In the early 1980’s a few families in Richards Bay started meeting weekly in the prefabricated library building, “the cardboard buildings”, next to “Strandloper Café” in Meerensee. Within two years this meeting had grown and they agreed to form a church and call a pastor to lead them. The church continued to steadily grow and met in various school halls until buying property and commencing the sta
ged construction of the current facility. In September 1992 Richards Bay Community Church moved into our own buildings at 70 Disa Dives, Veldenvlei. At the heart of Richards Bay Community Church has always been the desire to “touch heaven and through the Cross to change earth” and so our purpose and mission is clearly established – Love His Presence; Love His People. The word “church” or “ecclesia” in the original Greek of the New Testament, speaks of a gathered covenanted people of influence in an area. They are gathered around the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross and covenanted to Christ and each other to grow into His likeness and then continue His mission of advancing the Father’s Kingdom. RBCC desires to be a gathering of people who passionately love God and His mission. We see a people who are constantly looking into Heaven in passionate worship to see and hear His heart and then in intimate relationship with Him to speak and act to change earth. We believe that all people matter, irrespective of race, age, creed or social standing. We also believe that each of us has a significant destiny given by the Father, redeemed by the Son and empowered by the Holy Spirit. We have been given, through Christ, lives that are intended to be abundantly fruitful. A large part of our ministry to the community is in the field of education and the Richards Bay Christian School, established in 1988, is today the school of choice for many in Richards Bay. Our desire in the school is to educate innovatively from a Biblical perspective to transform lives. As we look at our students we are extremely pleased with what we see God doing. Other key ministries at our church are JAM Kids, Ignite Youth, Community Connect Groups, Family Foundations International, Growing Families International, Worship Team, and others aimed at ministering to the whole family, young and old. Our Whole Life Ministry is the platform that we use to assist and minister to the poor and needy in our community and further afield on a monthly basis. In terms of accountability and relationships, our church is part of Foundation Ministries International, a well-established movement of revival churches in South Africa and further afield into Africa. Apostolically, our senior leaders are discipled and under the apostolic oversight of Ps Cornelis and Jealine van Heyningen, of Our Father’s Home Church, in Bloemfontein. Since 2020, Grant and Bernice Clifton have led the church, after transferring leadership from Larry and Jeanette Chasenski, who faithfully led RBCC since 2004. Grant and Bernice are passionate about God’s presence, family, revival and being a people who will change the world. Together, we believe that Richards Bay Community church will be a revival base to the nations, that changes our city, and reaches the ends of the earth.