The Langa Methodist Church (the church) is a church society at Langa and is an integral part of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) and ascribes to the vision, mission and transformational calls of the broader MCSA.  It is a church that is situated at a poverty stricken township of Langa, a township that is named after John Langalibalele Dube, the first president of the African National Congress and is the first black church to be built in the Western Cape after the forced removals of the Africans from Ndabeni, Retreat, Kensington, District Six and Simon’s Town. 

 

This township, like most townships in South Africa is not immune from crime generally, including but not limited to violent and gender based crimes.  It is a township that has a high rate of liquor and drug abuse.  The church exists in such environment.  It serves congregants that come from the nearby informal settlements, hostel dwellers and the formal settlement.  However, with urbanisation and population growth the church also serves congregants who come from Cape Town suburbans and the students from the tertiary institutions around Cape Town.  This gives the church the dynamic and versatile character to serve these divergent congregants.  The church is in close proximity to a heritage site and information centre, Gugasithebe and in this way it attracts tourist who become the church’s constant guests.  

 

The church is approximately two hundred (200) meters from Langa police station.  The church is committed not only committed to the preaching of the gospel but to live it.  The church is involved in various projects that are aimed at poverty alleviation and has outreach programs to serve this need.  In addition thereto, the church is on a mission of ensuring that women and children are respected in church and in the broader community. In order to make a positive contribution to the fight against the scourge of crime in South Africa, women abuse in particular, the church is building partnership with the police and law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime, women abuse in particular. 

 

The church prides itself in the leadership of its young and gifted resident minister, Reverend Nkosinathi Geja who is also an academic.  His gift and qualifications blends well with the versatile character of the church and is well poised to serve the diverse community in which the church is situated.