About Us

Dr. Sarel & Thiesa van der Merwe

"We're here for you"

God called us to be an Oasis in the desert of this world.

 Founding Pastors: Dr. Sarel and Thiesa van der Merwe

 
For the past 25 years Sarel and Thiesa van der Merwe have been involved in counseling and ministry to broken and sick people. This includes marriage counseling and setting people free from demonic bondage.

 In 1991 the first counselling school was started and through the years this ministry greatly impacted the lives of many people. In 1996 God spoke to Sarel, instructing him to plant a church in Kempton Park, namely Oasis Christian Church. From the start Oasis Christian Church was based on the principles of a New Testament church, which served as a model congregation for many students, which had be trained at the Institute for Christian Counselling - now Theologos School of Ministry. This Church is an oasis in a dessert - bringing hope, healing and deliverance to many lost people.

Since it’s inception, Oasis has experienced significant growth in membership as well as in student numbers. With time, new ministries were added, which are discussed on the following pages.
 

 Our Calling, based on what Jesus said in Mat 28:19, is:

"We are called to go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them everything He has commanded us."

This word confirms the prophetic word in Is 61:1&2: "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lordhas anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom  for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn."