I joined the Eldership team at Ridgecrest Family Church at the beginning of January 2015. Relocated from East London in 2013 with my wife Tyrel Evelyn Karuppan (married for 7 years). Was youth pastor at City Life Church for 3 years prior to the move to Johannesburg. Currently completing my BTH at the Baptist Theological College. I enjoy spending time with friends and family. The occasional fishing trip is also needed from time to time.

As Student Pastor at Ridgecrest, I have the responsibility of preaching, teaching and assisting in the Pastoral Care alongside the Eldership. My heart for ministry is seeing people come to faith through missions and evangelism and to see the church grow into a deeper relationship with God.

Ron was born& grew up in Swaziland, the son of a Colonial Police Officer.

He was confirmed in the Anglican tradition at the age of 13 and became a Server in the Church.

This involvement began a growing love for things of God and a desire to become involved in His service.

Sent to Boarding School in Pietermaritzburg, a Marist Brothers, Roman Catholic College where he was awarded the Public Spirit Prize in his Final Year.

Joined the Chamber of Mines after leaving school & posted to Lesotho where he was invited to be a Sub-Deacon at St James Anglican Church in Maseru.

While working in Lesotho he met, his wife Paddy, and they were married in 1969.

After leaving Lesotho, they settled in Pietermaritzburg where he joined the Old Mutual.

They were regular Church attendees during this time believing that one’s salvation was based on a theological debit & credit type of system –

• credits for Church attendance, good behaviour &

• Debits for anything sinful.!!

On Saturday afternoon the 17th March 1973, Ron & Paddy, together,r committed their lives to Christ at the historic Billy Graham rally at Kings Park Rugby Stadium in Durban.

So began a new personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ:

• A new fresh desire to learn more about the Christian Life through reading & studying the Bible.

• Sermons began to get more & more challenging & personal……

• Serving Jesus became a joy & privilege

Paddy, his Wife [whom he says is a special Gift from God]  successfully ran the Life Christian Bookshop at the Flora Shopping Centre for the seven years until she left to nurse her aged sick Mother.

They have a married Daughter & a married Son, both of whom are Christians and who are involved in various Ministries in their Churches in & around Johannesburg.

They have four adorable Grandchildren.

Ron took early retirement as Regional General Manager of Old Mutual & has run a Financial Practice from Home for the past 17 years…

He counts it a honour & privilege to serve the Church Family as an Elder.

I was born in Bulawayo and raised in Randfontein. I gave my heart to the Lord late in high school, after witnessing a distinct change in my parents, who had done the same. I can testify to having experienced a very discernible change – I was, in a very real sense, born again. 

After completing high school, sensing a call to the ministry, I began studying theology, via correspondence, through the South African Theological Seminary. After 20 years in the secular workplace, I joined the staff at my alma mater, as Partnerships Registrar. I am currently in the process of completing my PhD in theology.

I am married to Beverly and we have a permanent 2 year old, Smudge, our beloved African Grey. We look forward to seeing how God continues to use us to facilitate the furtherance of His kingdom in and through both RFC and SATS.

I grew up in a Christian home. I went to a Christian school from nursery through to high school. I attended church most Sunday mornings. During my varsity years I strayed off the Christian path a bit even though I professed my Christianity from a young age, I found I was a stagnant Christian but I never grew in a close relationship with God; again I professed to love God, but I never bore fruit and wasted years of my life doing as I pleased.

God brought me to a point of realization that if I continued down that path, I would live a pointless and unfulfilled life. Soon after I met Chelene (my wife) who led me back to God, I came to Ridgecrest Family church in November 2015 upon invitation to Carols by Candlelight by Bennie Schonfeldt and become official members of Ridgecrest Family church on 26 February 2017 and baptized in March 2017. The passing of my daughter brought me closer to God because I was seeking comfort

I was born in Port Elizabeth, and have a twin brother and younger sister.  I have worked in the financial industry for the last 28 years. I am married to Karin and we have a son Thomas and a daughter Anne.

I came to know the Lord in 2015 after being prompted by my wife to visit RFC. I was baptised in January 2016 and taken into membership later in the year. I continue to expand my walk with God in RFC by making it my goal never to miss a service and to attend the many courses on offer such as Alpha. My family and I owe RFC a great debt of gratitude for what they have done for us.

Tyrel has been married to Ezra Karuppan since 2008 and relocated to Johannesburg, from East London, in 2013.

Tyrel has been working at a Financial Institution for the past 15 years and thoroughly enjoys the corporate world.

She began serving in ministry at City Life Church in East London where she was involved in the Sunday School and is still involved in Sunday School, being a part of the Epic Kids Team at Ridgecrest Family Church.

Tyrel loves Praise and Worship and enjoys socialising, reading and spending time with friends and family.

Jaco is married to Tammy and has two teenage children, Matthew and Tyler. They have been at Ridgecrest for many years and he serves in the IT and A/V ministry. 

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As a young boy approx. 12, my mother led me to the Lord and I committed my life to Christ. I was baptised at 16 years of age. I belonged to the AFM Magaliesburg and was involved in Leadership (Church Council), Led Home Cells, Worship & Preached. I became a member of RFC in February 2018 and have been on the Call Committee and Building Committee at RFC. I look forward to becoming involved in the Leadership of RFC

I was blessed to be born into a Christian home where the Lord and our Church were part of our daily lives. I accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour at the age of 7 at the Emmanuel Baptist Vacation Bible School one holiday and was baptised at the Central Baptist Church of Johannesburg on 13 April 1974.

The Lord has been a part of my life from my earliest memories and talking to Him is an every day experience. I know that it is only by His grace that I am saved, and He has blessed my family and I abundantly. I am involved at RFC whenever I am called upon to do so. I look forward to becoming involved in the Leadership of the church.

I was in the army when God opened my eyes to the cross for the first time. I had been attending Sunday School, youth and confirmation classes at the Methodist church for years where the gospel was presented but the message simply did not penetrate my heart.

I gave my heart to the Lord on 15 October 1974 and by His grace he started changing me – some things changed immediately as His Holy Spirit took hold in my heart but I am still on a journey to become what God wants me to be.

Since 1975 I have been involved in the Christian music ministry – firstly as part of an outreach music group called 7th Avenue and since 1985 in worship leading in Waterkloof Baptist church (1982-1985), Richards Bay Baptist Church (1985-204), Rosebank Union (2005 – 2014) and Ridgecrest Family Church since 2014.

I was in the church leadership team at Waterkloof (1984-1985) and Richards Bay (1986-2004)

I have led Cell Groups, Bible study groups, Youth Groups, Life Groups for many years in all the churches I have been involved in since becoming a Christian and have taught Sunday School as well.

I currently run one of the Life Groups at church on Wednesday evenings. I am also involved in the Worship Team. I am also part of the Call Committee.

I have been running a soup kitchen every Saturday morning since 2006.

I was blessed to be born into a Christian home with parents who are both Christians.

I attended Randburg Baptist in my youth where my father was a deacon for many years and was deeply involved with the church. I was therefore brought up with Christian morals and beliefs that I believe has shaped me into a person of good character.

Although I had attended church and sung the songs I admit I was a secret Christian and for years was searching.

It was when we attended Ridgecrest Family church 4 years ago that the Lord spoke to my heart and opened my eyes to what following Jesus truly means.

I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal saviour and was Baptised.

One Sunday morning there was an appeal to the congregation for volunteers to become involved in the church. On the list was an appeal for sound and AV assistants.

I recall a strong pull on my heart to step forward to assist with the sound ministry.

I put my name down and have not looked back and this experience has been most rewarding to my spiritual and family life.

I am now involved with the weekly services and the Easter and Christmas carol events.

I am now involved in other aspects of the church, including discussions with the youth and I am also involved in the Alpha course.

I also attend a weekly life group which has brought me closer to the Lord along my spiritual journey.

Ridgecrest Family Church has given me such support and I look forward to serving the Lord and community in the future.

It is only through Gods Grace that all things are achieved.

I grew up in a Christian home. My dad was an Elder in the Church. I accepted Christ at the age of 14 years and have been involved in the Church ever since. I served as a Secretary of the church for 2 years. I joined RFC 3 years ago and am very happy in the Church. I became a member in February 2018 and have been baptised as a Believer. I am also involved in teaching the teens in Frontline. I am looking forward to becoming more involved in the leadership of the Church.

I received Jesus into my life in April 1971 at an outreach meeting with an old evangelist of the day Ken Terhoven. I committed to Him that night with Margaret, now my wife of course, praying together. It was like a Damascus experience for me. I was baptised a year later at the Central Baptist Church in Pietermaritzburg. I became involved in ministry with young people and in music , mainly choirs and music ministry at church camps. Margaret and I married in 1974, and moved to Durban , where we were involved in childrens ministries at Bulwer Road Baptist. In 1978 we moved to Johannesburg where we joined Rosebank Union Church. We became involved in drama group ministry, choir work under Monty Sholund and later under Tucker. I also led a bible study group for some years .We started a modern music group, which then, was revolutionary. DRUMS! ELECTRIC GUITAR! It really was quite an innovation then.

We also led the music with the Sunday School kids or Kids Church as it was then called. We have 2 grown up daughters who are trying to forge their way in life. We are now actively involved with music ministry both up front worship and with Epic Kids since 2017 and are involved in Ron P Bible Study group. God has been so good to us over so many years. We delight in His service and we look to the future with confidence in Him.

As a child my parents dropped me off at Sunday School every Sunday, but only now and then attended church themselves. I had the blessing of a strong Christian grandmother who prayed for me. Looking back, I can see how God had His hand over me my entire life, guiding and protecting me.

I committed my life to the Lord at the age of 17 on a Church camp. It was like a bolt of lightning that struck my heart when I realised I am a sinner and that my sin nailed Jesus to that cross. I have made many mistakes but praise to God because he has used everything for good. I thank Him for continually transforming me into His image and for His patience with me. God has blessed me with a godly husband and together we follow Him and His will for the rest of our lives.

We have been worshipping at Ridgecrest since April 2016. At Ridgecrest I have been involved with the catering ministry, building committee, call committee, prayer warriors and WINGS.

I have since been elected as Treasurer and look forward to serving the Lord in the Leadership as well.

I gave my heart and life to the Lord at the age of 20, this led me on my path to serving the lord. From then on I was always involved in my local church and helping the church in whichever way that I could, thereafter I found my calling in the praise and worship team. I continued to be involved in the church for many years following that.

After moving from my home town of Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg, I longed to be a member of a church. After searching for a long time, we came across Ridgecrest Family Church. We were welcomed into the church and from the first visit we knew that this is a church we want to belong to. I found my way back into the praise and worship team and felt honoured to be a member of the church and to be able to show my commitment to the Lord through praising his name.

The Lord knew what was in my heart and led me to this church knowing that this is where I belong. I believe this is where the Lord wants me to grow stronger in the spiritual sense, thereby allowing me to become a spiritual leader. I also use my talents in helping with maintenance at the church whenever I am called upon to do so.

The Church has given me this opportunity to grow and therefore I strive to be faithful in my serving of the Church and ultimately use my gifts to contribute the growth of not just the Church but also the kingdom of God.