RUCC Ministries began as a women’s fellowship made up of nineteen women in Fort Gale, Umtata. As the congregation grew, Pastor Marius and Pastor Linda Gradwell assumed the role of pioneer pastors in 1982, and in 1989 they were joined by Pastor Don and Pastor Nomsa Phillips as their assistants. 

In 1997, Pastor Don and Pastor Nomsa Phillips succeeded as Senior Pastors when Pastor Marius and Pastor Linda relocated to East London. Under their stewardship, the church has experienced remarkable growth, now boasting over 4,000 congregants and holding two services every Sunday. RUCC Ministries has since planted more than twenty branches throughout South Africa.