A TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE & LEGACY OF GERHARD NEHLS

Gerhard Nehls - Beginning of Life Challenge Africa

Pioneer Missionary to Muslims, Author, Board Member of Frontline Fellowship and Founder of Life Challenge Africa:
GERHARD NEHLS has now finished his race and is with Jesus

BATTLE FOR THE HEARTS - DVD

Alexander Township 1962

Baptism

Preparing Teaching Material

Camp

Islam-research

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

Born 29 April 1928 near Magdeburg, Germany, Gerhard Nehls passed into eternity 3 May 2025, in Brisbane, Australia. He was 97 years old and is survived by his wife, Hannelore, children Volker, Andrea, Petra, Matthias, Stefan and their families, 8 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.

 
The Battle for Berlin
Gerhard Nehls is the last surviving Veteran of the Second World War that I personally know. 80 years ago, as a child Gerhard experienced the Thousand bomber raids which devastated Berlin and 63 other cities of Germany. As a 15 year old, Gerhard was fighting in the Air Defence (as Luftwaffenhelfer) on a Vierling, at four different locations in Germany. At just 17 years old, Gerhard was fighting in the Battle for Berlin, he was given a Panzerfaust (the prototype for the RPG) and sent out to hunt Soviet T-34s of the invading Red Army, amidst the rubble of Berlin, under relentless Artillery barrages.
 
Incarcerated in Buchenwald
After the war, at age 17, he was arrested for “subversive activities”, what he described as small acts of Resistance to the communist occupiers of East Germany. Gerhard was condemned to forced labour camp. This included incarceration in Ketschendorf, Fuenfeichen and Buchenwald concentration camps where he suffered for over four years from August 1945 to January 1950 and almost died of starvation and abuse. 60% of the inmates perished from ill treatment and severe hunger. This traumatic experience led him to, for the first time, seriously consider eternity, creation and God. Gerhard prayed a simple prayer. By the grace of God, Gerhard survived these Soviet death camps.
 
Escape across the Iron Curtain
During his time of incarceration his father died, and it seemed too dangerous to remain any longer in East Germany, so he escaped across the Iron Curtain to West Berlin where he began training as a Goldsmith, at Meisterschule fur Kunsthandwerk. He met his future wife, Hannelore, in West Berlin.
 
Move to South Africa
Shortly after his marriage and completion of his training, Gerhard moved to Johannesburg, South Africa.  Hannelore followed a few months later. Here they were invited to attend a series of Prophecy lectures at a Brethren church meetings. Being interested in making sense of history and current affairs, they determined to attend. The fulfilled prophesies convinced them of the authority of the Bible. The messianic prophecy of Isaiah 53 made a particular impact on Gerhard and he became aware that he was guilty before a holy God. Recognising his  need for pardon he sought freedom through Christ Jesus and His Atonement on the Cross. The result was their Conversion to Christ and Call to missions. It was on the 28th of March 1958 that Gerhard and Hannelore, individually and together, decided to surrender their lives to Christ and to follow Jesus.
 
To Northern Rhodesia and the Congo
After a night of intense discussion with the missionary guest speaker who had proclaimed the Gospel to them, Les Rainey and his wife,Audrey, drove off for Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia (what is today Zambia). Soon Gerhard and Hannelore responded to an Invitation from Les and Audrey to drive to Lusaka and work with them in Northern Rhodesia. In an old Chevrolet with a loading deck built into the trunk area, fitted with four different types of tyres acquired second hand, they drove through the northern Transvaal, across the Limpopo River and through Southern Rhodesia to the mighty Zambezi River, crossing at the spectacular Victoria Falls, into Northern Rhodesia. They celebrated Christmas Eve in a tent by the side of the dirt road and arrived on Christmas Day in Lusaka. While their children and wives remained in Lusaka, Les and Gerhard  then began the long journey North for ministry in the Copper Belt, Belgian Congo and Portuguese West Africa (Angola). They worked amongst people whose lifestyle had not changed over many centuries and where the power of witchcraft and superstition was still pervasive. On entering the Congo, they were informed that the border official was away and they should help themselves to whatever stamps they needed for their passports. Thereafter the boom was lifted and they were welcomed into the Belgian Congo! They crossed flooded rivers, saw spectacular herds of wildlife, met interesting people, experienced diverse cultures and survived numerous adventures. After this mission they wrote offering their services to the mission organization but never received a reply.
 
Mission work among Jewish people
Shortly afterwards, Gerhard and Hannelore were approached to join another missionary couple, work among German immigrants, students and Jewish people in the Johannesburg area. This time was an intense training experience in the Old Testament/Torah
 
The Bible Band
A couple of years later, Gerhard was asked by a Canadian missionary, who was transferred from Johannesburg to work amongst the Zulu in Natal, to take over the children’s ministry she had started in a few townships. Gerhard and Hannelore accepted this after prayerfully considering it. The children’s ministry developed into Youth ministry, which was called The Bible Band. Gerhard led this work over a span of 10 years, with the Bible Band having a profound influence and major impact on the lives of hundreds of young people in townships around Johannesburg. Youth groups and school clubs, Bible evening school and Adventure camps drew large numbers of young people who were open to God’s Word.
 
 To the Cape of Good Hope
In 1975, Gerhard was led to move to Cape Town and start all over again, this time focusing on evangelizing Muslims, particularly the Cape Malay, in the Cape of Good Hope. For this purpose, Gerhard founded Life Challenge. Intense study of Islam and the Quran was necessary. Both Gerhard and Hannelore spent many months researching and studying the Quran and many other Islamic manuscripts. In addition, they studied works by Orientalists and prior century Christian missionaries.   

Gerhard Nehls-LIFE CHALLENGE

Gerhard Nehls - Beginning of Life Challenge Africa

Gerhard Nehls - Converts - Followers of Isa

Gerhard Nehls - Family and Friendships

Gerhard Nehls - First Organised Outreach

Gerhard Nehls - Old VW Minibus delivering precious loads

Gerhard Nehls book - Pic of Walter & Christel

The Challenge of Islam
Gerhard found that the Islamic Propagation Centre and it's famous leader, Ahmed Deedat, was causing much trouble between Christians and Muslims with his provocative, insulting and often blasphemous publications which were aimed at discrediting the Bible, denying the Crucifixion and the Divinity of Jesus Christ. It became evident that God had truly guided him to redirect his mission focus because, after centuries of obscurity and lethargy, radical Islam was experiencing a resurgence, even a revival, as the Shah’s Iran was betrayed into the hands of the Ayatollah Khomeinei and revolutionary Shi’ia Muslims spread out across the globe with their aggressive message. This new manifestation of Islam and jihad was now hitting the news headlines and even the streets worldwide. One could no longer ignore Islam, especially as they now represented the largest competitor and opponent to Christianity. And the largest group of unreached people.
 
Research and Development for Effective Evangelism of Muslims
At that time very little in the way of Christian research and books on Islam existed. There were even less publications designed to communicate the Gospel to Muslims.
Gerhard often led the way in pioneering Christian research and innovation to mobilise Christians to respond to the challenge of Islam and reach their Muslim neighbors, students and coworkers for Christ.
His landmark books: Christians Answer Muslims; Christians Ask Muslims; The Great Commission, You and the Muslims; Dear Abdullah; Al-Kitab; Your Book and My Book- a Topical Comparison of the Quran with the Bible; Basic Aspects of Islam; Christian -  Islamic Controversy;  Practical Tactical Approach; Reach Out: Premises and Principles in Muslim Evangelism and  Life is a Challenge more so in Africa. Along with many Gospel tracts and leaflets. These were foundational for many subsequent authors who have ventured into trying to understand Islam and develop an effective Christian approach to reaching Muslims for Christ.

FIND ALL THESE BOOKS HERE
 
Mentored by Gerhard Nehls
It was through these vital books that I first contacted Uncle Gerhard in 1982. It was a tremendous privilege to receive first hand training in door-to-door ministry and personal Evangelism amongst Muslims from Gerhard Nehls. I have many great and vivid memories of travelling with Uncle Gerhard  and Walter Eric to Bo-Kaap and learning from how he interacted with Muslim families over tea and his emphasis on the parables of Jesus, particularly, Two men went up to the Temple to pray. I have often used the very same words and stories that I heard from Uncle Gerhard, back in the early 1980s, while I was studying at Baptist Theological College, in my subsequent outreaches to Muslims throughout Africa.
 
Christian Concern for Muslims
Gerhard Mobilized and trained numerous teams for door to door, personal and literature  Evangelism. In 1984, Gerhard and his growing family moved back to Johannesburg in the Transvaal, to focus on the predominantly Indian and Pakistani Muslims there, particularly in Lenasia. At this time, he also founded Christian Concern for Muslims (CCM), to bring together all workers amongst Muslims countrywide.
 
Contending for the Faith at SACEL
In 1985, Gerhard Nehls, Dorothea Scarborough and I formed the Resistance to a radical and manipulative agenda at the SACEL (Southern African Conference of Evangelical Leaders), where liberation theology and a Marxist agenda was being promoted in an attempt to Co opt Evangelicals into “the Struggle”. We so upset the leftists and liberals that, in frustration, Caesar Molebatsi infamously declared that "All missionaries are racists!" which is not just a logical inconsistency but a practical impossibility. Gerhard’s clear thinking, incisive mind and lifelong track record of love in action across so many cultural barriers undermined the propaganda of the revolutionaries.
 
Life Challenge Africa Merges with SIM
In 1986, Gerhard merged Life Challenge Africa with SIM, the Society for International Missions, and undertook a mission to Tanzania.
 
Consultation On Muslim Evangelism
In 1987,  Gerhard participated in the first SIM-COME (SIM Consultation On Muslim Evangelism) in Monrovia, which developed a strategy for Muslim Evangelism in sub-Saharan Africa.
 
Training of Trainers - a Ministry of Multiplication
In 1988, Gerhard conducted the first Muslim Evangelism Seminar on Mauritius and then participated in Lausanne2 In the Philippines. In 1990 Gerhard conducted Muslim Evangelism workshops for leaders in Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. In 1991, Gerhard began lecturing at the Haggai Institute for Advanced Leadership at Singapore. In 1992, at the age of 65, Gerhard handed over leadership of LCA to Walter Gschwandtner, based in Nairobi, Kenya. Gerhard however did not retire, but continued writing and lecturing worldwide, including at the Haggai Institute in Hawaii and at the Zwemer Institute in California.
 
Muslims for the Messiah
We have launched Gerhard’s presentation for Muslims: The Message of Nabi Isa website page to introduce Muslims to the Messiah.
Gerhard’s vision of mobilising an army of Christians to sign up, step through the open door and in prayer and by personal interaction with Muslims, share the Good News with them, through social media is an idea whose time has come. We are praying for these audio-visual presentations and publications to also be translated into Arabic, Urdu, Malay, Farsi, Hausa and other strategic languages in the Muslim world.
 
A Treasure Store of Resources to Understand Islam and to Evangelize Muslims
Gerhard Nehls has been an invaluable Mentor and an honored Member of the Board of Frontline Fellowship for many years.
Gerhard wrote the Introduction to my book: Frontline: Behind Enemy Lines for Christ. 

At Frontline Fellowship, we take it as a sacred duty before God to ensure that the important research and resources of Gerhard Nehls, both hard copies and digital, are protected and preserved and made available to Bible believing Christians dedicated to Evangelism and Discipleship of Muslims.   To this end we are helping to set up, along with his Family Team, Delighted to Share: A Treasure Store of Resources to Understand Islam and to Evangelize Muslims.

May God be merciful and gracious to use these precious resources to mobilize and empower God's people to be more effective in winning people from a Muslim background to Christ.
 
Uncle Gerhard can now declare:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the Faith. 
Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
​2 Timothy 4:7-8

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In His grace and service
for the fulfilment of the Great Commission

Dr. Peter Hammond