About Us

How Recon Life Was Born

Andrew Swartz grew up in the fishing community of Hout Bay in Cape Town, South Africa and, from the time he was still in diapers, attended the Pentecostal Holiness Church (PHC) in the area. His grandfather, Johannes Swartz, was for some time the Pastor of this congregation, a job later taken on by Pastor Ivan van Rensburg, both of whom mentored Andrew in his…wilder…days.

He was appointed Youth Leader of PHC Hout Bay in his late teens and also formed a popular Gospel band called ‘Witness’ with sister, Myra, and close childhood friends. The group was a great success in the 80s and only disbanded when there were more children than adults in the band and their family and church responsibilities became too hard to juggle.

At the age of 20, a young Baptist woman by the name of Lynn Weber crossed Andrew’s path and the pair made short work of shacking up and bringing (first) Jerome and then Gail into the world, making up, the Swartz family.

In the 80s, Andrew completed his studies at the Cape Bible Training Centre and was ordained as a Pastor and Evangelist by then-head of the PHC, Pastor John McQuene, another long-time mentor of the family’s. Andrew’s first assignment from the PHC was a post to Pastor a church in Hawston, another fishing village just outside of Hermanus on the Whale Coast of the Western Cape. Here the family planted its roots for six years, Andrew grew into the role and, at the same time, continued his evangelical work throughout South Africa.

Pastor Andrew became hugely popular for his ‘unique’ way of preaching. He’s been described as ‘theatrical, entertaining, yet his message is hard hitting and to the point’. God has reached the hearts of many through Pastor Andrew and, with the help of his wife’s intercession and constant companionship, many lives have been changed.

At the end of 1999, God laid it on Pastor Andrew and Lynn’s heart to start their own Ministry. God opened up a scripture to them found in 2 Corinthians 5:19 which read, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation”.

One day when driving down a familiar road in Botma Street, Steenberg, just down the road from their ‘hood, the two noticed an empty building. What used to be a Superette, Butchery & Hairdresser, Andrew envisioned could become the perfect place to build a Church. After they purchased the building from the previous owner, Andrew and Lynn sat in the middle of the floor for hours and started planning the future of Reconciliation Ministries, which was launched in April 2000.

The lovely Mrs Swartz soon had her title changed to Pastor Swartz after being ordained as the Ministry’s first lady. The Ministry also broke ties with the Pentecostal Holiness Church, but the family have always credited the organisation with the initial success and spiritual growth of the Ministry.

Ten years later, at the turn of the decade in April 2010 the Ministry celebrated its 10th anniversary. At the same time Pastor Andrew and Lynn’s eldest son Jerome, who was not so little anymore, finally took up the calling that’s been on his life for years. He was ordained as a Pastor by the same mentors and family friends who ordained both Pastor Andrew and Lynn, the McQuene’s, including their son Pastor Kenneth McQuene. At the same event, a new look building was unveiled after extensive renovations.

More recently, (not-so-little) Jerome, newly inaugurated Pastor of Recon after completing his training at the Cape Bible Training Centre, in the footsteps of his father, met Bronwyn McCauley. The two started hanging out and Bronwyn batted her eyelids and Jerome turned to mush. The romance blossomed and soon Jerome was down on one knee, they tied the knot and another member was welcomed into the Swartz family.

With Gail still strongly placed in the Ministry, the entire family is still very active in God’s work in Steenberg and the surrounding areas and will continue to ensure that Recon Ministries continues to grow.