From a few people in a classroom to a church on the corner of Jewerlal Road.
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”
Zechariah 4:101980 – 1999
Raisethorpe, Pietermaritzburg
NewLIFE is established by Pastor Gene King. The small but passionate fellowship moves between tiny shops, ill-equipped school classrooms and abandoned church buildings during its first pioneering years.
Pastor Jay and Kumarie Naiker join the fellowship in 1993 and assume leadership when Pastor King leaves for Dalton.
In 1997 Pastor Daniel and Caroline Govender join, when the fellowship is meeting in a classroom at Suncrest Primary School.
Pastors Jay and Daniel plan to establish NewLIFE so that the original vision of reaching and training people is firmly realised, and so that property can be acquired.
The church moves to a shop in Allandale Drive, then to a large commercial warehouse at Bayson’s Industrial Park on Birmingham Road. These are radical steps of faith for a congregation made up largely of young, newly married couples with toddlers.
Birmingham Road
NewLIFE opens an independent, registered Christian day school at its rented Birmingham Road facility. Generous donors support both church and school as they serve the community through Christian education.
In 2005 the school is handed to Tabitha Ministries, a partner ministry serving a disadvantaged community in Pietermaritzburg.
Northdale, September 1999
A young team of elders and leaders prays for property. One of the church’s business leaders finds a dilapidated residential property, beside a shebeen and a brothel, and negotiates a price.
With no money and no bank balance, the church buys it. The congregation renovates and extends the building together, and church and school move in. The celebrations are short, because the building quickly fills as the congregation grows and people walk in off the street needing spiritual and physical help.
2001 – 2013
Pastor Jay and Kumarie emigrate to New Zealand in 2001 and Pastor Daniel takes over visionary leadership.
In December 2001 the church signs a lease on the empty, vandalised Church of the Nazarene building on the corner of Veerappa and Jewerlal Roads, and moves in during January 2002. There is no fence, the windows are broken and the basement is flooded, with an informal settlement growing behind.
From 2001 to 2005 the team works in the Site 11 informal settlement, helping pre-school children with schooling and English. Through burglaries, attacks and cramped quarters, the congregation grows and its relationship with the community deepens. In 2009, through what the church calls a miraculous intervention, the Nazarene leadership agrees to sell.
28 February 2010
NewLIFE becomes the owner of 14 Jewerlal Road, Northdale, zoned as a religious site. The money arrives at the very last minute as people are moved to give, and the property is paid for without credit or commercial loans.
In October 2011 building begins under governance elder Anand Naidoo, who then held a full-time job. For the next 23 months finances and volunteers are provided. Anand is retrenched for twelve months during the build and gives all his time, skill and resources to the property, learning on the job, with no salary or honorarium from the church.
In September 2013 the congregation moves into its new, still-unfinished hall with great joy. That same month The Leadership Academy launches as a post-school teaching and learning empowerment centre, with a first class of eleven students on the SATS Crossroads programme.
The roof trusses go up, a milestone the church calls the miracle of the roof.
2014 – now
Cyberfox Computer Training launches as part of the church’s work of training and empowering people.
In 2023 the building receives further additions and renovations.
From 2013 to now, the congregation has grown in spiritual stature and positioned itself as a spiritual and educational resource centre for the greater Body of Christ, so that the Kingdom of God can expand on this earth.
To God be the glory for Kingdom expansion!
Our care pastor
Care Pastor · NewLIFE
In September 2022 Pastor Jonathan and Shanzel Kanni joined NewLIFE Centre as members after many years of active service at Faith Tabernacle. Pastor Jonathan is an ordained minister and was welcomed as an associate bi-vocational pastor with Ps Daniel.
Pastor Jonathan has a shepherd’s heart. His key responsibilities are care for the congregation, outreach to lost people and community engagements. In January 2025 he stepped into a full-time role as the care pastor.
Together with their two teenage sons, Pastor Jonathan and Shanzel serve the congregation and the local destitute community.
Church life
Our vision
To consciously seek men, women, young adults and children and practically demonstrate the love of Jesus our Lord.
To train, empower, equip and develop every man, woman, young adult and child in our resource centre.
To be an equipping centre in wisdom, governance and resources to the wider Body of Christ.
To send out the sons and daughters to actively and positively affect every person with the love of Jesus, in their area of influence.
Join us on a Sunday morning at 9:30AM, or get in touch and we will gladly answer your questions.