What we do in the name of Jesus Christ deserves the best. Imprint’s vision is to provide trustworthy biblical resources and training to leaders of local community churches, giving them the means to strengthen their churches and uplift their communities.
Why do we exist?
Imprint specifically wants to see the church in Africa strengthened and further established via the utilisation of biblical resources and training. We provide access to sound theological resources through publishing and online media. By providing academic training, we equip and enrich the pastors, giving them a clearer knowledge of how to develop a healthy church.
This, in turn, will equip the church to reach out to, and uplift, their communities. Churches are at the forefront of efforts to uplift society by promoting and teaching the values of community service, family stability, morality, and the sanctity of marriage. Access to necessary Christ centred resources and training offers churches the platform to facilitate these efforts. Many churches, particularly in impoverished and previously disadvantaged areas, are currently hindered in doing this due to the cost involved. We aim to reach communities through the local church by working alongside local church leaders and providing academic support and tuition which will enable and empower them.
Our purpose is to reclaim the gospel in the growing church in Africa. We do everything we can to help current and future pastors see what a biblically healthy church looks like, and take practical steps to become one.
Our extensive network enables us to make quality Christian resources available to those churches that would not otherwise be able to obtain them due to financial constraints. We have already secured partnerships with major USA based ministries such as Crossway, Desiring God, Ligonier, and 9Marks. We can print and translate their resources locally, which has a considerable effect on reducing costs.
Training
We provide four avenues of training. We come alongside local churches and provide resources and support as they take on interns and train them for the ministry. We have our own long-distance internship program which provides the full-time pastor with the opportunity to be trained without being removed from his local community. Pastors can also attend in-depth, short internships at our local church. In addition to the practical emphasis of these programs, pastors are to support and assist in the planting and building of healthy churches in their communities. The focus of these internship programs is to engender a biblical philosophy of ministry, create a deeper understanding of individual ministry roles in a healthy church and promote the healthy church – healthy community concept. Our “support a shepherd” program is an online networking forum providing pastors with access to counselling, encouragement and fellowship. This program is available to both individuals and groups.
Conferences
Hosting conferences over a weekend at our local church allows us to minister and feed the under shepherds of churches just as they have ministered to and fed their churches. Major benefits of these conferences include the establishment of a larger database and the opportunity to distribute more resources.
Constitution
Christian pastors and church leaders are at the forefront of efforts to uplift society by, inter alia, promoting and teaching the values of community service, family stability, harmony, morality, and the sanctity of marriage. Access to the necessary quality resources and training platforms required to facilitate these efforts is very often problematic due to the cost involved, particularly in impoverished and previously disadvantaged areas. Therefore, Imprint was established to assist churches by providing Christian based resources and pastoral training to meet the need and the goal identified above.
Doug Van Meter has served as the pastor-teacher of Brackenhurst Baptist Church since 6 July 1993. Doug’s primary ministry in the church is the exposition of Scripture each week from the pulpit. He is also responsible for the mission and discipleship ministries of the church and is involved in much counselling. Doug is married to Jill and has five daughters—Allison (married to Tommie), Katy, Lydia (married to Gomolemo), Jessica (married to Joel), and Danielle (married to Shane)—and a growing number of grandchildren.
Mario Maneville
Pastor
Mario is the lead pastor of Reformed Faith mission Community Church, a church in Bellville South, Cape Town, South Africa.
By God’s grace they have seen the planting and growth of a culturally diverse and dynamic gospel driven church under their leadership. Mario is Mission’s coordinator for Heartcry Missionary Society in the Western Cape and serves as the Southern African Cohort Leader for the Church in Hard Places Apprenticeship. Mario is passionate about training and equipping pastors, especially those from Pentecostal and charismatic backgrounds. He is convinced that the clear exposition of Scripture is the only means to free people from heretical movements. His desire is to see healthy, gospel-driven churches planted in poor communities throughout the schemes and townships of the Western Cape and Southern Africa. He’s married to his darling wife Charlene and together they parent 5 beautiful children.
Sipho Mfusi
Pastor
Sipho is married to Lungi and they live in Estcourt with their son Lwethu and Tommy, their grandson. Sipho grew up within the Zionist Church, the third generation of his family to do so. Saved by God’s grace, he has a faithful ministry among Zionists today. He served as an Elder at Sterling Park Baptist Church, a church plant of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, then trained for Christian ministry at George Whitefield College in Cape Town. Sipho is passionate about equipping and bringing biblical teaching to Zionists, many of whom are biblically illiterate. At present, he is pastoring Estcourt Community Church and a recently planted Reformed Zionist Church in Christ, in the province of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa.
Tommie Van Der Walt
Pastor
Tommie van der Walt joined BBC in 2010 and has been actively involved in teaching and discipling over the years. After serving for several years as a missionary in Asia, Tommie returned to South Africa where he now serves as the ministry director of Imprint Training and Equipping, a ministry that seeks to leave a healthy imprint on the ever-growing church in Southern Africa. He was affirmed as an elder of the church on 15 November 2020. Tommie has been married to Allison since 2010 and together they have one daughter and two sons.
Quintin Starkey
Pastor
Quintin Starkey joined the membership of Brackenhurst Baptist Church in 2009 and has served in a variety of capacities since then. His keen interest in missions work has helped him build relationships with various missionaries over the years and he heads up the missions planning team at the church. Quin, who runs a metal recycling business with his brother, was affirmed as an elder of the church on 15 November 2020. Quin has been married to Dennae since 2009 and together they have three daughters and a son.
