Introducing Ross & Margot Lahana

By Staff Writer 

No doubt you’ve heard it said by your congregation’s elders that every time they go away for the annual elders’ gathering, they should probably all go ‘with their bags packed’.  This year, the saying proved true for Mossel Bay’s Ross and Margot Lahana – the dynamic, young couple who, at the beginning of the year, were asked to lead Cape Town’s Wynberg congregation by our apostolic team.

The Lahana family who are now leading the Wynberg congregation

Within three months of being called, the Lahanas wrapped up their jobs and moved to Muizenberg to take over the reins of the small congregation from Ross and Leigh Gillespie, who in turn were sent to join the Green Point congregation’s leadership team.
We took some time to check in with the Lahana family to see how they’re settling in. 

What are you enjoying most about living in Cape Town again?

A great joy comes out of being able to face a moment, where you know, “This is it!”.  We either risk it all, put all our faith in him and one day have an awesome testimony to share that will bring glory to Him, or we play it safe and carry on.  What would you choose?

How has God been preparing you for this next chapter of your lives?

The past eight years for us have been training, in every way.  It’s something both myself and Margot settled in our hearts before we even got married:  this life we live has to be poured out for the Kingdom.  We’re not here for any other reason than our King and his kingdom.
The people in our lives have been very intentional, and we have intentionally put ourselves at their feet to learn all we can…  I think we truly look at life like it’s a war zone and this fight continues until the end.  There’s a saying “We are the sum of all the decisions we make” – each big decision that has been made in our lives has been Jesus-focused and lead us to this point.
When we arrived in Mossel Bay seven years ago we made the decision that we would only leave if our leaders asked us to, or if God literally wrote it on the wall.  We had already settled back then in our hearts what might be, so when Andrew Selley came and spoke to us there was really no other answer.  It had been decided seven years prior in our hearts: YES.

Ross with his two daughters
Ross with his two daughters
Are you missing anything from your Mossel Bay days?

Most definitely!  We miss everything about Mossel Bay, but we would find no joy or peace there anymore knowing that this is what God has for us, now.  We have amazing friends and family there, but that will never change – they will always be there.  Of course we will make more friends here; our life is here now and it’s a joy to be here and part of this side of the JoshGen family.

What’s on your heart for the Wynberg congregation?  Where do you see God leading you?

The beauty of submission is the fact that I don’t need to find vision for Wynberg.  Andrew is the man that Jesus has commissioned to lead this church, in this season, and I follow his vision.
We want to love people and be as faithful as possible in building a church that reflects His Kingdom to this world.  This world needs healthy churches and we are going to do everything we can to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as he guides us; we are going to do everything we can to be submitted to Jesus in ALL we do, as he builds his church.  We want to be a church that God can add to because we have been faithful…  And that on that last day he might say, “Well done my good and faithful servants”.  We need to reflect Acts 2:42 values with great joy in our hearts so that wonder may fall upon whoever looks at us.
I could go on forever about the glory of God made known through his church.  Possibly the best way to put it all into one sentence is to echo Jesus’ prayer:  “Father, may WE be ONE as you and Jesus are ONE, coming together in perfect unity.” 

How do people react when they discover that you are Chad Lahana’s little brother?

I have had countless conversations with people who only realize that I’m not Chad halfway through the conversation!  I normally try to see how long I can keep them going before they realise… It never gets old!  To be honest, people always apologise and tell me I’m my own person and all that, but I’m quite proud to be Chad’s little brother.
He has been a large part of my life and he and Niks (Chad’s wife, Nicky Lahana) have played a huge part in my story, so I’m genuinely honoured to be his little brother – and for it to stay that way!  I have no insecurities in being “the little bro”, rather just pride and joy to see both my older bros serving Jesus with all they have.


Staff Writer

Zandi Hulley

More from NEWS

JG-Logo-226x100-02px