About Us

A vibrant and diverse multisite church, journeying together to reach our cities and make Jesus known.

Who We Are

City on a Hill Church is a vibrant and diverse multisite church that meets across Gauteng. Modelled after the early church in the book of Acts, we seek to live out authentic Christianity (Acts 2:42-47) as a family of believers, devoted to laying down our lives for God and for one another.

We are ordinary people that have been transformed by an extraordinary love: Jesus! We are Word-based, Holy Spirit-filled witnesses to the world, and our purpose is to glorify God in everything that we do.

Join us as we journey together in reaching our cities, and making Him known…

What We Believe

Our faith is grounded in Scripture and centred on Jesus Christ. Explore the foundations that shape our life together.

We believe in one sovereign eternal God, creator of heaven and earth existing as three persons, namely Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New testament of the bible as translated from their original writings. We believe that the scriptures are inerrant with respect to the original writings. We believe ALL scripture is fully inspired by God.

We regard ALL the scriptures as being final as to their authority on any matter and infallible as to the truth, regarding all facets of life and church affairs. All scriptures were written for our teaching, admonition, and edification.

We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten (not made), of the Father; conceived by the Holy Spirit; and born of the virgin Mary. We believe there is only one Saviour and only one gospel. Jesus Christ being Himself the only one who is fully God and fully man.

We believe that God created man in His own image. Thereafter, sin entered the first man through disobedience on man’s part, resulting in spiritual death for all mankind.

We believe that Jesus Christ had to die a substitutionary death (penal substitutionary atonement) for the sins of mankind (specifically the elect) so that man (the elect) could be reconciled back to God.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. There is no other name by which we must be saved.

We believe in the bodily death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe in His ascension into heaven and His future return to earth.

We believe that all who repent of their sin and receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith alone through grace alone are born-again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God.

We believe in the initial reception of the Holy Spirit at conversion (Rom 8:9), His internal sealing work thereafter (Eph 1:13), followed by continual in-fillings of His Spirit (Eph 5:8) to be a comforter and empowerer of the Christian church, to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit according to scripture.

We believe in the resurrection of the just and the unjust. The eternal blessedness of the redeemed and the eternal conscious torment of those who have rejected the offer of salvation in Jesus Christ.

We believe in the regular practice of the breaking of bread and the taking of wine / grape juice to remind us of the new covenant established through Christ’s death on our behalf.

We believe in the baptism of believers by immersion in water as taught in the Bible.

We believe in the five-fold ministry gifts of Ephesians 4:11, 12. We believe in using these gifts in the life of the Church and to affect the spheres of influence we minister in.

We believe that all persons have equal dignity and worth, irrespective of their race, gender, culture or social background.

We specifically subscribe to the South African Charter of Religious Rights and Freedoms, which is deemed to be incorporated herein in its present form (October 2013).

Church Leadership

Meet the couples serving and leading across our congregations.

Ryan and Lelani Kingsley

Ryan & Lelani Kingsley

Lead Couple · City on a Hill Church

Jon and Cal Trollop

Jon & Cal Trollope

Benoni AM Congregation

Emilio and Yaelin Despotakis

Emilio & Yaelin Despotakis

Johannesburg South Congregation

Lindsay & Rae Jaftha

Benoni PM Congregation

Marcel & Leandra Small

Montana Congregation
Jeremiah and Micaela Matendo

Jeremiah & Micaela Matendo

Centurion Congregation
Ndaba and Sikhu Ndlovu

Ndaba & Sikhu Ndlovu

Cloverdene Congregation
Ross and Leigh Gillespie

Ross & Leigh Gillespie

Bedfordview Congregation

Our Four12 Partnership

In our modern age of church denominations and networks, we have to keep going back to the original pattern of relationships between churches, which essentially consisted of local churches working together in partnership with apostolic leaders to build healthy churches and plant new ones. 

There’s leeway to work within the framework we see in scripture, but it’s non-negotiable that we actually partner together – at least in spirit, even if we’re far from one another geographically. We are part of an apostolic partnership of churches called Four12. The name is derived from Ephesians 4:12, in which Paul states that the reason gifts are given to people is “to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” The aim is genuine relationships between churches that God has brought together, and a connection through the Spirit rather than simply under a common banner.

To find out more, or to partner with Four12, you can visit their website at four12global.com. You can also download the Four12 app to access free resources, or follow them on their social media channels for regular updates.

Visit Four12 to learn more, access free resources through the app and follow their latest updates.

Devoted Together

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer… All the believers were together and had everything in common… praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Acts 2:42-47

Ryan and Lelani Kingsley

Ryan & Lelani Kingsley

Lead Couple · City on a Hill Church
Ryan and Lelani have been married since 2006 and have four children. They joined City on a Hill in 2019, with Ryan having served in eldership and full-time ministry for over 20 years. Ryan currently serves as Lead Elder of City on a Hill and helps coordinate the Northern RSA region for Four12, while also serving on the Four12 core leadership team.
Ryan carries a particular passion for church planting, church health, leadership and seeing leaders restored and strengthened. Together, they love seeing new life come into people, churches and cities, and are passionate about the Bride of Christ growing in wholehearted devotion to Jesus. Outside of ministry, they enjoy family time, padel, reading and simply spending time together.
Jon and Cal Trollop

Jon & Cal Trollope

Benoni AM Congregation
Jon and Cal have been married since 2004 and have three children. Having been part of City on a Hill for around 13 years, JT came into eldership in 2017 and began serving full-time in 2022. They lead the Benoni AM congregation, and together, they carry a strong pastoral heart and a passion for discipling people, raising leaders and seeing lives transformed by the gospel. Jon particularly enjoys investing in young people and seeing them become wholeheartedly devoted to Jesus, while Cal carries a gift for encouragement, mercy and pastoral care, particularly in discipling women and helping people find freedom and restoration. Their heart is to see the church grow into maturity in Christ, reflecting Jesus to the world through lives of worship, surrender and service.
Emilio and Yaelin Despotakis

Emilio & Yaelin Despotakis

Johannesburg South Congregation
Emilio and Yaelin have been part of City on a Hill since 2015 and have been married since 2019. They have two young children, and came into eldership in 2022. Since January 2024, they have served full-time, leading the Johannesburg South congregation in Alberton.
They carry a shared gift of encouragement and a passion for helping people grow in their knowledge and love of Jesus. Emilio particularly enjoys teaching biblical values and helping people understand what it means to live out their faith practically. They love seeing people come to know the Lord and watching the church grow in its love and service for one another. Outside of ministry, they enjoy padel, hiking, family movie nights, board games and going on adventures together.

Lindsay & Rae Jaftha

Benoni PM Congregation
Lindsay and Rae have been married since 2013 and have been part of City on a Hill since 2015. They have two children, and came into eldership in 2020. Lindsay leads the Benoni PM congregation and serves across City on a Hill in worship and prophetic ministry, while Rae serves in the administration office.
They carry a shared passion for loving and serving Jesus by loving and serving His people, helping people grow in faith, discover their purpose and become all that God has called them to be. Outside of church, they enjoy family time outdoors, going for walks and playing board games together.

Marcel & Leandra Small

Montana Congregation
Marcel and Leandra have been married since 2009 and have been part of City on a Hill since 2016. They have two children, and have served in leadership since 2018, with Marcel taking lead of the Montana congregation in a full-time capacity in 2023.
With a pastoral heart, a gift of discernment and a deep love for God’s people, they are passionate about the health and wellbeing of the church. They love seeing people experience freedom in Jesus and watching the gifts God has placed in people come alive. Outside of church, they enjoy hiking and spending time together in the bush.
Jeremiah and Micaela Matendo

Jeremiah & Micaela Matendo

Centurion Congregation
Jerry and Micaela have been married since 2020 and have two young boys. They stepped into leadership and full-time ministry in 2021, initially serving in youth ministry. They now lead the City on a Hill Centurion congregation, where they are passionate about discipleship, building meaningful relationships and helping people grow in their faith. Their heart is to see the church built up as a family where people are loved, equipped to serve and sent out to share the gospel. Outside of ministry, they enjoy braais, swimming, outdoor adventures and making memories
Ndaba and Sikhu Ndlovu

Ndaba & Sikhu Ndlovu

Cloverdene Congregation
Ndaba and Sikhu have been married for 36 years and are parents to four children. They came into eldership in City on a Hill in 2023 and have served full-time since 2024, leading the Cloverdene congregation.
Together, they carry a strong passion for shepherding and teaching, with a particular desire to see people come alive in their relationship with Jesus and grow to become more like Christ, bearing fruit in their lives.
Ross and Leigh Gillespie

Ross & Leigh Gillespie

Bedfordview Congregation
Ross and Leigh have been married since 2005 and have two children. After many years of serving Jesus full-time, they joined City on a Hill in 2022. They currently lead the Bedfordview congregation and are passionate about seeing people find healing in the Lord and in His church.
Ross carries a heart for preaching the gospel, discipling people and raising up leaders, while together they enjoy building relationships and connecting with our partnering churches. Their heart is to see the Bedfordview congregation make a lasting impact in its community, city and the nations. Outside of ministry, they love spending time in nature, whether at the beach, in the bush or in the mountains, and connecting with friends.