Melt and Anida van der Spuy have been married for 32 years, and have three biological daughters, two sons in law and an adopted is-Xhosa son and daughter. They met in 1979 at school, but only started dating some years later at university. They were married in 1989.
They moved to Yellowknife from Cape Town, South Africa in November 2018 to pastor Yellowknife Vineyard Church.  November in SA averages around +30 degrees and Yellowknife -25, so that was an interesting adjustment!
Both were raised in Cape Town and had a radical conversion in their mid-twenties in 1990. Melt served in AVC SA from 2007-2018, pastoring the City Vineyard and then Kenilworth Vineyard churches. Prior to 2007 Melt had pastored a New Wine Anglican church. Anida is a chef and food lecturer by training and trade and currently teaches at the RC School (St. Patrick's) in YK as the Food Arts and Culinary teacher.

Melt took a break from pastoral ministry from June 2014-June 2018, when he served stints as principle of the Evangelical Seminary of Southern Africa and Director of Development Associates International until accepting the call to YKVC. At the same time, he was studying toward a doctorate through Fuller Seminary.

In 2017 both Melt and Anida began to feel the call back to local church ministry and together with their family prayed about possibilities in Canada or Europe. The first Vineyard church that came up on a Google search for Canada was Yellowknife! The process of prayerful investigation started and a trip to YK in June of 2018 sealed the deal.
They say that 'to be honest, the deal was probably sealed at a prayer time in the Rousu's home in Edmonton, prior to flying to Yellowknife...'

Two years in Canada has seen encouraging fruit at YKVC and a feeling of having found extended Vineyard family throughout the country. Two of their children have been able to visit them in YK and they have recently been in SA to marry their middle daughter.

Their desire in the Kingdom is for cultural diversity and what Melt calls 'ministering Grace with Jesus.' For whatever reason, God seems to have brought many people who have previously been in exceptionally legalist environments, or even cults, and who struggle with performance driven faith in their direction over their years in the ministry of Jesus.

Yellowknife is a remarkably diverse city, and the church reflects that diversity with 27 nationalities represented in a family sized congregation. Some of the congregation of YKVC come out of very rigid and legalist/cultic Christian backgrounds and Melt and Anida's desire is to facilitate the freedom and joy that comes with being released from rigid box ticking spirituality.
Anida comes alive when around creating recipes, food and serving people.  She is currently writing a recipe book. Melt was a first-class rugby player in a former life and is still keen on sport.  He is open to being invited to play golf further South anytime anyone would like to invite him.  His most significant devotional times are spent at a wood lathe.

Together in YK Anida and Melt have fished, foraged (particularly for berries and mushrooms), hiked, snowmobiled and done a good bit of canoeing.