Witness team, 20 in all, was made up of American and Johannesburg-based missioners and included a judge, lawyers, housewives, secretaries, clerks, teachers and one American clergyman. Kelvin Clarke of the Edenvale Methodist Church was the coordinator. Our minister, the Rev Ray Light, graciously agreed to stand down for the weekend and to observe the operation of the mission. The missioners were accommodated in the homes of church members and were transported everywhere they needed to go.

Friday 6 saw the start of the Mission with a supper prepared by the Women’s Auxiliary in the Dunstan Hall kitchen. Then followed singing in the church, three brief testimonies of God’s grace in the missioners’ lives, small group work led by the missioners, and a report back session in the church before everyone returned to their allotted homes.

It was Elaine’s and my privilege that week-end to host the Rev and Mrs Ken Perkins of the USA. After breakfast I drove Ken and Joyce to the LWM meeting at which the plans for the next hours were discussed and everyone committed those plans to God in prayer.

Lay Witnesses were then dispatched to homes where more than a dozen coffee groups were to meet and where witness-led discussions around set questions were held. Good witnessing and fellowship took place.

Missioners returned to the Church for the Men’s Luncheon and a brief discussion led by Professor Mike Brown. The mission continued with afternoon coffee groups, supper in the Dunstan Hall, singing and testimonies in the Church during which the Holy Spirit began to make His presence felt.

Next morning both services were filled to capacity. They were conducted by Kelvin Clarke who called on missioners to give their testimonies. Then came the altar call. People knelt down six deep in front of the altar which was smaller than it is today. Lay Witnesses ministered to them and then they were ushered into the Minor Hall where Ray Light was waiting to give each one a copy of “It has happened to you”. Several members from Brooklyn joined me in becoming Lay Witnesses and missioners themselves.

Another Lay Witness Mission was held at Brooklyn from 18-20 March 1994.  Johann Eiselen, coordinator of the mission, wrote to the congregation saying that: “The mission is aimed at renewal of our lives by the Holy Spirit, and a strengthening of the fellowship at Brooklyn”. Yet another Lay Witness Mission was held from 13-15 September 1996. A writer in the Family Focus wrote that: “The events and encouragement we experienced during the Lay Witness Mission have a lasting impact on our lives, and on the life of the Church, when we realize that it is not the Lay Witness Mission that changes us, but the Holy Spirit who responds to the changes we ask Christ to bring to our lives and to our Church”.

Brooklyn’s 75^th Anniversary

In 1985 the 75^th anniversary of the Brooklyn Church was celebrated. This was during the ministry of Milton Martin and took place during the weekend of the 20 – 22 September. On the Friday evening the choir gave a concert followed by a social in the Dunstan Hall. The Old Pretoria Society was asked to present an exhibition of photographs of old Pretoria. The Revs D P Dugmore and Ray Light were invited to be present. A Men’s Fellowship dinner was held on Monday evening, 23 September, at which the Rev Dugmore was the speaker. The Sunday morning service was conducted by the Rev Peter Storey, the President of the Conference. Mr Jack Maynard, a long-time member of Brooklyn was also invited.

The second minister at Brooklyn in 1985 was the Rev Peter Johnstone. He, his wife Shirley and their family arrived in 1980 to assist Milton Martin as a probationer minister. He remained at Brooklyn for five years during which time he completed his probation and his degree at the University of South Africa. Peter was very involved with the youth work of the Church  and his wife was involved with the Evening Women’s Auxiliary. Peter was one of our “centenary” preachers and took the morning services on 15 August this year. Many in the congregation were very happy to meet him again.

The minister’s secretary in Milton Martin’s time was Mrs Linley Hurrell. Her husband, Dennis, ran the Junior Church and was a local preacher. Dennis preached the last sermon in the Old Church before it was demolished. Next year he celebrates 60 years as a local preacher. When the Moreleta Circuit was formed in 1996 he became Circuit Steward of the new circuit and served for 13 years looking after the manses and the affairs of the Circuit. Dennis will always be remembered for the Sunday School picnics that he and Linley, Maureen Ramsey and John Iles organized for many years at Smuts farm, Irene.

Brooklyn Church as we know it today

The 1990’s saw the publication of the monthly magazine Family Focus which told the members about the activities at Brooklyn Church. These church magazines give a good impression of what was happening at Brooklyn.

Peggy Germishuizen started the Care Group in 1990. She said that one Sunday in June the Rev Tim Attwell approached her to start a group of lay-pastors or carers. She read the book Can the Pastor do it alone? and also used Life Line notes. Tim ran a Creative Friendship Course and the foundation for the Care Group was laid. Although a small group they learnt to rely on the Lord and undertook following up on the “prayer beams” (people who appear on the prayer list in the notices each week) with a telephone call. Carers attend a monthly training meeting. In 1990 these were led by the Rev Dave Morgan, the second minister at Brooklyn.

Twenty years on Peggy still runs the Care Group that is now under the umbrella of the new Pastoral and Counselling Centre. Down the years many people have been grateful for the Christian love and care they have experienced from the group.

By 1994 the church building had once again become too small for the growing congregation. Extensions to the existing church had to be done which resulted in the church building we know today. The additions and alterations were dedicated on                    30 January 1994 and included additions to the back of the Church and the changes to the front of the sanctuary. These were done during the ministry of the Bishop Hansie Mattheus.  He took over from the Rev Milton Martin when Milton retired and Hansie was completing his terms of office as Bishop of the Limpopo District. In the winter issue of the 1995 Family Focus we read that “God’s extending Christian family” was the vision that God had given to Brooklyn Methodist Church.

The changes to the “liturgical area” or front of the Church were made so that there would be better access for the congregation at the communion rail and serving communion would also be easier. The preacher would be raised and so would be more visible to the congregation. The alterations were completed by the middle of 1997. This is the front of the Church as we know it today. The architect was Geoff Abbott, a member of the congregation.

1996 saw the first ever Alpha course run at Brooklyn. Some of the comments after the course included:

Alpha was refreshing, rejuvenating and reinforcing – Mike

Every area of Christian life has been touched through the course – Peggy

Following the Alpha course the Church leaders decided that the best way to fulfil the Church’s vision of “God’s extending Christian family” was to form “focus groups” -  Fellowship of Christians United in Service. Focus groups would enable the members to get to know each other better through belonging to a small group.

Alpha Four was held in March 1997. This was the year that Scott Forrester joined the Brooklyn staff as Youth Pastor. He and  the Rev Dermott Thornberry were leaders at the course. 1999 and 2000 saw more Alpha courses being held.

Alpha courses were held last year (2009) and this year again and are resulting in many people being blessed.  The leader of the Alpha team is George Lotter while his wife, Linda, heads up the kitchen team.

In 1996 two ladies joined the staff at Brooklyn – 1^st year probationer Nadine Cross and Youth Pastor Jean Geerthsen. As Nadine would only be at Brooklyn for one year the society stewards invited Dermot Thornberry, an ordained minister from Kokstad, to become second minister in 1997.  He served from January 1997 to August 1999.  Dermot and his wife, Charlene, are now in England but they sent us a message for the centenary. His story tells of some of the “fun times” during the 1990s.

Congratulations to BMC on celebrating their 100^th anniversary. May you all be blessed as you continue to serve Christ in the 21^st century.

It is with tremendous fondness that we remember our time at BMC. We remember the good times and the not so good times but we have decided to share a positive and happy reflection of our time there.

Picture the scene – my first service, all keen and eager to launch myself on the unsuspecting congregation known as BMC and into the vestry walks John Iles, the steward on duty. “Right, is everything out of control here – it is? Good then my work is done here”. Making an adjustment to my mike he propels me out to the masses – and this was the beginning of not only an entertaining friendship but also one that sent me on the Emmaus Walk and encouraged me to serve the congregation in my particular way.

I remember well the monthly retreats, kindly hosted by the Schoenvelds on their farm. A small group of us decided to get out of the rat race for one Saturday a month and just spend time with God and listen to what He was trying to say to us.

A great highlight for me was working for a short while with Viv Harris – this gentle soul of a minister was a tremendous saint among men. So much wisdom, so many years of experience but so humble. I wish my time with him could have been longer. In our brief months together Viv and I shared services, times of prayer and even shopping experiences – oh yes, we were both Woolworths fans. He even got me to enjoy a bit of cricket. This was true Team Ministry.

But of course no minister can survive without the support of the office and PA staff. I shared sad and happy times with Ina, Jenny and Kitty who worked tirelessly to ensure that everything at BMC ran smoothly. These ladies were amazing in their support and encouragement but I do remember there was always time for a laugh and a reality check.

And what about the fellowships, the dramas – oh yes, we remember them well. I remember Charlene putting on an Easter drama thinking that it was going to be a very simple affair. So, what a wonderful surprise to discover that the “cast” had all organized their own special costumes, to make the play more authentic. Then we had the Christian drama “The Witness” with music provided by Petro and Andre – what a success that was. The (Dunstan) Hall was fabulously decorated by Estelle Paul with a trendy Middle Eastern theme – the production was a great success.

And who can forget the French evening – once again in a packed hall suitably decorated by Estelle P, guests sat down to a sumptuous French feast with entertainment. And then the “piece de resistance” – a Can Can dance performed by Johann Eiselen, Dennis Hurrell, Geoff Abbott, Joe Brown, Barry Paul, John More and myself. We were made to wear the most bizarre make up and had to do the Can Can in very pretty but also very frilly skirts. This brought the house down – however, although the audience clamoured for an encore we were just unable to get back on that stage to do another high kicking presentation. But what fun! We still have the photographs!

And then it was time for our move to the UK. What a send-off! Tears flowed, the Scottish piper piped a mournful dirge, speeches were made and friendships sealed as we bid a very sad good-bye to this amazing community called Brooklyn Methodist Church. I now serve a church community in the South of Devon, a seaside resort but one that has many opportunities for mission. The congregation is struggling financially but the Spirit is very evident as we all seek God’s will. So do remember us in your prayers.

Charlene and I will always hold BMC fondly in our hearts. You nurtured us, you showed us love and we became part of the BMC family. We shall be thinking of you and praying for you all as you celebrate this wonderful milestone.

In 1996 the Church Council appointed Mildred Cromarty as the “official gardener”. She took over from Quentin Moore.  The church garden at Brooklyn is a Biblical garden with as many flowers and trees from Biblical times as possible. Since then Mildred and her husband, Rick, have cared lovingly for the garden.  This is what Rick has to say about our beautiful garden:

The site on which our church was built was a rough koppie covered in dolerite boulders.  At some stage many of these, about half a metre in diameter, were arranged in more or less straight lines and some of these can still be seen near the back boundary of the church grounds. No doubt there was also some plant growth but to what extent this was cultivated we do not know, but over the years odd trees and flowers were planted.

When the Dunstan Hall was built the building rubble was used to level an area between the Minor Hall and the Dunstan Hall and on this lawn grass was planted. Unfortunately, there was little organized effort to keep up a garden with enthusiasm waxing and waning.

In the mid-1990s Mildred Cromarty, after much research, had written a series of short articles on plants of the Bible in our weekly bulletin. Arising from these articles, the then minister, Mike Crockett, asked her if she would take charge of the grounds and create a Biblical garden. Mildred’s initial idea was to have a garden incorporating plants mentioned in the Bible but the site did not lend itself to such a garden and many of the plants mentioned were not very attractive, so a more colourful garden incorporating roses and irises with colourful annuals was worked on.

The whole ground area is too large for a part-time gardener to deal effectively with, so the area behind the Dunstan Hall is still not cultivated. (Today Philip, the caretaker, grows vegetables there.)

Mildred was also enthusiastic about the creation of a “Garden of Remembrance” and this received great support from the congregation.  However, it took much planning and in this Geoff Abbott played a major role with the planning and design.  This required the removal of many large (three metre) boulders. Fortunately this was at the time that Vodacom were planning their mast and they removed the boulders. Building of the wall and planting the garden then proceeded and the Garden was finally completed in December 1997. There are now many plaques and room for more. It is a great comfort for families to be able to visit the peaceful and beautiful Garden.

The Vodacom tower still stands near the Dunstan Hall and is a source of revenue for the Church.

In 1996, too, the Manse in Groenkloof was bought for the Rev Mike Crockett and his family. After 30 years the manse in Brooklyn Road was sold because of the high cost of maintaining it and the increasing noise of the traffic. Brooklyn owns two manses. The other manse is in Atterbury Road and is presently let to a tenant.

In 1997 Brooklyn experienced what it was like to have an “exchange minister” from America. They also had the new experience of having a woman minister! The Rev Mike Crockett and his wife Jo exchanged pulpits with the Rev Shirley Cadle and her husband, Shockey, for two months. In 1998 the exchange minister was the Rev Tom Harry with his family, Jan, Sonya and Chris. In August of that year Scott Forrester, the Youth Pastor, and his wife Antoinette, left Brooklyn to spend two years in England.

In 1997 the Prayer Chain became operational with 30 volunteers who promised to pray for people with special needs. The volunteers were grouped into 5 groups who contacted each other with the prayer requests. This is still functioning today under the leadership of Olga Mole and Elaine Seeman.

At the 1998 Conference the Millennium Campaign was launched. The Brooklyn minister, Mike Crockett, was appointed full-time fund-raiser for the Campaign.  This meant he would no longer be able to work full-time as a minister at Brooklyn after the end of 1998. He expected to return to Brooklyn after two years so the Rev Viv Harris was sent to minister at Brooklyn for 1999 and 2000. When he came to Brooklyn Viv had been a minister for almost 50 years. The Greenland family also arrived at Brooklyn in January 2000 when Robert came as second minister to assist Viv Harris. At this time, too, Brooklyn said good-bye to the Thornberrys, Dermott and Charlene.

During 1999 exciting things happened at Brooklyn. A  METHSOC  (Methodist Society on Campus) was established at Pretoria University. The Brooklyn minister is the Methodist minister in charge of work among the students and a number of students attend the evening service.

In 2000 Robert Greenland wrote in the Family Focus about his concern for Viv Harris’ health. He had to have an operation to release pressure on a vertebra and then a second operation to remove three vertebrae and replace them with a cage. The road to recovery would be long and slow. Sadly Viv died on 31 March 2003, not long after leaving Brooklyn.

What of the activities during the last decade? Brooklyn continues to supply groceries for House 1 at Bramley House. The soup kitchen in Arcadia Street is still part of Brooklyn’s ministry.  Every week many of the ladies in the congregation make soup for the poor and the homeless. Services are held for the residents at Princess Christian Home and latterly at the Flower Foundation Old Age Home. Since its inception at the beginning of the year Carol Lotter, the Director of the Pastoral Care Centre has arranged training courses on how to counsel people and how to be a listener. More courses are planned. The Pastoral Care Centre also has a “Hospitality Day” on Tuesdays when you can relax and enjoy a cup of tea and muffins at the Centre.

Bible studies, both in homes and at the Church have continued while the Disciple courses cater for those who want to delve more deeply into the Bible. The “Cards for Compassion” ministry continues each Friday led by Lorna Cooke, as cards are renovated and sold in aid of the Queenswood Home.

Holiday Clubs have been held each July holiday and many children have been reached for Christ through this outreach. Since she became Children’s Ministry Pastor Maya has been responsible for the Holiday Club.

During these years we have had four “Beautiful Music” concerts arranged by Eddie and Carol Genis. The musicians played classical music and we also had opera singers performing. One of the singers was Megan Kahts, one of our own young people who is presently training to be an opera singer in Vienna. Eddie Genis was another of the singers.

An innovation for the centenary year was the establishment of a Women’s Manyano who meet on a Saturday afternoon twice a month.  The Manyano was started by Joyce Nyandoro, one of the Society Stewards. The group has already visited the Mamelodi Women’s Manyano to make contact with other groups in the Circuit.

Robert served at Brooklyn for seven years. He came as a probationer minister, was ordained while he was at Brooklyn, and left to take up an appointment at Pretoria North Methodist Church.  Since he has been at Pretoria North he has been made Circuit Superintendent of that circuit. He was one of our visiting preachers for our centenary year and the congregation was delighted to see him again.

Since 2001 we have had the Rev Paul Bester as the minister at Brooklyn. He was at first assisted by Robert Greenland but after Robert left the Rev Ross Olivier was appointed to Brooklyn. He was a senior minister but he could not stay at Brooklyn because after a year he was appointed President of the new Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary, Pietermaritzburg.

In 2008 Paul became a Supernumerary minister. He continued to work at Brooklyn and the Rev Schalk Pienaar arrived on a two year conference appointment for 2009 and 2010. Once again we were unlucky and Schalk and Marlene left us in April 2010 to mentor probationers for the Methodist Church in Australia. Our new minister for 2011 is the Rev Gary Molver, who with his wife, Gayle, will be joining us from Witbank. When Gary was in the army about two decades ago he attended Brooklyn Church and helped with the youth work. He says that he feels as if he is coming home and we look forward to welcoming him.

What of the centenary year? In January Lorraine Bisschoff arranged a Ministries Fair at which all the various ministries at Brooklyn were represented. It was a great success! In February the Centenary Thanksgiving Fund was launched. The money collected is for our centenary project, the Pastoral Care and Counselling Centre in the old house that used to house the nursery school. In March we announced the winner of the Centenary Hymn competition – Mrs Phyllis Reed. On 18 April we had a party to celebrate the beginning of our centenary year and also to celebrate the 100^th birthday of Mrs Iris Swemmer, one of our members. Past ministers and members were invited to an anniversary tea in the Dunstan Hall. Our recipe book was launched and we said good-bye to Schalk and Marlene. In June we invited the Rev Robert Greenland to be a centenary guest preacher at all three services and on 15 August we had the Rev Peter Johnstone as our guest preacher. Many memories were exchanged and stories told of times past.

On 3 October we will be celebrating the opening of the “Old Church” with a Thanksgiving Service led by Bishop Taylor. There will be a celebratory tea in the Dunstan Hall and the “History” will be launched.  We will also be selling commemorative mugs. Next year, 2011, Brooklyn will celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Golden Jubilee Church when the present church turns 50 years old. That will be a time for further rejoicing!

CHAPTER 3  -  MEMORIES OF MEMBERS

At Brooklyn there are folk who have been members for many decades. There are people who have grown up in the Church and have seen their children and even their grandchildren becoming members of Brooklyn too.

We asked some of these members to give us their memories of Brooklyn.  The first comes from Mrs Erica de Villiers who was the birthday card secretary for 62 years. She is still a member and attends services whenever she can. She still makes her beautiful handmade cards for members of the Women’s Fellowship. Here is what she has to say about Brooklyn 60 years ago:

About 60 years ago I started attending BMC. In those days it was a very small zinc lined with wood building. There was a stoep on the west side where we held many jumble and cake sales.

I well remember Mr and Mrs Abendroth. He was the organist while she greeted the churchgoers every Sunday. There was a large front door which was given to the Dutch Reformed Museum by the Rev Jim Ferris.

Then there were the Holdens. Gordon was the church treasurer. I also remember the Rowes (the parents of Sheila Iles). Gwen was chairlady of the WA for many years.

When the Rev J B Webb laid the foundation stone of the new church he spoke of the old church as “the church with its tin posterior”. There was a shed behind the old church where extra chairs etc, could be stored.

When the new church was built the organ was donated by Jack Maynard and his two sisters. The beautiful window on the west side of the church was also a donation.

Before the old church was pulled down the Dunstan Hall (named after the Rev Dunstan) was built and was then used for church services.

The “Little Church” between the new church and the Dunstan Hall was the brain child of Mrs Wynne Lowe. She and Mr Lowe ran the Sunday School for many years.  The “Little Church” had small pews and a small pulpit especially for the younger Sunday School children.

The Woods were well-loved members. Fair was always catering for the old folk whom she took into her home. The Rev and Mrs Freeland adopted two children, Ann and John. Ann had cerebral palsy and Mr Freeland wrote a book about her called “Dear Ann”.

Erica de Villiers has two daughters who are members of Brooklyn. They are Elaine Seeman and Lorna van Wyk. This is what Lorna has to say about her experience as a school girl at Brooklyn.

My earliest memories of Brooklyn must date back to about 1948 when I was sent to Sunday School but was reluctant to return the following week because my teacher didn’t remember my name! I remember Mrs Lowe’s “Little Church” where the Primary met each Sunday. Mrs Lowe would ring the bell three times for silence and we would all chant:

The bell has rung its one, two, three

And this is what it says to me.

This is God’s most holy day

And we have come to learn His way.

I loved the little illustrated text cards that we received and pasted in our attendance books each Sunday and the songs we sang. My favourites were “Joy, joy, joy, with joy my heart is ringing” and “I’m H A P P Y”.

My first recollection of an awareness of sin and my need for forgiveness dates back to a Holiday Club at Brooklyn when I must have been about six or seven. A slide show of Pilgrim’s Progress left me identifying with the load of sin Pilgrim carried up the hill to the foot of the Cross, but I did not understand how to find forgiveness.

The Senior Sunday School with Mr Osborn Louw as Superintendent, met in the Dunstan Hall, named after the Rev Dunstan, whom I remember as a gentle, kindly, white haired old man. My mother tells the story of Mr Dunstan, whose eyesight was no longer what it used to be, waiting at a bus stop one day. A car drew up and the driver called out: ”Hop in and I’ll take you to town”. “Thank you,” he said, “My old lady has the car today”. “I am your old lady!” the driver replied with a chuckle.

I had many Sunday School teachers but one I remember well is Mrs Frances Mitchell. She probably made such an impression on me because she arrived at the last Sunday School class of the year with a pile of brightly wrapped gifts for each of us to choose from. There were also Miss Littlewood (who was little!) and       Miss Clarke who usually wore a navy blue hat. Miss Clarke very kindly offered the young people the use of her tennis court on Sunday afternoons. She even provided tea and cake for us each week! I remember Mrs Lorna Wells, the Sunday School pianist, with special fondness because it was in her class that I first made a commitment to Christ at the age of 14.

One year, a Sunday School teacher, Gill Oosthuizen, asked my sister Elaine to join the junior choir which sang at the 11:00 Church services. I was most indignant that Elaine offered my services as well. I did not relish the idea of attending both Sunday School and Church every Sunday. I became a reluctant choir member but soon grew to love being in the choir with our faithful choir master and organist. Mr Abendroth (Mr A to everyone), enthusiastically playing the old pedal organ. Mr A worked for the Transvaal Education Department and was especially popular with matriculants anxiously waiting to hear their exam results. With his help they knew their results several hours before they were available anywhere else! His wife, Mrs A, was a legend at Brooklyn. She knew everyone and would always be at the door to greet us all by name and to welcome and get to know any newcomers. Gill Oosthuizen, (now Gill Jones), became a good friend and my Christian mentor throughout my high school days. She is now a local preacher in Pietermaritzburg and still keeps in contact and visits the Brooklyn Church whenever she is in Pretoria.

The Guild which met on Friday evenings had only one disadvantage. The male/female ratio was about one to ten. As a result the girls were always keen for the Brooklyn Guild to meet with the Sunnyside or Riviera Guilds where there were a few more boys! I remember wonderful Easter Guild camps where we got to know Guilders from other churches in the Circuit. The Sunday School picnics at Fountains were also great fun but I was less enthusiastic about Sunday School anniversaries with many tedious practice sessions to try and perfect our singing.

Junior Church run by Mr William Wells, did much to help my early Christian growth. Mr Wells was a bank manager who, instead of relaxing or playing golf on his Wednesday afternoon off, chose to meet with the Junior Church group leaders instead. We looked forward to those meetings and learned many important Christian principles from him.

I remember confirmation classes with the Rev Syd Freeland, a small but dynamic man who, because of his spastic daughter, Ann, did much to help the cause of the cerebral palsied in South Africa. I think our group was the last to be confirmed in the old Brooklyn Church before the present church was opened in 1961.

How blessed we were as young people to have so many dedicated people at Brooklyn to help lay the foundations of our faith. Although my university studies, work and marriage have at different times taken me to other places, my return to Pretoria has always meant a return to Brooklyn Church. The building, the ministers, and most of the church members have changed over the years but Brooklyn is still “home” to me.

One of the families that have served Brooklyn well is the Jobson family. When Alister Jobson wrote this memoir for the book he did not know that he would not live to see the centenary year.  The Jobsons moved to Johannesburg a couple of years ago to be closer to their daughters and grandchildren. Sadly, Alister passed away towards the end of 2009 but he left us his “Memories of Brooklyn”.

Alister and Ruth Jobson with two small children, Roy and Jean, arrived in Pretoria towards the end of 1959. They found temporary accommodation at Brook House, Brooklyn and began the search for a nearby church to attend. Alister found what appeared to be a church, a small wood and iron building opposite a park in Brooklyn.  As I stood at a small gate in the fence, an elderly lady came down the path welcoming me to Brooklyn Methodist Church (BMC). She was Ada, the wife of the church organist, Mr Abendroth.

Hearing that we had just arrived in Pretoria and needed a house, she immediately told us about a BMC family who were about to leave Pretoria. And so, as an answer to prayer, we found ourselves happily settled in a new home at 370 Brook Street, Menlo Park. The recurrence of the word “brook” in Pretoria had become our stream of life-giving water!

While Ruth found places in the Sunday School for Roy and Jean, I wandered around the church grounds discovering lively Sunday School classes in progress. I was drawn to be a Sunday School teacher and soon accepted an invitation to take charge of a class of boys in the Junior Department.

My first class of ten-year old boys was held in the open air near the Dunstan Hall. A few of the boys elected to sit on the top of a small rocky outcrop, some chose a sandy slope and others preferred the grassy soil at the foot of the outcrop. This suited our lesson admirably demonstrating the parable of the sower as told by Jesus (Matthew 13:1-9). The boys thoroughly enjoyed spreading some bird seed on the different types of ground.

After a few months as a Sunday School teacher, I remember giving my boys an account of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:17, 18). I borrowed a large box of blocks from the adjacent Nursery School and the boys had great fun building the walls. Unfortunately, when the supply of blocks ran short twin brothers in the class started fighting over the blocks and one of them ended up running home in tears.

Another memory I have of BMS Sunday School occurred one Sunday morning during our opening worship session, which was a shared time with boys and girls of the Junior and Senior Departments in the Dunstan Hall. I was leading the session and there was some rowdiness among the senior boys. Trying to spot the source of the noise, I noticed a slightly larger and older “boy” seated quietly in the middle row, and realized that we were honoured by the presence of our minister, the Rev Syd Freeland. He had arrived with no introduction, so I continued without announcing his presence, presuming he wanted to do a little unobtrusive  reconnaissance of the Sunday School. A year or two later I realized the significance of the event.

For many years, the BMC Sunday School Superintendent had been the late        Mr George Osborn Lowe and the leader of the Primary Department his wife, Winifred. They were a wonderful couple who were blessed as they taught the children in their care, and were much loved by the BMC congregation. The time had come for Mr and Mrs Lowe to retire. I remember Syd Freeland saying to me that although the task needed someone a little older and more experienced, the BMC Leaders Meeting wished to appoint me as Sunday School Superintendent, with Dennis Hurrell as the Junior Church leader and Sheila Iles as the Primary Department leader, for a period of five years.  Ruth started the Beginners’ Department. I was honoured to take on this responsible role and to serve the Sunday School and my Lord in this way.

Sheila Iles (nee Rowe) is also a Sunday School teacher. She has entitled her contribution “Happy memories of Brooklyn Methodist Church”.

My father was transferred to Pretoria at the end of 1956 and I started Std 6                  (Grade at Pretoria High School for Girls in January 1957.  We joined the Brooklyn Methodist Church and worshipped in the “old tin church”. Mr Abendroth, affectionately known as Mr A, played the “old” organ and Mrs A stood at the door and welcomed everybody. The Rev Dunstan was our minister, the Dunstan Hall being named after him. Mom and Dad sang in the choir and I sang in the Youth Choir. Mr Osborn Lowe was the Sunday School Superintendent and Mom and Dad both taught in the Sunday School. At the close of Sunday School each Sunday Mr Lowe would say the benediction and then say “Please pass out quietly”, which we children thought extremely funny. The Rev Syd Freeland followed the Rev Dunstan.

I became involved in the Guild and started teaching in the Primary Department under Mrs Winifred Lowe, who was responsible for the “Little Church”. This was a real little church with pews, a pulpit and even a communion rail. I took over the leadership of the “Little Church” when Mrs Lowe retired.

I met John in Circuit youth work and we were married in the new Church in April1966. John moved across from Riviera Methodist Church to join Brooklyn. I worked in the morning for Syd Freeland until Debby was born in 1968 and by then the Rev Jim Ferris had taken over and he baptized Debby and also Peter in 1971. By the time Michael arrived he was baptized by the new minister, the          Rev Ray Light, who confirmed Debby. Peter was confirmed by the Rev Tim Attwell and Michael by the Rev Milton Martin.  Debby married Clifford in 1991 and all three of their children have been baptized at Brooklyn.

John and I have been involved in most activities at BMC over the years, EWA, MWA, Senior Friendship Club, Men’s Fellowship, FTP (Finance Trust and Properties), but especially the Sunday School, Junior Church and confirmation classes. At present John leads Dee’s Bible Study group and we are both back in the Sunday School. I still lead the Senior Friendship Club which was started by Yvonne Verster and Milton Martin 27 years ago.

Just a few interesting facts: Did you know that the beautiful oak tree in our front garden was grown from an acorn taken from the first oak tree planted in Pretoria, in Skinner Street? It started in a jam tin planted by Osborn Lowe (a very keen gardener) and when it was about 6 inches (11cm) high, it was planted in the church grounds on Jacaranda Sunday in 1955 by the Primary Department in celebration of the City of Pretoria’s centenary.  It was nutured for many years and now at 55 years it really is a beautiful tree.

In November 1960 the Stone-laying ceremony of the Golden Jubilee church took place. Funds were still needed to finish the church and members and families were invited to give what they could. The response was amazing with many of the members and families donating items. The Sunday School donated the church bell which cost R 220. Mr and Mrs Lowe donated the two Golden Elms in front of the Church. When the Church was altered the Bishop, Hansie Mattheus, was at Brooklyn. By then the elms were large trees! When I heard that one of the trees had to come out I went to see Hansie and asked him if I could have the tree. Don’t ask me how I thought I would get it to my house! Anyway, Hansie said that they were going to move it to another part of the grounds. Months later Hansie phoned me (on a Tuesday) and said I could have the tree, but I would have to move it by Thursday when the builders were arriving! I was so upset. I couldn’t think how I could save the Lowe’s tree. It was MWA morning and I was still worrying about the tree when Iris Swemmer said to me: ”Why don’t you phone the Parks Board and ask them whether they could move the tree to the park across the road?”

I went home and after many telephone calls I eventually got hold of the Head of the Parks Department. As soon as I mentioned the tree he said he knew them because he passed them on his way to work. I asked him if he would like the tree for the park but explained that it had to be removed the next day! He said that actually they had lost a couple of elms in Mackie Street, New Muckleneuk and could use it there. I was down there next morning when the Parks Department arrived with all the right tools and lifted the tree with a crane onto the back of a truck. They took it off to Mackie Street where they planted it opposite the gates of the Jafta Old Age Home where it still is!

I have had 53 very happy years at Brooklyn. As a family we have been blessed and hope to be able to serve our Lord and Saviour for many more years.

Our next contribution comes from Liz Collins. She is one of the people responsible for the beautiful banners that hang in our Church.

I have been asked to write about my memories of Brooklyn Methodist Church. I decided that the recent events like helping with Alpha courses, going on an Emmaus Walk, making Agape gifts, singing in the choir and making banners would be less interesting that those of 50 years back.

Memories like the days when we still worshipped in the “Old Church”, like dear old Rev Dunstan, with his snow white hair who confirmed me in 1955. The girls all dressed in neat cotton dresses specially made for the occasion. I remember       Mr Abendroth playing the antiquated organ with pride. Once he got me to sing a solo. I was so nervous that while I sang the choir book in my hands was shaking up and down.

Then there was the Rev Freeland and his family. I always felt they taught us a lot by the way they cared for their daughter who suffered from cerebral palsy. It made me realize the need to count my blessings.

During the Rev Jim Ferris’ time we had a great Friday night Guild. We used to visit other church Guilds, making a lot of new friends. One Christmas we got onto a lorry and travelled through the suburbs singing Christmas carols.

One Easter we had a passion play. I was honoured to play Mary. When it came to the part where Jesus calls Mary by name, the lad who played Jesus said: “Marieee, Marieee” sounding like a sheep baaing. This caused some mirth.

Over the years we have had many ministers and Sunday School teachers. Some of them are no longer with us, some were more impressive that others. The one dearest to my heart was the Rev Viv Harris.

Brooklyn, Happy Centenary! May you enjoy many more years of worship.

Frances de Souza comes from one of the Brooklyn families that has had a number of generations of Brooklyn members. Here is her story entitled “My last fifty-two years at Brooklyn Methodist Church”

My father, Bob Whiteford, worked for the Pretoria Branch of the South African Reserve Bank and I attended Sunnyside Methodist Sunday School and Pretoria High School for Girls until he was transferred to the Durban branch in 1951. After seven years we returned to Pretoria and my parents decided to live in Brooklyn. We looked at the house next door to the Church where Mr Oosthuizen lived with his family, and I met up again with his eldest daughter, Margaret, who had been in my class at PHSG. She is now Margaret Roberts – the herb lady. In December 1958 the Church obtained that house and we bought one in Marais Street and joined Brooklyn Church. My sister, Valerie was confirmed in the Old Church in January, 1960 and taught in the Sunday School under Mrs Lowe. When her daughter, Jean, married Billy de Swardt Mrs Lowe invited all the teachers to attend and I accompanied Val as my future husband, Christopher de Souza, was the best man. Although Billy and Jean moved to Johannesburg we have remained friends to this day.

The Rev Syd Freeland married Chris and me in Brooklyn Church in1964. Both my sisters, Hazel and Valerie, were also married there by the Rev Jim Ferris. When I look at my wedding photos I realize that the Church was completely different then. On the front at the left there was a high pulpit and below facing west was the organ. The choir sat on the opposite side of the church facing east and the organist. The pulpit was taken out when they decided to add on the Mothers’ Room and put in the one-way window. On the front wall of the church in the middle was a huge cross and on either side the walls were face brick. When they revamped the organ they put in the organ pipes, a smaller cross and plastered the walls. There were wooden partitions in front of the front pews to hold Bibles and hymn books, and all the pews faced the front. I understand they removed the partitions because there was a problem turning the bier at funerals. There were windows on either side of the church and near the back there were concertina doors when closed made the church more intimate for small weddings and funerals. The centre aisle went straight down and out onto the pavement. When it was decided to widen the church and put in doors on the eastern side so that when there was a large congregation they could also be accommodated in the courtyard,  the concertina doors were removed and the pews turned at an angle. There were windows placed at the back of the church where the doors were, and a foyer built so that folk had somewhere to meet after the services, instead of out in the street.

My son, Allan, was baptized in Brooklyn Church by the Rev Jim Ferris in 1970 and my daughter Anne in 1973 by the Rev Ray Light. (Anne’s younger son was baptized at Brooklyn in June this year). More recently Anne’s sons were baptized at Brooklyn by the Rev Robert Greenland, Owen in 2008 and Ryan in June this year.  Valerie’s sons Andrew and Wesley were also both baptized there. At that time the Cradle Roll Leader presented the mother with a corsage at the service and someone was chosen from their list of visitors to visit the home every quarter until the child was old enough for Sunday School. The baptism services were held once a month and on each occasion one of the Sunday School classes was chosen to come and watch the baptism, sing a song and then return to their classroom before the sermon began.

When Anne was about two years old Sheila Iles suggested I join the Evening Women’s Auxiliary. We had a busy time pouring endless cups of tea and helping with cake sales, jumble sales, etc to collect money for the Bible Woman and the little girl at Epworth Homes that we supported. My husband, Chris, belonged to the Men’s Fellowship.

Once a month Sheila and I took our younger children and visited the oldies at Queenswood Home and also Nazareth House. The residents loved having the little ones to visit them. Our annual occasion was the Westkoppies party which was held at Fountains Valley or someone’s house – now it is held in the Dunstan Hall.

When my children started attending Sunday School I placed my name on the roster to help out with the crèche in the house next door where babies and toddlers were looked after while their parents were in church. In the early 1970s Ruth Jobson and Eve Pretorius campaigned to have the house turned into a nursery school, which both my children attended.

During the Rev Ray Light’s time at Brooklyn there was a very vibrant atmosphere as the community was very young and there were about 1,000 children, of various denominations, attending the Sunday School. Ray also had different pastors assisting him during those years, including Ross Olivier – some even ran the Comrades Marathon with him. The Church was always full, so it was decided to start the Glen Methodist Church. Those people who decided to move to the East met in the Glen High School hall until their church was built.

Anne attended the Guild at Brooklyn and every now and again she would go off armed with my Tupperware cake carrier with a chocolate cake inside she had baked herself – this was for the Rev Peter Johnstone who ran the Guild. She said he had requested it! (When he preached at Brooklyn in August he said he remembered those cakes!)

Both my parents, Bob and Rene Whiteford, were on the Finance Committee and my father assisted them to introduce the Planned Giving Scheme Recorder until he handed over the reins when he was asked to be Church Treasurer, a position he held until about a year before his death at the age of 83. He only had peripheral vision at this time but as he always had a head for figures he was able to memorise them, and then present the figures at the evening meeting.

Milton Martin meant a lot in my life. He was always there for my Dad when my mother passed away, and he was there in hospital to pray for him near the end. He took the memorial services for all the members of my family who passed away during his years of ministry and even when he was retired. In December 1994 he even travelled to Evander to marry Alan.

Ministers have come and gone in the last 52 years but one whose sermons I always enjoyed because he spoke from the heart, was Viv Harris. Another who brought a different outlook to the Church was Robert Greenland. It was so wonderful to watch him flourish as he gained in confidence over the years, and the ladies always enjoyed his hugs!

There is something for everyone at Brooklyn – you just need to enquire around and you will find a place just meant for you!

The Pullen family is another Brooklyn family of long-standing who have served the Church in numerous ways. Dee has the special ministry of greeting people at the door when they arrive for the Sunday services.  Here is her story:

We moved from Johannesburg forty years ago with five children, three of who were baptised here at Brooklyn. All the children went to Sunday School and Guild and were confirmed in the Church.

The boys, in particular, had wonderful years at Guild with the Blue Pullen Combi thoroughly committed to driving Guilders to the drive-in, etc. They met in the old garage (where Phillip, the caretaker’s, flat is now) and it was the group’s suggestion to cover the verandah behind the Dunstan Hall to make the Coffee Bar. Thanks go to John Iles who planned and helped to make it a reality, and to subsequent Guild groups who furnished and set it up as a Coffee Bar.

Dee was a Sunday School teacher and is greatly indebted to Ruth Jobson for all she did for the Junior Sunday School and her incredible support for the Nursery School over the years.

We have great memories of Sunday School picnics. We went by train from the Central Station to Irene Station. John Iles then fetched us in his truck from Dawson & Fraser’s shop and took all the children (several hundred in those days) to the Irene Farm, where Dennis and Linley Hurrell and the Sunday School teachers played games and fed us (red cool drink and hot dogs) and entertained us. We then went home tired but extremely happy!

Our family was blessed – all the girls married here. Lindsay’s son was blessed by Viv Harris when they came from New Zealand. Tim Attwell went to Parktown North Methodist Church in Johannesburg to conduct my father, Mr Lawrence’s, funeral. My mother, Mrs Lawrence, was greatly supported by visits and hugs from Robert Greenland, by the Care Group and by Brooklyn people in general.

Dee served on the Executive Committee for many years through the good and the bad times. I pay tribute to the ministers and leaders and to the many lay people who have served Brooklyn over the years. For many years I looked after the youth and give thanks to all who have laboured in that area and pray that new leaders will continue to rise up each year to hold the name of Brooklyn Methodist Church high.