.png?thumbnail=original&1691006177)
Arnold Alexander is the Executive Secretary of the Cape Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
Early Life and Conversion
Arnold Alexander was born on 20 October 1962 at the Garden City Clinic in Johannesburg, Gauteng. Arnold was the first born son of Samual Jacob and Elizabeth Agnes Ursula Alexander. Samual Alexander was born and raised as a Seventh-day Adventist. The youngest of four children, he lost his father while he was still an infant. Elizabeth Alexander was born as an only child to Roman Catholic parents. Arnold is one of eight siblings. His siblings are Philanthea and Roland, who are both deceased, and Haley, Neil, Sharne, Sam Junior and Eve.
Arnold’s family relocated several times during his childhood years. Between 1962 and 1966, the Alexander’s lived at Nokuphila Hospital, a defunct health institution owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Newclare & Albertsville, Gauteng. They then relocated to Noordgesig in1967 and stayed there until 1969 when they moved back to Newclare. From Newclare they relocated again during 1974 to Eldorado Park. In 1978, they moved to Reiger Park and lived there for three years. In 1981, the family settled in Bosmont. Newclare, Albertsville, Noordgesig, Eldorado Park and Bosmont are all suburbs of Johannesburg. In 1984, Arnold left home and came to Cape Town where he pursued studies at the University of the Western Cape located in Bellville. Following his studies, he returned home in 1987 and then relocated to Eldorado Park again where he stayed until 1991.
Arnold attended the West Rand Primary School, a Seventh-day Adventist institution located in Westdene, Johannesburg. He attended West Rand Primary School from Grade 1 until Grade 6. He then commenced Grade 7 at Eldorado Park Senior Secondary School and completed his schooling there until Grade 12.
Arnold was baptised in 1978, by Pr Ebrahim Ismail, and received into church membership at the Benoni SDA Church, at the age of 16. During this time, Arnold was going through a traumatic experience in his life and believes that he was baptised without being truly converted. Two years prior to his baptism, Arnold’s parents divorced. This experience adversely shaped his life and resulted in him feeling worthless and resorting to poor choices made during that time of his life. His conversion came twenty-two years later, in 2010, when God saved him from certain self-destruction. A Damascus Road experience on 22 September 2010 reshaped his life when Arnold surrendered his life to God. The transition was not smooth but God remained faithful. In his transition to Helderberg College, Arnold saw the mighty hand of God moving miraculously in his behalf and demonstrated to him how God intervenes in the lives of those who have surrendered to Him.
Education, Marriage and Career
Arnold holds an Intermediate Certificate in Business Studies from the Insurance Institute of South Africa, a Leadership Training Certificate from the Standard Bank Global Leadership Center, as well as a Certificate in Registered Financial Planning from the Financial Planning Institute.
Arnold married Heather Ruth on 29 June 1986 in Eldorado Park in the lounge of Pr CJ Theron. Heather was also born into a Seventh-day Adventist household. Like Arnold, she, too, experienced the devastation of the divorce of her parents. Throughout their wedded life, Heather remained supportive and trusting, and when Arnold joined full-time ministry, she became his partner in ministry. From their union was born one daughter named Lizelle Alexander. Lizelle married Vaughan Petersen and very recently had their first baby boy named Levi.
Arnold worked in the financial services industry for over 30 years and has a wealth of corporate experience. He began his working career in 1981 and remained in the employ until 1983. In 1984, Arnold went to UWC to pursue a degree in Law, but unfortunately did not complete his program. He then returned to the financial services industry in 1987 where he spent the major part of his professional career for 26 years until he was retrenched in 2013. Prior to his retrenchment, Arnold was the Senior Manager in the Employee Benefits Department at Liberty Life.
Arnold has always been involved in ministry at his local church and has served in various capacities including Youth Ministries Leader alongside his wife, Sabbath School Superintendent, Choir Director and Elder. Upon his conversion in 2010, Arnold’s sense of his calling to ministry from God deepened. He then enrolled for ministerial training at Helderberg College of Higher Education in 2013. Arnold graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Theology.
Ministry
Pr Alexander began his ministry as a Ministerial Intern on 1 January 2017 and was appointed to the Swartland District which included the Atlantis, Chatsworth, Malmesbury and Moorreesburg Seventh-day Adventist Churches, as well as groups in Citrusdal, Piketberg and Witsands. His supervisor during this time was Pr Arnold Neuhoff. Pr Alexander’s involvement in the community afforded him the privilege of completing a post-graduate Certificate in Substance Abuse at UWC which was fully sponsored. Pr Alexander served the Swartland District until 2021 when he was transferred to the Central Peninsula 2 District which included the Du Noon, Inkosiyeza, Langa, Lukhanyo, Lusanda and Monte Vista Seventh-day Adventist Churches as well as two groups. Pr Alexander’s stay in the Central Peninsula 2 District was brief, yet meaningful as it gave him an exposure to intercultural ministry since he served predominantly Xhosa speaking churches.
Pastor Arnold Alexander was ordained to full gospel ministry in the Seventh-day Adventist Church on 19 March 2022, at the Cape Conference Session which was held at the Western Cape Sports School in Kuils River, Cape Town. The ordination was officiated by Dr Passmore Mulambo, Ministerial Secretary of the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division, along with the administrators of the Southern Africa Union Conference including Dr David Spencer and Pr Trevor Kunene. At the same session, Pr Alexander was elected to the office of Executive Secretary of the Cape Conference, a position which he faithfully serves in currently.
Pr Alexander reflects that he still gives himself a proverbial pinch as he expresses gratitude to God and his family, with humility and a sense of achievement, that he is a pastor today. Considering his background, Pr Alexander believes that his appointment as Executive Secretary of the Cape Conference is an affirmation of the grace of God and with the help of the Holy Spirit, Pr Alexander desires to make a difference.
Pr Alexander is passionate about music and is a gifted singer and chorister. A self-taught musician, Pr Alexander is always thrilled when he can teach and share music. For the past several years, he led the music at the Annual Hymn Festivals, organised by Colin Lawrence at Riverside SDA Church. Pr Alexander is also passionate about leadership as a discipline. One of the key functions of the Executive Secretary is to oversee the Mission, and as such, the mission of God in the SDA church has become a central pillar of his life.
Pr Alexander wishes to share the following message of encouragement with our readers:
The best way to describe my life is in an amended version of a popular song by Stuart Hamblen, “It is no secret what God can do.” My version of the song says, “It is a secret what God can do, because what He does for me is not the same that he would do for you.” God tailors our conversion. God has a plan for each one of us and we need to enter into a meaningful relationship with Him in order to grasp this truth. I am eternally grateful for God’s grace towards me considering where I come from. And with the Psalmist, I declare, “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be on my lips.” I pray that you will find something to be grateful to God for.
