Rev Sean McGuigan

Minister

Information: About Rev. Sean McGuigan

I’m a follower of Jesus, husband to Sarah-Jane, father to Grace and Benjamin and pastor to the people of Durbanville Methodist Church (DMC).

I was first made aware of Jesus’ call to follow him at a Methodist Sunday School class in 1980. It took a long time for me to work out what it meant to follow Jesus, in fact, I am still learning. But, in my mid-twenties I experienced God’s grace in a powerful way and realized that I would need to make Jesus, and the God he makes known, the very centre of my life. Almost overnight I prioritised Sunday worship, scripture reading, prayer and fasting.

I have found in Wesleyan Spirituality a wonderfully balanced and practical way of living out the Christian faith because it holds central God’s self-revelation in the bible, encourages me to think critically about how we understand scripture and our world, challenges me to show compassion to the suffering and emphasizes the disciplines of worship, prayer, fasting and study. It is no secret that I am a terrible singer but I am a fan of Charles Wesley’s hymns– “And can it be” is one of my favourite.

Since I candidated for the Methodist ministry we have experienced life in South Africa from very different perspectives. We lived for a year in Tigane, a poverty-stricken township in the North West province and seen first-hand the suffering of those who struggle on the margins of society. We then spent a year in Pretoria so that I could attend the Seminary (John Wesley College). I received no income during this year, and the budget we drew up looked impossible to balance, yet God provided for all our needs.

Before accepting the invitation to minister here in DMC I spent five years ministering in “Sweet Matat”. There the people of Matatiele and Cedarville taught me about pastoring. I learned more about people; I was hurt by their pain, encouraged by their perseverance, shocked by their sin and amazed by their kindness. Best of all I got to see the grace of God at work in the lives of ordinary men, women and children.

My dream for DMC is that we would discover together our God-given purpose for this place and time and that we would live out that purpose with joy, faith, and excitement. I believe that through us, lives will be changed and people healed - yes that through us, God will do God’s Kingdom work.

I passionately enjoy all forms of kayaking from paddling in marathons to exploring white-water canyons. Inevitably I try and organize family holidays near some or other body of water. Since moving to the Cape I’ve taken up surf-ski paddling which I have found both exhilarating and terrifying. I particularly enjoy the competitive aspect of kayaking; I like to train hard and race fast!

I enjoy spending quality time with family and friends and am looking forward to making new friends here in Durbanville.