Staff
Who are the SMTI staff?
Dr Sybrand de Swardt
Director
Dr Sybrand de Swardt has been the pastor of Lynnwood Baptist Church since 2009. He preaches expositionally and does extensive counselling and teaching on counselling related issues. Sybrand has received a Master of Arts in Biblical Counselling from The Master’s University. He also obtained a Doctorate of Educational Ministry from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in which the project developed a thirty-hour contextualised biblical counselling course.
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Cillié Malan
Director
Cillié Malan has been a software developer since 2010. He specializes in software systems architecture and development and has experience in integrating large software systems within an enterprise environment. He has his BA in Computer Science from the University of South Africa (UNISA). Read More
Beth de Swardt
Student Affairs
Beth de Swardt has a MA in Biblical Counselling and worked in campus ministry for 5 years after receiving her degree. She also taught women’s ministry classes in the Biblical Counselling Department of The Master’s University for 9 years. For many years, she was involved in helping to lead the Women’s Ministry at Calvary Bible Church in Burbank, California. She came to South Africa in 2005 to work with a ministry helping children with the HIV. In all of these positions, she was actively involved in teaching, counselling and discipling women. Read More
Nadia Hattingh
Grader
Nadia Hattingh is a member of Lynnwood Baptist Church and serves as the Director of Heartbeat Counselling Care Centre. She has a BSc in Social Work and completed the two-year SMTI programme with Dr Wayne Mack in Pretoria, South Africa in 2016. She is currently pursuing becoming a Certified Biblical Counsellor through ACBC. She is also furthering her studies in post-abortion counselling in the United States. Read More
Siovhan van Niekerk
Secretary
Siovhan van Niekerk is a member of Lynnwood Baptist Church. She has been serving SMTI administratively since 2023. She is currently in the process of completing a Bachelor of Education through the University of South Africa. She has been married to her husband Henrico van Niekerk since September 2020. Read More