Church stalwart Sam Arends dies

The United Congregational Church of Southern Africa in Port Elizabeth is mourning one of its longest-standing members, the Rev Samuel Arends, who died on Friday.

The church’s Algoa regional council secretary, the Rev Bertram Swartz, said tributes had been pouring in for “Uncle Sam”, as he was fondly known.

Arends received his ministerial training between 1951 and 1953 and was ordained in 1955.

This year, he celebrated 65 years in ministry at the age of 90. 

He served as the minister of the Bethesda Congregational Church in Schauderville, Port Elizabeth.

He was part of what was then known as the Christian Education Committee and served as chair and moderator of the Algoa region of the United Congregational Church.

This region includes Congregational churches in Nelson Mandela Bay, the Kouga area and the Albany district.

He was the second general secretary of the United Congregational Church of SA, a church operating in five countries, and served in this capacity from 1988 to 1997, working from the head office in Johannesburg.

After retiring, he and his wife, Daphne, returned to Port Elizabeth, where he continued to play a big role in the life of churches in the Algoa region, Swartz said. 

“The UCCSA is richer because of the investment of time, skills transfer and the sharing of Christ’s love from the Rev Samuel Arends,” Swartz said. 

Swartz said one of the things that would live on was Arends’s spirit of humility.

“He was a man of the highest office in the church but he could relate to anyone regardless of their standing in society and that is what we strive for.

“As a young pastor myself, his affirmation of leadership will be something I will always appreciate.”