An extremely popular church among Hatfield’s youth, Unite180, was established in 2013 by Pastors David and Chanelle Grobler. The community currently boasts over 40 000 members with church campuses in Stellenbosch, Namibia, the Netherlands, London, and many more, with its main venue, Unite City, being located in Pretoria. The venue’s official opening was in 2023, with construction costs totalling to over R100 million as per the church’s website. Its members detail the positive impact that the church has had on their lives, particularly the church’s “uGroups” – bible study meetings that take place weekly at various locations. It should be noted that the church has still received its fair share of criticism from detractors, with some even insinuating that the ministry displays cult-like behaviour.
PDBY spoke with Unite180 Executive Pastor Willbert Kinnear to gain further insight on the inception, growth, and philosophy of the church. In regard to the church’s establishment and growth, Kinnear details that Pastor David began the ministry in an effort to create a space in which the youth could genuinely encounter God, citing that the goal was not to build an organisation, but to preach the Bible and proclaim the message of Jesus Christ into authentic Christian life. Kinnear details that the church’s growth has been spearheaded by the joint participation of its members, saying that the biblical responsibilities that each member takes on allows the church to grow spiritually and communally. Ultimately, Kinnear explains that it is the gospel that attracts the youth to Unite180, highlighting that the church cannot and should never attempt to compete with the world in entertainment, concluding that the church’s strength lies not in trying to imitate the world’s spectacle, but in the gospel instead.
In 2025, during a Sunday service, Pastor David had addressed rumours of the church being a cult, dismissing the allegations in a light-hearted manner. Pastor Kinnear further elaborated on the church’s position regarding these allegations. Kinnear details that Unite180 does not meet any of the characteristics of a cult in the theological and sociological sense, those being a denial of historic Christian doctrine, replacing scripture with extra-biblical revelations, authoritarian control over members’ lives, isolation from broader Christianity, manipulation through fear or coercion, and financial exploitation.
Kinnear further explains that the church affirms historic Christian orthodoxy, saying that members are free to come and go as they please and that there is no coercive control of its members. He also says that the church does not isolate its members, nor does it claim to be the only true expression of Christianity and that financial giving is voluntary, not enforced or controlled in any way. Finally, Kinnear details that the church’s decentralised leadership structure further separates it from cult-like characteristics. When asked why he thinks these allegations had been made, Kinnear exclaims that strong conviction, visible unity, or passionate worship can be misunderstood outside of the community, further adding that theological disagreements may lead to labels being attached. Ultimately, Kinnear provides that when thoroughly examined, the cult accusations do not hold.
Further critiques come from Keegan Loudon, a third-year Law student, who attends a more traditional-style church. Loudon dislikes the “concert-like” worship services that the church conducts, saying that the church may have too large a focus on drawing in the youth at the expense of teaching traditional Christian values. He further highlights a “celebrity pastor” culture that he had noticed amongst the church’s members, citing that there is a large focus on Pastor David and his charismatic personality, once again at the expense of bestowing traditional Christian teachings.
In response to such critiques, Pastor Kinnear says that although Biblical worship has always been expressive, the goal of worship is not hype; instead, it is spirit and truth. In regards to criticisms on the importance of Pastor David, Kinnear said that although Pastor David is a significant leader of the church, particularly in its origins and ongoing vision, the church is very clear on the fact that no church should be built around a single leader. Kinnear again highlights the church’s decentralised leadership structure to indicate that the church functions on the basis of the entire community, not a single individual.
In order to gain insight on the way the church impacts its members’ lives, PDBY spoke with uGroup leader Khanya Komako who detailed how his life has been on an upward trajectory since joining a uGroup himself about five years ago. Komako explained that prior to joining Unite180, he had struggled with dark thoughts, lamenting over the idea that his life had no future. However, through the efforts of his uGroup leader at the time – who inspired him, got him a job, and helped him clean himself up – Komako says that he was able to look forward to the future through a new hopeful lens. He ultimately provides that he became a uGroup leader himself with hopes of helping others the same way his uGroup leader helped him.
PDBY also spoke with Leago Manala who has been a member of Unite180 since 2024. Manala detailed some of her initial experiences and thoughts upon joining the church, citing that she felt a sense of community that provided her with guidance, patience, and understanding. She did express that she felt initial concerns of exclusion when attending her first few Sunday services due to the church’s majority white membership base, however, these fears were largely unfounded. Notably, Manala did provide that at times, she felt frustrated at the sparse use of Afrikaans during sermons due to her lack of understanding of the language. However, this seems to be something that the church has improved on. Manala further highlights the church’s sense of community, detailing that members’ dedication to helping and serving one another contributed to her gravitation towards the church. She concludes by highlighting the church’s patience, saying that she had never felt pressured to do anything she did not want to do, proving that the church’s leadership guided her spiritually, one step at a time.
Unite180 has grown substantially since its inception, being able to host thousands of members and impact each of said members’ lives. Like many large churches, Unite180 has faced many criticisms, some more concerning than others, but ultimately, the church seems to function as churches should. So, whether you want to join the church, or eventually leave it behind, the choice is yours.
Visual: Sourced
