Alan & Vanitha were both born into Hindu families of Indian descent in Durban, South Africa, during the turbulent apartheid era.
Missionaries from England and America were influential in preaching of the gospel resulting in their families accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Alan met Vanitha at Harbour Lights Church, Shallcross, KZN in the late 70‘s and they got married in 1982
As young people both felt the call of God ,their love for people ,and the joy of serving in church and were involved in supportive ministry (Children’s,church, youth work ,worship teams, running home meetings etc ) and were given ample opportunities to develop under their wise leaders then .
Alan studied at Calvary Bible Institute and felt a calling to full time ministry ,but however continued his work in the Building Industry and went on to study and graduate as a Quantity Surveyor /Building Manager, a field he worked in ,for many years.
After working in the industry and therafter establishing and running his own successful construction business, they decided to migrate to Australia, and by Gods leading made their home in Tweed Heads in 1998. After four years at Lifeworx Church, they joined Tweed Valley Community (now Ganggalah) Church where Vanie worked in Admin and they both served as associates/assistants to Pastor Will and Sandra Dumas, while Alan continued working as a Contracts Administrator / Contracts Manager of Hutchinson Builders .It was during this time that they both received their ACC credentials as Probationary Ministers ,and not long after ,as Ordained Ministers.
In October 2008 Alan and Vanie were invited to be the Pastors of Beachside( now Living Well ) Church.In addition to being the Pastors of the church ,Alan devotes two days a week to work as a Chaplain to Hutchinson Builders (Gold Coast /Tweed Office) where he provides support to the staff and their families,and in 2018 was invited to be the Chaplain of the Pottsville and District Mens Shed to serve as as their Chaplain,a role he relinquished at the end of 2020 after relocating to Tweed Heads .
Alan & Vanitha also provide pastoral care and spiritual support to migrant South Africans of Indian Origin who reside in the Gold Coast and Brisbane region. From June 2019 they have also been focusing on providing friendship and support to other migrant Families (mainly of Syrian background ) who have now settled in Brisbane and surrounding areas.
They currently live in beautiful Tweed Heads NSW , and Adam, Vanelle ,Micah, Amelia, & Jesse ;Alistair and Kate, make up the rest of their close family.