Our Leadership & Team
We are a team who are passionate about one main thing, making much of Jesus Christ.
Niek Wit
Minister
Niek was born in The Hague, Holland. After serving in Youth With A Mission for 14 years, he joined Westville Presby as an Pastoral Assistant in 1992 and was later ordained in December 1999. Niek is passionate about people and their “connection’ to God and then sharing that Life we have received. He desires that each member of Westville Presby be natural representatives of God’s Kingdom where they live, work and play.
Married to Heidi since 1982, they have four children. Niek enjoys reading, reading and reading in his leisure time.
Lincon and Ilandi will be moving from Pretoria to Westville at the end of December 2023. Lincon has a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology and graduated in 2016. Since then, he has been in full-time ministry, starting as a Next Generation leader, becoming a pastoral assistant, leading different Bible study groups, leading worship and completing his probation in 2023. Ilandi works in graphic design and attained a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine and Applied Arts.
Both Lincon and Ilandi are passionate about worship, being involved in church life, and serving in the Lord’s Kingdom. Most of their free time is spent together at home watching movies, playing video and board games, spending time with family or gyming.
“We are looking forward to joining this wonderful family, serving the community as the Lord has called us to, and cannot wait to see what the He has in store for each of us.”
Kim, an organiser by nature, has been in administration with Westville Presby working in the engine room, since 2005. She is responsible for ensuring all services, functions & events run smoothly, enthusiastically supporting the Minister, Staff, Elders & Ministry Leaders overseeing the church calendar and planning. She manages the church office & all that goes on behind the scenes.
Kim is happily married to Craig, with two adult sons, Luke, and David. Her passion is for wholesome family units, where parents lead, nurture and equip their children with biblical truths to face life as an adventure with God. Her go-to is prayer and she has a hunger for God’s Word. She loves the outdoors; walking, especially on the beach, and bird watching.
Anna has been at Westville Presby since 2020. She is in charge of coordinating all children and youth programming and events. She has worked with children for most of her life. She has been a dance teacher, camp counsellor, and an English teacher. Any path she takes in life always seems to come back to children.
Anna is married to Matt. Her and Matt both have a goal to help children discover who Christ is and teach them how to be the light of Christ. You can often find Anna dancing, reading, or crafting.
Christine Schnell has been fellowshipping at Westville Presby for 26 years. She is currently on staff as the Missions Facilitator. She is involved in a Westville community feeding program for the unemployed in our community called Vulindlela. She also serves as the secretary on the management team of our outreach ministry in Chesterville called Inkanyezi Creche. She’s passionate about worship and is one of our worship leaders. She’s been married to Greg for 32 years and they have 2 children, Matthew (28) and Robynne (24). When asked why she loves her church, her reply was “After years of searching, we finally found a church home where we tangibly see the genuine love and grace of Jesus. We’ve raised our two children in this church family. We’ve had moments of great joy as well as deep sorrow, and through it all, our church family celebrated, wept, and prayed with us.”
Trevor Cowie moved to Westville Presby from Stella Presbyterian Church in 2011. He has been an Elder since 1989. Trevor has a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology obtained in 2011 and has been a member of the Order of Lay Preachers since 2005. Trevor is also part of our preaching team. He is a retired Deputy Headmaster with a Ph.D in Geographical and Environmental Education.
He has been married to Rozanne for 43 years and they have two adult children and three grandchildren.
Hobbies: Sport, especially soccer (Liverpool Football Club), Gym, Jogging and Cycling. Golf and Bowls are both activities in progress.
Trevor is married to Ariadni Hind and has 3 children Mila (12), Nora (10), and Stella (7). Trevor grew up in Westville Presby, where his parents joined when he was 5 years old. He was raised in the church and has been blessed by the care and love of many of its members. He has had the privilege of serving in youth ministry, leading bible study, helping with Sunday school, preaching the occasional sermon, and tinkering with the sound desk. He enjoys everything outdoors, with running, hiking, swimming, and body boarding being his most common activities. Unfortunately, his knees no longer allow him to play soccer or touch rugby.He loves that our church is focused on helping people have an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ. We do this by teaching people about who Jesus is and what he has done through the Bible. We also encourage people to love one another and all people, as Jesus loves us. This love is made evident in the way we treat each other and the way we serve our community.
Ariadni has lived most of her life in the Westville area and is part of a crazy Greek family! She met her husband Trevor when they were teenagers and they have been married for 17 years. They have three daughters aged 12, 10, and 7 years old. The Hind family has been part of the Presby Church for over 30 years, so it is also very special to be part of the same church family that ‘raised’ her husband. She is a qualified preschool teacher and currently runs her own Playgroup from her home called, The PlaySpace. She has been attending Westville Presby since she was 17 years old and has been involved in various ministries over the years but has a particular passion for children’s ministry and also loves to help out with any events. She loves our church! She has always felt that Westville Presby is a place where people are real and very open…it really is a family, where people love each other through their actions and by serving the body of Christ. She is honoured to be a part of this special body and to serve as an elder.
Geoff has been a member of Westville Presby since its beginnings at Avon Junior Primary School.
He is involved in the Sound, Worship, and Welcoming ministries.
He loves the fact that our church is focussed on raising people to live out Christ’s mission every day and the motto of Blessed to be a Blessing.
He has been married to Lesley since 1992 and has two adult children, Brad and Megan.
His hobbies are fly fishing, golf, and working around the house.
Greg Schnell has been a member of the Westville Presby family since 1997.
He currently serves on the Stewardship Management Committee.
He’s excited about recently taking on the role of arranging men’s fellowship get-togethers .
He is part of the worship ministry, serving on the sound desk.
He says he also has the privilege of sending birthday messages to each congregational adult member! Greg’s heart is for three things: God, His family – he’s been married to Christine for 32 years. They have two children, Matthew (28) and Robynne (24) and Matthew’s wife Anna makes 3, and his church.
“This is my church family whom I love to serve and where I love to fellowship. We have been very blessed with all the care, support, and guidance we have had over the last 32 years. It’s a safe place where we find Jesus’ heart of love and grace and where we are challenged to take that out into everyday church”.
Jared and his wife, Jenine, joined the church in 2009. He was ordained as an Elder in 2011. Jared is involved in Eldership, Worship, Childrens Church, and leads a bible study. He typically preaches 2 or 3 times a year. He enjoys the people in his church, which he describes as a sincere congregation where the people are serious about their faith. Jared and his wife have made their church community their “home base,” so their friends and social circles are pretty much the church. He owns and manages a Software company in Durban and enjoys technology and the application of it to daily life.
In his spare time, he is mostly with his family. He enjoys a variety of sports, including squash, PC/Xbox games, working on cars/DIY, and music (guitar). He has a 6-year-old son and coaches his mini-cricket/rugby/hockey teams. Jared and his wife also enjoy hikes and prefer mountains to the beach – so if they go away, it’s normally in the Drakensberg.