Gateway Church

Finally, some updates from South Africa! I’ve been here 5 months and it has been a very busy time for me. I am settled in and all is well.

This is a picture of my apartment. Click on it to see more pictures of it and to read a newsletter from August as I was just arriving and settling in.

This is a picture taken during my trip in mid-August to the church branch in Steelpoort (about two hours away) and my trip to Polokwane. Click on it for a newsletter with more pictures and details.

This is a picture of Pastor Sanford, myself, Pastor Stella, and Pastor Eddie from my installation service in August. Click on the picture for more details about this service. I have a video of the installation service, but it’s much too big right now. I’ll need to work on editing it so that a portion of it can be posted here.

Shown here is my office at Gateway Church International. Clicking on it will open a newsletter from early spring.

In September, I took a week-long mission trip to Zimbabwe with some Gateway Church International (GWCI) members. I’m still working on that newsletter. Look back here soon to see details about this trip.

For Christmas, the church office is closed for two weeks. I’ll be going with the Phetlas to the Indian Ocean (near Durban) for a few days to have a time of refreshing.

Thank you for your prayers, love, and phone calls. Facebook has been a real blessing; so, if you don’t have an account, get one and find me on Facebook.

Susan Schmid has embarked on an exciting new adventure.  She traveled to South Africa on August 2nd, 2009 and began a two year missionary stint at Gateway Church International in Witbank.  She will be serving Pastors Eddie and Stella Phetla in an administrative role while she is there.  This is Susan’s third long-term missionary trip since she has been a part of Gateway Church.  She was involved in a team that planted a church in Dagestan, Russia, and later spent a season ministering in London, England.  Susan will be keep us up-to-date with all God is doing through newsletters and posts on this website.  If you would like to contribute to Susan while she is ministering in South Africa, please contact the church office.

Click here to read Susan’s latest newsletter (you must have a PDF reader)

Click here to see some pictures of Emalahleni, South Africa

Since 2000, Gateway Church has been connected to the church in Cuba through Bishop Samuel Ramos and his network of churches throughout the island.  God has blessed our relationship with Bishop Ramos and the churches in Cuba.  Through the years Pastor Cooper and several other men from our church have taken short term mission trips to encourage the church that is growing in the midst of persecution.  One of the greatest areas that God has challenged Gateway Church to make an impact in Cuba is by ministering to and encouraging the pastors that labor so faithfully there.  In 2000, God challenged our body to build a house for one of the pastors in Cuba.  Since then we have committed to financially support several pastors.  We can support a pastor for only $30 a month.  This gift enables the continuing revival to have faithful laborers in the harvest.  We ask that you consider committing to all or even part of the monthly support for a pastor.  If you can’t provide monthly support, perhaps you could provide a one-time offering that is designated for the church in Cuba.  You can either place your financial gift in the offering on any Sunday morning, or you can bring or mail it to the church office at 502 S. Jackson St. Morristown, TN 37814.  All offerings intended to support the pastors in Cuba should be clearly marked as such.