Scott & Erin Pongratz

Peoples Church has a long history as it was founded in 1906 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. The church’s passion exploded in 1907 when a member of the church visited the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles, California and experienced the power of the Holy Spirit, bringing the pentecostal teaching back to the church. In 1933, the church joined the Assemblies of God denomination and adopted the name First Christian Assembly of God (FCA). In 2001, Chris & Jan Beard became FCA’s lead pastors with a passion to have a “church like heaven”. In 2012, the church voted to change the name of the church to Peoples Church which was a major step in fulfilling their vision to provide access for all people to Jesus and His kingdom.

That same year, 2012, Scott and Erin Pongratz moved their family to Cape Town as newly appointed missionaries with the Assemblies of God. They were passionate about church planting and helped start many churches throughout South Africa in the years that followed.

In 2019, God began to stir in Scott and Erin’s hearts a desire to plant and pastor a church of their own. During this time, with Africa urbanizing at a rapid rate, they realized the need for a life-giving church to be strategically placed in a growing city center. God had called them to start a church in Cape Town, one of the most influential cities across the continent and one that has become a home to the many diverse ethnicities that make up South Africa.

Scott was connected with Chris Beard in 2019. Realizing their visions were very similar, they decided that it would be a divine partnership to start a Peoples Church in Cape Town.

By the grace of God, in January 2022, Scott and Erin held the first service of Peoples Church Cape Town in the lounge of their home. Weekly services were held there until they outgrew that space. The church prayed for a new location and in June 2022, Peoples Church moved to The Argyle, 1 Argyle Street, in Woodstock, Cape Town. Woodstock was the exact location that God had given Scott to plant a church!

Since moving locations, the church continued to grow each week. On September 18, 2022, Peoples Church Cape Town had their official launch service. God is continuing to bless the work here in Cape Town that started over 100 years ago with Peoples Church Cincinnati!

There is much excitement for what is to come and we can’t wait to see all the ways that God will use Peoples Church to impact the city of Cape Town.