"Choose you this Day"

​Volume 1 - 1991

The KwaSizabantu Mission is widely recognised as the most successful mission station in Africa. During 2lst-25th January it was also the host of an historic Ministers Conference which drew together 750 ministers, evangelists and missionaries from 71 Christian denominations and organisations to discuss some vital issues facing South Africans.

​REVIVAL
The KwaSizabantu Mission has been the site of an extraordinary revival for over 20 years. Tens of thousands of people, including gangsters, witchdoctors and satanists, have come to Christ through the remarkable ministries of KwaSizabantu. God’s grace has also been seen in the hundreds of people healed and delivered at the Mission. While KwaSizabantu has never held a ‘healing service” or “deliverance service”, God has sovereignly intervened and touched many lives in miraculous ways.

While the dedication of their new auditorium (9 December 1990) was attended by over 11 000 joyous Christians, the emphasis of KwaSizabantu is not on numbers. As one co-worker explained to me: “Revival is not churches filled with people, but people filled with God.”

The emphasis of the Mission is the preaching and teaching of the Bible, prayer, repentance and faith, and service “as unto the Lord.”And this Biblical simplicity and faithfulness is being mightily blessed by the Lord.

HIGHEST DISTINCTION
SKwaSizabantu’s mission school recently hit the headlines with the best matriculation results in the country. While Black schools in South Africa achieved a dismal average of 34% pass rate, the Khonzinkosi (“Serve the Lord”) mission school of KwaSizabantu maintained a 100% pass rate. Two of their pupils, Angela Stott and Pieter Becker, also achieved the highest distinctions in South Africa. Coming as they did on the eve of the Conference, these school results once again highlighted the superiority of Bible-based Christian education over the politicised secular humanism which has devastated so many schools.

(The Daily News headline read: “SCHOOL WITH BRAINY PUPILS HAS GOD’S GREAT BLESSING,” and the Sunday Tribune declared, “LITTLE MISSION SCHOOL COMES UP TRUMPS FOR MATRICS, DESPITE HOLDING NONE OF THE CARDS,” and the Natal Witness headline was, “PUPILS GET A’s FOR SCIENCE DESPITE POOR FACILITIES.”)

THE CHALLENGE
Yet while the Ministers’ Conference met at this peaceful revival centre, all were acutely aware that much of our country and continent are being torn apart by crime, immorality, violence, terrorism and religious deceptions. And it was these challenges that the Conference boldly addressed.

Unlike many other conferences, the Ministers’ Conference clearly spelled out “The Basis Of Our Christian Unity” with an unambiguous affirmation of Biblical doctrine. There was no compromise on the facts of the faith — including the Triune God, Creation and the infallibility of the Bible. The unity sought was only in Christ and on the basis of the Word of God: “Salvation is by the grace of God alone, through the atonement of Christ alone ..." True Christian unity is not simply through denominational membership or Christian profession (Matthew 7:21).

There was a bold stand against “compromise, syncretism and lukewarmness” and a clear challenge to all ministers to choose “between a politicized gospel and the Gospel — ‘.... once delivered to the Saints’ Jude 3.”

THE AFFIRMATION
​The Conference vigorously discussed and unanimously accepted “THE KWASIZABANTU AFFIRMATION 1991”, which rejects racism, class hatred, violence, intimidation, abortion, evolutionism, humanism, communism and socialism. The Affirmation then affirmed the right of parents to raise their children in the ways of God, to send children to schools of the parents’ choice, including private Christian schools; the right of the Church to choose its leaders without any state interference, and to propagate the Christian faith freely. The Affirmation further spelt out the four Biblical spheres of government — personal, family, church and state — and their responsibilities before God. Private ownership of property was recognised and all forms of “nationalisation”, forced “redistribution” and socialism were rejected as theft and covetousness. (Exodus 20:15,17)

A strong call was made to return to Biblical morality, including “the need to return to the honouring of the Lord’s Day, the strengthening of family ties, rebuilding moral standards and restoring higher standards to the Publications Control Board.” (The full Affirmation is available from: P/Bag 252, KwaSizabantu 3561. Or phone or Fax 03344-41855).

The Conference delegates made a public re-commitment to serve the Lord according to Joshua 24: 
“Choose you this day whom you will serve ... As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

The speakers at the Conference included:

Rev. Erlo Stegen “Choose you this Day”

Rev. Barney Mabaso “Preaching the Gospel pure and undefiled”

Rev. Peter Hammond “The Lordship of Christ in all areas of life”

Dr Ed Cain “How God’s ways conflict with man’s”

Ds G. Denyschen “Idolatry”

Rev. Koos Greet “The challenge of communism”

Rev. Muzi Kunene “Liberation Theology — the Gospel according to Marx”

Dr Penny, Dr A. van Eeden and Dr A du Plessis addressed “A Christian response to AIDS”

Ds Nel dealt with the issue of “Government”

Rev. Fano Sibisi spoke on “Violence and intimidation”

Mr Philip Stott showed an outstanding slide presentation on “Evolution — the Wisdom of Man vs Creation — the Wisdom of God”

Rev. Erlo Stegen concluded with “Does it seem evil to you to serve the Lord?”

All of the above messages are available on audio-cassette or video tape from:
P/Bag 252, KwaSizabantu 3561, RSA.

The various choirs of KwaSizabantu Mission and Khonzinkosi School were outstanding in leading the Conference into worship with great hymns in many languages. Of course, another of the high lights of the Conference was the fellowship and conversations between meetings, over meals, and whilst walking around the mission station and its farm. And whilst the Conference dealt with many controversial issues, the spirit of Christian love and unity was overwhelming. Truly, here was a conference united in Christ upon the Bible speaking out with clarity on the key issues of our time.

“Now therefore put away the strange gods which are among you and incline your heart unto the Lord God. The Lord our God will we serve and His voice will we obey.” Jos. 24:23,24