WHAT IS WORSHIP ACADEMY?
Our Team
Worship Academy brings in a diverse group of facilitators from multiple disciplines representing several nations. Here is the core team that makes it happen:
Worship Academy Coordinator
Tanya Page
Having served at Worship Academy since its beginning in 2007, Tanya is the team's coordinator and the primary liaison with church leadership. She handles internal logistics, planning and coordination, and caring for our facilitators.
Over the years, she has seen many lives transformed and loves to see how people come alive when God ignites or rekindles their love and passion for Him. She graduated with a degree in Consumer Science from TUKS, and when she is not working, she loves to go on adventures with her favourite people: her husband, Jack, and her daughter, Jane.
Facilitator
Thea Bester
Thea has participated in music ministry at Hatfield Christian Church in various capacities for twenty-five years. As a facilitator, she brings a wealth of experience and passion as well as a healthy dose of fun.
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Marketing
Malaika Gcobo
Malaika grew up attending Hatfield
Christian Church and is a 2014 graduate of
Worship Academy. She is currently a lead
worshiper at Hatfield.
Malaika has a passion for collaboration and finds expression in coaching songwriting for
Worship Academy students as well as creating fusion collaboration opportunities
for artists from different art forms, genres, styles, and mediums.
Facilitator
Mike Noviskie
Mike served as an assistant pastor and led worship in the United States for sixteen years before moving to Pretoria with his family in 2012.
Our Facilitators
Facilitator
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Mike Noviskie
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Malaika Gcobo
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Facilitator
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Thea Bester
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Malaika Gcobo
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation."
Our Story
Hatfield Worship Academy began in 2007 as a mentoring journey for lead worshipers in a network of churches in South Africa. The experience and insight of the Academy's founders, Gerben and Mieke Grooten, caused its influence to spread quickly. Soon students arrived from southern Africa, central Africa, Europe, the United States, and eastern Asia. To accommodate students who could not spend five months in Pretoria, a weekends-based part-time school was added in 2011. Since 2007, over 100 students have graduated from Hatfield Worship Academy.
STUDENTS SAY
Our Founders
Gerben and Mieke Grooten started Worship Academy in 2007. Drawing from a rich journey through many disciplines, they mentored students in worship theology, leading worship, music directing, vocal technique, percussion, piano, conducting, and team dynamics while also leading the worship and arts ministries of Hatfield Christian Church. Over the years, they developed and promoted more facilitators and leaders for Worship Academy. Having left rich and lasting deposit in South Africa, Gerben and Mieke relocated to the Netherlands in 2021 and currently reside near Winterswijk.