Protea Glem Ward Split



The Protea Glen Ward Choir gathers for a photo after their first and final
performance together as a ward choir at the sacrament meeting where the
ward was split. Sister Redebe is sitting on the front row, far left seat.

Today was an historic day in the Protea Glen area of Soweto and a very spiritual experience for us. The entire stake presidency visited our Protea Glen Ward today and split the ward basically in half. When we arrived at about 8:50 for the 9:00 sacrament meeting, after having missed just one week while we were traveling with Ali, we were pleasantly surprised, almost shocked, to see the choir seats completely full with our ward choir, with about 20 sisters all in red tops and black skirts and about 10 brethren all wearing red ties with their white shirts. They sang two hymns and performed them marvelously. It brought tears to our eyes, especially Martha’s.

It was barely three months ago that we met with the bishopric and the bishop said, “I want a choir.” He told us that Sister Redebe had been called as choir director, but she didn’t know how to lead music, couldn’t read music and never had a calling like this before. He asked Martha if she could teach Sister Redebe piano lessons and how to conduct music, and they had their first lesson that next Sunday.  We attended the ward’s first choir practice on Sunday, April 26^th, just over a month ago, and it was obvious there was a lot of work to be done. The choir has practiced Saturdays and Sundays for the past month, and what we witnessed today was truly amazing. Sister Redebe was in charge and the choir followed her. Her direction was beautiful and bordered on perfection. Very impressive, and very rewarding for Martha, needless to say. She felt as if her baby daughter had just taken her first step.

The stake president, President Thabo Lebethowa (Leh-BET-oh-wah) announced the ward boundary as Lenasia Road, which is the main thoroughfare running north and south down the middle of the ward, and he said everyone west of Lenasia would be in the new Glen Ridge Ward and everyone west of Lenasia would be in the new Protea Glen Branch. Bishop Qinisela would remain bishop, but of the new ward, and his first counselor, Thato Rabaholo would become the branch president of the new branch. The current second counselor would become first counselor to Bp. Qinisela and the ward clerk is the new first counselor in the branch presidency. No second counselors or clerks were sustained, nor were any other officers sustained in either unit. The new meeting schedule begins next Sunday with the Protea Glen Branch meeting at 9:00 and the Glen Ridge Ward at 11:00. We will be attending the Protea Glen Branch, along with Sister Redebe, the Buthelezis and others we have become close to, while the Nzimandes and others we love will be in the new ward.

President Lebethowa explained that the reason one unit is a branch and not a ward has nothing to do with size (both units have close to 500 members) but everything to do with the fact that there are not enough full-tithe paying Melchizedek Priesthood brethren in the branch. He said rather than waiting until there were, the presidency felt strongly that this division would provide impetus and motivation to the Priesthood bearers to commit to become fully active and worthy, and with half as many members to look after, the branch presidency could put twice the focus on each individual. He anticipates that the Protea Glen Branch could be a ward by the end of this year.

He said there are 21 major leadership positions in a ward, so now there will be twice as many, 42 leadership positions between the two units, positions that require a commitment to tithing worthiness.

He quickly reviewed how the Soweto stake has grown from one small Soweto Branch 15 years ago to a stake with eight units as of today, and he said more ward splits are forthcoming. He said there are nearly 1,000 members in Protea Glen, enough for four wards if everyone were active, and prophesied that there would be a Protea Glen Stake within 3 to 5 years, and said he fully expects 4 to 6 stakes in Soweto in the next 10 years! He then said, "As you can see, they already have the stake choir!" His focus was on the need for all members of both units to go out and find and gather in the lost sheep, “You know who they are! You know where they live!” They need to understand how needed they are and what great friends they have in the Church.

President Lebothowa and his two new counselors were very impressive in their remarks and testimonies, and the bishop and new branch president and his wife bore humble testimonies as well. During the third hour, President Lebethowa laid out the details of the transition, that many new callings will be made this week and next, that everyone should maintain their callings until told otherwise, and he answered any questions. He also laid out the Stake Plan for 2015, emphasizing tithing and fast offerings, and family history and temple work.

Bob was called upon to give the benediction, then the president had us all gather in the back of the cultural hall for a group photo. There must have been 300 or more members present. And Sister Redebe took advantage of the moment and had the choir pose for photos as well.

All in all, it was a spiritual, historic and fun experience to be a part of, and we look forward to assisting President Rabaholo in whatever he needs us to do in support of the new Protea Glen Branch. When we were in the Johannesburg Temple for an endowment session Friday with Ali, the Rabaholos were patrons and served as the witness couple in our session, and we felt a special spirit from them. Now we know why they felt a need to be in the temple.