Cornelius Johannes Prinsloo

Members in Christ Church had a unique origin.

It all started with the founder, pastor Cornelius Johannes, Prinsloo and his wife, Constance Madeline Prinsloo. Pastor Prinsloo was born on 01 January 1900, a date that did not only mean the start of a new millennium but was also the birth date of a man that would initiate a new movement in God’s work on earth. As a young man, he was employed by the South African Railways, as a train driver.

In 1923 he was converted under the ministry of pastor G.J Henning, of the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa. In 1928 he was led by the Holy Spirit to start a new Pentecostal movement in Pietersburg. In the meantime, he met sister Maria Martha Fraser (born
Claassen (June 06, 1889, Victoria West, Bo-Karoo, Northern Cape, South Africa, Death: July 24, 1972 (83)
Benoni, East Rand, Gauteng) the South Africa founder of the Latter Rain Mission, in Benoni.

His love and appreciation for the working of the Holy Spirit and accompanying manifestations, contributed to his relating to the ministry of the Latter Rain Mission. He started a congregation for the Latter rain Mission in Pretoria, on a premises that was formerly used as a cowshed, that was converted into a church.

A building was later on obtained in Potgieter Street, that became known as a “Faith Home”. Pastor Prinsloo grasped the concept of seasons that serves as periods of training for someone, to be utilized for a greater purpose later on. He realized that the secret was in carefully being obedient to the voice and leading of the Holy Spirit.

God used pastor Prinsloo exceptionally in the gift of prophecy. In December 1939 he conveyed the news to the Latter Rain Mission, that God led him to start a new Pentecostal movement. This decision was backed up by substantial periods of praying and fasting.

He recruited nobody to follow him, but encouraged anyone that would follow him, to obtain leading from the Lord Himself, in this regard. A reasonable group of people joined him and on 21 January 1940 the Holy Spirit led, through the gift of prophecy, that each one that became part of the new group should call him/herself a “member in the Body of Christ”.

During this time the Lord, also through the gift of prophecy, gave directives that were applied as the rules of the constitution of the new Pentecostal movement. The group that was formerly established in Pietersburg, also stayed loyal to pastor Prinsloo. Congregations were established in Pietersburg, Port Elizabeth, East Londen, Brits and in 1942 the premises on the corner of Booysen Street and Benita Avenue, in Les Marais, Pretoria, was purchased. This is where Helderberg congregation is situated and was also the first site where the first church building of the new movement was erected.

During this time pastor Prinsloo received a Holy Spirit revelation that the new movement must be called “Members in Christ”. The “Faith Home” in Benita Avenue, Les Marais, was also purchased during this time and in a time of war and poverty, the new members learnt to trust in God. The pastors were known as “workers”, rather than pastors and there was no remuneration for services rendered. 

On 01 November 1947 the movement was registered under Company Law as “MICA” or rather “Members in Christ Assemblies of South Africa”. After several failed attempts, the official name was later altered to “Members in Christ Assemblies”. With good motivation and purpose, the official name was later once more altered to “Members in Christ Church”, mainly because of the fact that the word congregation could easily be mistaken as referring to a single congregation.

In South Africa, pastor Prinsloo evangelised under all races and ethnic groups and congregations were established countrywide. In 1967 Helderberg congregation already consisted of more than 400 people.                        

PLANTING OF CONGREGATIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

Past Prinsloo also had a vision to plant churches in foreign countries. In 1952 he acted on this inspiration and congregations were established in the USA, Canada, Belgium, the UK and the Netherlands. Later on he also evangelized in India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. From 1944 he also worked for the Lord, in what was then known as Rhodesia, called Zimbabwe today.

On 19 March 1978, pastor Prinsloo passed away, leaving a precious Holy Spirit legacy for Members in Christ Church.

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⛪️ HISTORIESE OORSIG
DIE GEBOORTE VAN ‘N NUWE KERK
Lede in Christus Kerk het ‘n unieke ontstaan. Die verhaal begin by die stigter, pastoor Cornelius Johannes Prinsloo en sy gade, Constance Madeline Prinsloo. Hy was gebore op 1 Januarie 1900, ‘n datum wat nie net ‘n nuwe millennium sou inlei nie, maar ook die geboorte van ‘n man wat ‘n nuwe beweging sou bring in God se werk op aarde. Hy was as jongman in diens van die Suid Afrikaanse Spoorweë en ‘n masjinis van beroep. In 1923 kom hy tot bekering onder die bediening van pastoor G. J. Henning by die Apostoliese Geloofsending van Suid Afrika. In 1928 voel hy dat God hom lei en begin ‘n Pinksterbeweging in Pietersburg. Hy kom ook intussen in aanraking met suster M. M. Fraser, die stigter van die Spade Reën Sending, in Benoni. As gevolg van pastoor Prinsloo se liefde vir die werking van die Heilige Gees en die gepaardgaande manifestasies, het hy dadelik aanklank gevind by Spade Reën Sending. Hy begin dan ook ‘n Spade Reën Sendinggemeente in Pretoria en die eerste aanbiddingsplek, was ‘n koeistal in Schubartstraat, wat omskep was in ‘n kerk. Later word ‘n gebou in Potgieterstraat aangekoop, wat ‘n “Geloofshuis” geword het. Pastoor Prinsloo het egter ook die beginsel verstaan dat God ‘n mens dikwels deur seisoene neem, wat as opleiding dien en dat Sy plan vir ons gewoonlik heelwat groter is, as wat ons besef. Die geheim is egter om te luister na Sy stem en te reageer soos Hy lei. God het hom ook buitegewoon gebruik met die bediening van die profetiese gawe. In die Desember van 1939 deel hy die Spade Reën Sending mee dat die Here met hom gepraat het en dat hy ‘n ander Pinksterbeweging moet begin. Hierdie besluit was gerugsteun deur baie vasting en gebed. Hy het geen werwing gedoen onder kollegas of vriende nie en het dit baie duidelik gestel dat iemand wat die pad saam met hom wou loop, baie duidelike leiding van God self moes kry. ‘n Redelike groep mense het hulle by hom geskaar en op 21 Januarie 1940 lei die Heilige Gees deur ‘n profetiese rede, dat elke persoon, wie deel was van die groep, hom/haar as ‘n “lid in die Liggaam van Christus” moes beskou. Gedurende hierdie tyd het die Heilige Gees ook deur ‘n profetiese rede, bepaalde riglyne uitgespel wat die konstitusie van die nuwe Pinksterbeweging sou word. Die eerste groep mense in Pietersburg het ook lojaal aan pastoor Prinsloo gebly. Gemeentes was gestig in Pietersburg, Port Elizabeth, Oos-Londen, Brits en in 1942 word die perseel op die hoek van Booysenstraat en Casperlaan, in Les Marais, in Pretoria aangekoop. Helderberggemeente is hier geplant en die eerste gebou van die nuwe beweging, is hier opgerig in 1944.

Dit was in dié tyd dat pastoor Prinsloo ‘n openbaring, gerugsteun deur die aanvanklike profetiese rede, van die Here ontvang het, om die beweging “Lede in Christus” te noem. Die “Gebedshuis” in Benitalaan, Les Marais, Pretoria, is ook in hierdie tyd aangekoop en in ‘n tyd van oorlog en armoede, het die nuut gestigte kerk se mense geleer om op God te vertrou. Die pastore van daardie tyd was “werkers” genoem en finansiële vergoeding was nie ter sprake nie. Op 1 November 1947 word die beweging onder die Maatskappy Wet geregistreer as “MICA” ofte wel “Members in Christ Assemblies of South Africa”. Daar word verskeie pogings aangewend om die amptelike naam te verander van “MICA Gemeentes van Suid-Afrika”, na “Lede in Christus Gemeentes”, wat na vele pogings later suksesvol was. Daar word veel later, met goeie beweegrede, besluit om die amptelike naam van die kerk te verander na “Lede in Christus Kerk”, hoofsaaklik omdat die woord “Kerk” beter beskrywend was vir ‘n versameling gemeentes, as die benaming “Gemeente”, wat foutiewelik gesien kon word as verwysend net na ‘n enkele gemeente. In Suid Afrika het pastoor Prinsloo ook evangeliseer onder die ander bevolkingsgroepe. Gemeentes word landswyd onder alle etniese gemeenskappe geplant. In 1967 het Helderberggemeente in Pretoria, reeds meer as 400 lidmate gehad.

PLANTING VAN GEMEENTES IN DIE BUITELAND
Pastoor Prinsloo het ook ‘n visie gehad om gemeentes te plant in die buiteland. In 1952 vertrek hy dan ook oorsee en gemeentes kom tot stand in die VSA, Kanada, België, Engeland, België en Nederland. Hy het ook later gaan evangeliseer in Indië, Japan, Australië en Nieu-Seeland. Sedert 1944 het hy ook in die destydse Rhodesië, vandag Zimbabwe, vir die Here gewerk. Op 19 Maart 1978 is pastoor Prinsloo oorlede na ‘n kort siekbed, maar hy laat ‘n ryke Heilige Gees erfenis vir Lede in Christus Kerk na.

DIE VESTIGING VAN GOEIE ORGANISASIE EN ADMINISTRASIE
Pastoor Prinsloo word opgevolg deur pastoor Gerrit Johannes Du Toit, wat reeds sedert 1957 as vise-moderator opgetree het. Pastoor du Toit het op 16 Maart 1936 , op sewentienjarige ouderdom, kragdadig tot bekering. Op 30 April 1943 trou hy met Ada Jeluna Pretorius en op 01 Januarie 1947 tree hulle saam toe tot die bediening in Lede in Christus Kerk. Op 16 Maart 1978 word pastoor du Toit formeel as Lede in Christus Kerk se volgende moderator verkies, ‘n pos wat hulle met groot waardigheid beklee, tot met hulle uittrede uit die voltydse bediening, in 1996. Hierdie nuwe bouer aan God se koninkryk sou dalk in sommige se oë anders bou, maar die fondasie en die bestaande grondplan sou nooit verander nie. Pastoor Du Toit kry die kerk administratief en organisatories gesond. Hy implementeer ‘n mediese skema, pensioenskema en salarisse vir die werkers of pastore. Hy slaag dan ook in sy visie om die kerk te lei tot die vereffening van alle eksterne skulde, wat die kerk skuldloos gelaat het. Verskeie nuwe gemeentes kom onder sy leierskap tot stand en landswyd word kerke en pastorieë opgerig vir Lede in Christus Kerk. Ondanks ‘n ernstige beroerte aanval wat pastoor du Toit gehad het, lank voordat hy moderator sou word, het hy en sy gade steeds op ‘n hoë ouderdom, tot agtien ure per dag gewerk om gemeentes en pastoorspare te besoek, van die Suide van die land tot die verre Noorde. Hulle doen die werk van die Here met onverbiddelike getrouheid en ywer. Dit dien vermeld te word dat sy eggenote, Ada du Toit, in eie reg baie groot respek afgedwing het deur die waardige wyse waarop sy haar plek aan pastoor du Toit se sy volgestaan het. In sy tyd word die naam van die kerk dan ook “Lede in Christus Kerk ⛪️