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Page 1 of 3 HistoryAs far as can be ascertained the assembly of brethren in Pretoria was established in the late 1880’s, largely by immigrant believers from the United Kingdom. For many years in the turbulent pre and post Boer War period of South Africa's history they met in the homes of various believers.
As time went on and the assembly outgrew the residential accommodation available they hired a first floor rest cum reading room located in a building in Church Street just east of Church Square. The room was called the Hartley Hall. This was a shared facility and had more the appearance of a club lounge. Among the folk who met there were McBrides, Platts Hastie-Smith, Irelands, Harrises, MacMairs, Hughes, Hattinghs, Grovers, Beezholds, Marais, Galbraiths plus two Miss Fergussons, who had come from New Zealand to run a Christian school for Indian children in Pretoria West. In the mid 1930’s a further outreach activity commenced amongst the elderly folk who lived in the Princess Christian Home, an old age home named after princess Christian of Denmark. The outreach continues to this day but in the newer Princess Christian home in Middel Street, New Muckleneuk. While the assembly still gathered in the “upper room” in Queens Street all baptisms were carried out in the central swimming baths. The staff were instructed by the superintendent to request all bathers to leave the water while the baptism service was conducted.
In the late 1940’s the assembly realised that there was a need to move from downtown to one of the suburban areas where people lived. A site was acquired in Esselen Street, Sunnyside right opposite the brewery (today the site of the Sunnypark shopping centre). The building consisted of a hall to seat about seventy people, entrance foyer, ladies and gents cloak rooms and a combined kitchen/prayer room and cost just £2500-00. The hall was opened on the 9th of March 1950. As the years rolled by the character of Sunnyside changed. The decision to move was taken. A site was found in Schoeman Street, a relatively quiet two-way street with easy access from town and from the East. The proceeds of the sale of the hall at 113 Esselen Street purchased the sites and the house at a cost of R25 000 and contributed R88 000 for the building of the new hall. All had to be completed by the 6th of March 1971 when the official opening took place. By the early 1990’s it was apparent that the assembly would once more have to move. Schoeman Street had become a busy one-way road, almost all the residential houses in the area had become offices, embassies or were being demolished to build office blocks, shops etc. This time, after much thought and prayer it was decided to move into a middleclass purely residential area well into the suburbs. The existing property in Schoeman Street was sold, the proceeds of the sale went to provide the present site, build another hall and ancillary facilities for a new assembly home base. So it was that on 29th May 1999 the new Bethel complex at 621 Beagle Street, Garsfontein EXT 13 was officially opened. |
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