1975: The Beginnings

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The first members of New Life were…

• Les Spencer
• Joan Venter
• Malcolm Finlay
• Penny Bocceleone
• Theo Van Rooyen
• Stephen Van Rooyen
• Lewis Van Rensburg
• Seph Barnard

And a few months later…

• Lynne Moyse

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Penny’s Diary Entries

July 1975

In the Beginning

4th July 1975. That’s the first recorded entry in Penny’s diary of New Life playing a gig. The diary says “Iscor Recreation Center”. At the time, it is probable Cecil Spencer (brother of Les) was working at Iscor and had arranged it. The suggestion brings up blank stares, and silence as the collective memory has little to offer.

Some alternate, very fuzzy memory’s contend that the band had played at other venues in June before that date, but Penny’s diary (which is fantastically detailed and an amazing record of the band’s history) is silent on that subject. (It’s possible she hadn’t learnt to write yet! Only kidding, Penny!)

In those days most of the band members attended Hatfield Baptist Church which was in the midst of a spiritual explosion – a revival was happening and thousands of people would be touched by it. Added to the group’s church attendance were weekends of meeting together for fellowship to sing praises to God and to also attend Youth For Christ movies and other events. New Life was good!

 (For a more comprehensive history see History under Trivia Section)

It was a case of ‘have acoustic guitar, will travel’ and the group grabbed any opportunity to lead worship or sing at church meetings. The reason was simple: they had discovered Jesus and were bursting with joy and wanted everyone to experience Him.

When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun! 2 Cor 5:17 (Living Bible)

And so began a journey of just over 8 years. It would be jam-packed with unforgettable experiences and memories and friendships that would last for the rest of life.  On the road ahead God would go to work, lives would be made new, the group would collect and form relationships with some of the finest, nicest people on God’s earth, and it would all be centred on Jesus, the Rock of Ages. 

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Seph remembers:  Hatfield Baptist was meeting at the Monte Carlo Cinema in Hatfield on Sundays, but for weekday meetings we crowded into that little 200 person Church on South Street. It was also around this time frame a number of us got baptised together one evening at Hatfield Baptist’s old church on South Street, by Pastor Ivan Vorster. We played at Hatfield a number of times in the early years.

Seph also remembers September ‘75: ‘Here is where Lewis & I were “busted” by the rest of the band for spending too much time counselling pretty girls after the gig. We were at the Full Gospel Church, Flower Street in Gezina, I think it was here that it became obvious that our motives covered more than just the spiritual, and the rest of the group started making fun of Lewis & I.

Notwithstanding, God was at work, because our motives were pretty pure. We saw a number of people accept Christ. This was also the first time we met the Tondelli sisters, Gina & Ira.  I do remember meeting Gina, and later that month returning to counsel her at Iona Convent,Notwithstanding, God was at work, because, in reality, our motives were pretty honourable. We saw a number of people accept Christ as saviour. This was also the first time we met the Tondelli sisters, Gina & Ira.  I do remember meeting Gina, and later that month returning to counsel her at Iona Convent, and kneeling with her, praying in St Columba’s, the Catholic Chapel, where she accepted the Lord. She was the first person I can remember leading to the Lord, and discipling. and kneeling with her, praying in St Columba’s, the Catholic Chapel, where she accepted the Lord. She was the first person I can remember leading to the Lord, and discipling.

Attridgeville – First Black Outreach with YFC

Theo remembers: It’s important to note that our visit to Attridgeville was problematic because it was during apartheid and Attridgeville was in a so-called black  township. We had to get special permission and a permit to go in there.

October 1975 

2   Waterkloof Airbase – Thur

3   Atteridgeville – Fri

17 Full Gospel Church – Fri

18 Pentecostal Holiness Church – Verwoerdburg

19 – 26 Mission at St Albans Cathedral 

27 Full Gospel Businessmen Prayer Meeting

31 Hillview High, “In His Steps” – Fri

November 1975 

7   Mayville Methodist – Fri

13  Valley Methodist Barney Stathakis -Thur

14  Atteridgeville – Fri

15  Pentecostal Holiness Church – Sat

21  Assembly of God Church Park Street (pics)

29 Pentecostal Church Primrose Germiston – Sat

December 1975

5   CSIR, Pretoria  – Fri

6   Old Age Home Irene – Sat AM

6   Karen De Villiers Wedding PM

12 Hartebeespoort Dam – Caron – Fri

13 Sunnyside Methodist – Sat

20 Old Age Home Irene – Sat

St Albans Cathedral Week Long Mission:

One highlight in October 1975  was the weeklong Mission at St Albans Anglican Cathedral downtown Pretoria. New Life was tasked to lead worship each evening for a week.

Seph remembers: We probably all had our stereotype ideas of Anglicans, but those all changed that night at the Pentecostal Holiness Church when an Anglican representative of Bishop Bill Burnett stopped by to talk with us and pray with us about our involvement at the week long Mission starting the next day. We had been around a lot of charismatics at Hatfield, but I remember standing in a circle outside of the PH church as this Anglican Priest (Rev John Spyker) with a limp, started praying!  Wow!  A precursor of things to come.  

Enter “The Love Group”

A Christian band with real groupies!!! Well…..our groupies were very different. The Love Group was first formed at the St. Alban’s Mission Week and it was made up of people who enjoyed the music, the vibe and the folks in the group.  They cared for the band, supported us, kept us on the spiritual rails, they prayed for us, believed in the ministry and all together we enjoyed wonderful fellowship every week.

In the days after the St. Alban’s Mission Week the Love Group simply followed the group. They attended New Life meetings and concerts, and prayed for a harvest of souls while the group played. In addition there were weekly get-togethers of The Love Group and New Life for fun, fellowship, prayer and braais. They were a wonderful and an integral part of the ministry of New Life.

A number of the Love Group attended St Albans. A recently-discovered ancient scroll that was unearthed under Les’s house gives the names of the Love Group – the list is actually the “Love Group Prayer Chain”. The list includes Melodie Netterberg, Sarel and Keith Venter (Joan’s brothers), Carmen Norman (Keith’s girlfriend), Carol Harris, Janet Howell (who we had met at the Salvation Army in August 1975), Mike Dawson (a friend of Seph’s), Noel Whitcomb (who worked with Les and Mac and who also attended Hatfield Baptist church), Eric Horne, Janey Schnehage and Penny Creedie.

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January 1976

9   St Alban’s Cathedral – Fri

16 Braaivleis at Arthur’s (with Love Group) – Fri

22 Pretoria City Hall, 2 songs – Thur

25 Northlea AA, Kyalami turnoff – Sun

27 Free Church – Tues 7pm

February 1976

15  Witbank Methodist – Sun

19  Paraplegic Home – Cripple Care – Thur

20  Valley Methodist – Fri

21  Melody’s Birthday

29  Mayville Assembly of God, Pretoria – Sun

March 1976 

6   Pietersburg Anglican Church – Sat

7   Pietersburg Anglican Church – Sun

12 Iona Convent – Fri

14 Lyttelton Methodist church – Sun

19 Mayville Methodist – Fri

21 Hatfield Baptist – Sun

Mayville Assembly of God was the church Gertie Grunewald (girlfriend of Seph at that time) belonged to. Her Dad was a stern, stereotype-pentecostal elder in the church, and on Sunday night he had a  “Youth Meeting” and obviously his daughter’s boyfriend’s band New Life were invited to play.  The memorable part of the meeting was his mangled introduction….Here’s how it was remembered in a WhatsApp interaction in 2020:

Theo : Steve, how did Gertie’s father introduce us when we sang at his church?

Steve: Now dearly beloved, we are honoured to have a young Halleluyah Group with us this evening and so I ask “Leo and Ma-colum” to lead them to the front! Amen!!

Lewis: And that was followed by Steve laughing uncontrollably for 3 hours.

Steve: Yes! Lewis, I couldn’t even play the drums or sing. I was finished ?

Lewis: I loved that soooo much.

New Life went up to Pietersburg (now Polokwane) at the invitation of Rev. Tony Farrell, who had moved there from Pretoria North. They had spent quite a bit of time with Tony when he was living in Pretoria North. Tony had also been a Hillview High student a few years ahead of our group and one of the school’s top sportsman (Soccer, Tennis, Cricket) as well as being in the school cadet band. 

Les & Mac remember: Steve talking intently to Tony, oblivious to his tilted coffee mug dripping coffee all over their zebra skin carpet.

The Lyttelton Methodist gig may have been the first time New Life sang with mics. These were organised by Kenny Jackson, Lyttleton YFC Director at the time.

April 1976

10 YFC Witbank – Sat

22 Met with Pastor Ed Roebert – Thursday

23 One Way Coffee Bar, Church St Pretoria – Fri

24 Pentecostal Holiness, – Sat (says “Recording”)

30 Johannesburg Baptist Church – Fri

May 1976

1  YFC “Come Together” Music Festival Carlton Centre,  Joburg YFC – Sat

2  Police College – Sun

6  Kempton Park Church Coffee Bar – Thur

11 Werda Hostel – Tues

17 Girton Hall, JCE, Jo’Burg – Mon

30 Epworth Methodist – Sun am

30 Attridgeville – Sun 2-6pm

June 1976

1   Police College – Tues

4   Methodist & Roman Catholic Light Show – Fri

5   Sunnyridge Baptist Church – Sat

6   Kalafong – Sun 2pm

11 One Way Coffee Bar, Church St Pretoria – Fri

12 Bronkhorstspruit – Sat 6pm

13 Robinson Lake, Randfontein – Sun 3pm

13 Danville – Sun 8pm

16 Methodist Revivalists – Wed

19 White River YFC Weekend 19/20th

24 Sharing, Witnessing, Sing – Steve’s Camp

25 Valley Methodist – Fri

26 Witbank – Sat 10am

27 Capital Park – Sun 6pm

Seph reminisces: One Way Coffee Bar on Church Street, near Beatrix Street was a regular venue for us.  There was a prayer room at the back down a kind of alley! Next door was the great fish and chip shop, and on the corner, was the 24hr place with the foot-long hot dogs. [Possibly the legendary Trianon Cafe?] Cinerama was just a few steps away. The One Way Coffee Bar was also opposite the old Hellenic Hotel, which had its fair share of drunks who would amble over to the Coffee Bar for a cup of coffee and a place to throw up! Hopefully some of them got to hear the gospel!

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Carlton Centre – YFC “ComeTogether” Music Festival 

What an event this was! It started at 4pm and went to 10pm, with three appearances by New Life. Other groups (from the program attached) included “Harvest”, “Gospel Truth”, “Vocal Point”, “Freedom Brothers”, “Alpha & Omega”, “Good News”, “Singalong with Gerhard Niemand”. In between the music sessions there were short messages from Charlie Paine (editor of YFC’s IN Magazine), John Harvest, and Lou Finney.

Theo remembers: The Carlton Centre gig was a YFC gig with a number of bands and this was where we met some other Christian bands that we ended up doing a number of concerts with later on. I also remember Gerhard Niemand being there and playing the Fender Rhodes. [Editor’s note: Gerhard was a really good pianist/keyboard player on the YFC music team. He would have a part to play in introducing Lindsay to 7th Avenue.]

Seph: The Carlton Centre was the first of two concerts. The first was in the walkway to the parking garage.  And it made us feel pretty “Big Time”. The second, was a year later in May 77 on the ice rink area, during a YFC Music Festival with a number of groups.

Girton Hall in Johannesburg was the girls residence for the JCE training college. Gertie had arranged for us to play there for a SCA meeting.

White River YFC – Trips to White River were memorable for a number of reasons. We played in a big old barn that was used for the YFC meetings.  It was here we met Ken and Enid Broom and their two little children who lived in the contemporary house near the barn. The house and the barn, belonged to the Dr Carlson, a Swedish Christian doctor, who was part of the Swedish Mission Hospital nearby.

Seph remembers: We always had a great time in White River, and the audiences were so lively!  Ken was a great host. During a trip to the Echo Caves nearby, while deep in the caves, he enquired of an attendant what the rugby score was. The attendant did not know, to which Ken replied: “What….. no TV, what kind of a cave is this?”. (What makes it even more funny was that it was 1976 and TV had just come to SA!). On a sadder note, a few years later Enid was in a car accident on the way home, and both the boys died. Doctors gave her no chance to survive, due to a fractured skull, but prayers worldwide were offered, and miraculously she pulled through. Doctors were unable to explain how the skull repaired itself, as they had x-rays from the day before! They concluded, it must be a miracle.

The Robinson Lake visit was for a memorial service for the daughter of owner of the resort, Gywnetth Ashley Robin, a young popular singer, who had died tragically in a plane crash. We had the opportunity to be part of the memorial service.

(More on Gywnetth Ashley Robin at http://www.rock.co.za/files/gwynneth.html) 

I recall that around the same time, a military jet also crashed near Pretoria, and it was one of Les and Cecil’s acquaintances.

Cecil remembers: His Name was Kevin Winterbottom Lt. We were at primary school together and friends. He eventually went to Boys High – his parents had great ambitions for him. Sadly it all ended prematurely. He crashed in an Impala Jet while on a training flight in the Air Force.