GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - Rev John Harman passed away on Monday 21 June. He will be remembered for his years of ministry, not only at Trinity Methodist Church but in the wider church, as well as in the communities where he served.
He was instrumental in establishing the Camdeboo Hospice in Graaff-Reinet.
John was in business in Port Shepstone in Kwa-Zulu Natal when the call to Christian ministry came. He served as a local preacher in Port Shepstone, then joined the full-time ministry which posted him to Johannesburg. He and his wife, Maria, came to Graaff-Reinet, which John said, "was the best thing that ever happened to me."
This was John’s first appointment after ordination. Sadly his wife passed away whilst here. After compulsory retirement in 2005, at the age of 65, he felt he still had a lot to offer and continued to be involved in the local church. In 2006 he was asked to help out in De Aar for a short while, which turned into a four-year ministry.
After his return, he continued to share his expertise with the church as well as his great gift of preaching until January 2018.
Says Rev Louis Williams, the Bishop of the newly established Camdeboo Synod of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa: "It was with sadness that we received the news of the passing of Supernumerary Minister, the Rev John Harman. As a visionary he was instrumental in the establishment of what was known as the Karoo East Circuit, a result of the amalgamation of Methodist Churches in the Camdeboo area that was based on race."
Furthermore, he played an important part in the conception of the Karoo Methodist Mission Circuit, now formalised as the Camdeboo Synod and inaugurated on 2 February 2020. Thus John’s vision of a specialised Rural Karoo Ministry to the ordinary people of the Karoo came to fruition.
"I have come to know Rev Harman as a committed Christian and a dedicated Minister of the Word. I pay tribute to a prolific preacher, a sound academic and a pastor with a big heart for people. We will miss this giant of the pulpit, his stern, but soft voice and his very welcoming demeanour," says Rev Williams.
John will be missed by his children, twins Cynthia and Bruce, daughter-in-law Isabel and granddaughter Nadine. Cynthia ministers in Botswana and Bruce is involved in farming in Mpumalanga. Granddaughter Nadine shared the following about her grandpa as she called him: "He used to say, 'the world is smaller than you think,' encouraging me to read books."
He shared his knowledge on many subjects and took Nadine overseas to introduce her to family, as John was born in England and his wife Maria in Portugal, an experience Nadine treasures. "He taught me my love for books, for travel … and for chocolates," she commented.
Final tributes and respect will be paid to Rev John Harman at his funeral service on 1 July at Trinity Methodist Church in Graaff-Reinet, followed by a private burial ceremony.
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