The Lonehill Methodist Church is a new chapter in the age-old story of God gathering people into a community that brings healing and transformation through the incarnate presence of the resurrected Jesus. In 1999, the Bryanston Methodist Church purchased a property along the Jukskei River with a view to establishing a new congregation. A worshipping nucleus was created by Gary and Jacqui Rivas in 2004, and this group has now grown to include 600 adults, 50 youth and 250 children in 2008. Some five years ago a member of Bryanston Methodist Church donated 23 acres of prime land to the church. Located on a busy arterial road in Glenferness, on the border of Lonehill, it was recognized as God’s will for a church to be planted there so as to better serve the local community and minister to the disadvantaged in the area. After prayerful consideration, Reverend Costa Stathakis, Senior Pastor of BMC, visited Gary and Jacqui Rivas who at that time were pasturing a church in East London, to request they explore the possibility of planting a new church in the Lonehill area. In accepting this invitation, this husband and wife team re-located to Gauteng where, after four years of shaping, training and guidance, they left BMC to found the fledgling Lonehill Methodist Church (LMC). Yet to build and lacking their own premises, church meetings were held in the Lonehill Crawford Primary School for over a year. The inaugural meeting, attended by five people, was held on 11 January 2004, the launch being held on 4 April. Exceptional growth to an average of 260 congregants worshipping together on Sunday mornings resulted in the decision to move LMC Sunday morning services to Lonehill Crawford College. Membership continued to increase and with it the need for more parking spaces resulting in LMC initiating two morning services (07h45 and 09h30). A subsequent evening service (18h30) which commenced in the Church’s Lonehill Office Park premises also grew in numbers requiring they be held in larger premises; the first evening service was held at the Indaba Hotel in September. Currently, attendance at the three Sunday services exceeds an average of 500 congregants. Since inception, growth has resulted in all aspects of LMC’s ministry. The exceptional expansion of LMC in temporary premises is considered testimony to God’s purpose to initiate a new church in this area. To God be the glory for the continuing success of LMC in the knowledge that His will will prevail. | 
