Dear members of our congregation
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
It is with much joy and a thankful heart that I write this letter to each and every one of you. Just two years ago my journey with the Lutheran Church began right here in the Friedenskirche. It is therefore so much more special for me to know that it is in this congregation that my work will begin. And what a pleasure to know that I will be serving as your pastor.
I recognize that change often brings uncertainty, and I therefore thought it best to tell you a bit about myself and where I come from. Ek is maar ‘n Vrystater. I grew up on a beautiful farm in the Eastern Free State with my family. My father, Randolph Kassier, is German, and my mother, Maureen Kassier, is Afrikaans and English speaking. Therefore our lingua franca at home was English. But having a father who spoke German and having matriculated at Oranje Meisies Skool in Bloemfontein, I speak German and Afrikaans as well.
I got married at the end of 2022 to my husband Sybrand van Sittert, who also is a Vrystater from Welkom. He grew up in an Afrikaans household with his parents and three sisters, but he is also fluent in English. He is currently working as an architect at a firm in Cape Town. We always make time to get outside and go for walks, cycle, and get into the boxing gym. We also just got our first dog, a Schnauzer named Raffa. And what a faithful friend he is!
In many ways Sybrand and I are both very new to the Lutheran Church and both of us come from very ecumenical backgrounds. I was raised in the Methodist Church in Bethlehem and Sybrand in a charismatic church in Welkom. In my first two years at university in Bloemfontein, I attended a Pentecostal church, and then in my third year I moved to the Student Dutch Reformed Church, where I met Sybrand. There we both served till the end of our studies. Since then we have both joined the Lutheran Church and look forward to serving here in our congregation.
It is my sincere hope that we will grow together in faith, love, and unity as we seek to follow Christ faithfully. Together we need to serve, together we need to reach out in love, and together we must live out the Good News to every single person around us. My heart’s desire is to see each member of our congregation thriving in their relationship with God, sharing their gifts and talents, and experiencing the joy and peace of a life found in Jesus Christ.
In the coming months, I look forward to getting to know you personally, hearing your stories, sharing in your joys and sorrows, and worshipping together as one body in Christ. Please know that my door is always open, and I am here to serve and support you. I, therefore, want to ask you that you do not hesitate for one moment to phone me or send me a message, be it to get to know each other better over a meal or cup of coffee, or for a pastoral conversation.
I look forward to serving with you. With love
Ingrid van Sittert