General

Thomas Carlyle said…Reform is not pleasant, but grievous; no person can reform themselves without suffering and hard work, how much less a nation. SWAM has identified several projects to focus on. Integral part of our vision is therefor to interact with fellow Christians and support Church related activities and concerns in the region.

At the very heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ and at the center of all true prophecy is a message of hope. Nothing could be more relevant and more necessary at this moment in South Africa than the Christian message of hope. But hope needs to be confirmed. Hope needs to be maintained and strengthened. Hope needs to be spread. One need to hear it said again and again that God is with them.

Unfortunately, we, as Christians are still a divided Church precisely because not all the members of our Churches have taken sides against negative things in our communities. In other words not all Christians have united themselves with God. As far as the present crisis is concerned, there is only one way forward to Church unity and that is for those Christians who find themselves sitting on the fence, to cross over to the other side to be united in faith and action with those less fortunate or victims of the situation.

The effects of Crime on our work:
  • With a serious crime committed every 17 seconds in South Africa, makes it the most dangerous country in the world, which is not at war.
  • Car Hijacks at 60 per day of which most armed carjackings take place in people's own driveways, More cars are stolen in South Africa annually than in the U.S. and Great Britain combined
  • Gun-related deaths stand at more than 30 a day with murders going up to 30 000 annually or 60 - 80 per day!,

On a positive note:

Serious talks between the bodies of Reformed Churches show that they are finally in the process of re-uniting as one church. This comes after many years of being apart and going into different directions. However this is only the start of many necessary changes we (the church in general) need to make in the future to accommodate and effectively reach more people with the Gospel.
[Interestingly enough this comes in a time when world church bodies are also considering unifying and working closer together. I refer to bodies like World Alliance of Reformed Churches, The Reformed Ecumenical Council, Lutheran World Federation and the World Council of Churches.]

SA Kerke pak misdaad saam; Rapport, 15.10.2006, p 4, Marlene Malan

KAAPSTAD - Leiers van feitlik al die groter Christelike kerke in Suid-Afrika het Vrydag op ‘n interkerklike konferensie oor misdaad en geweld in Johannesburg ‘n komitee gestig om geweldmisdaad te takel. Hulle wil onder meer gesprekke met die staat en die sakesektor voer “om daadwerklik iets aan die situasie te doen”, het dr Coenie Burger, voorsitter van die moderamen van die NG Kerk, gister gesê. Die konferensie is byeengeroep op inisiatief van die NG Kerk familie in samewerking met biskop Ivan Abrahams, voorsitter van die kerkleiers-forum. Dis bygewoon deur verteenwoordigers van die NG Kerk, die Verenigende Gereformeerde Kerk, die NG Kerk in Afrika, die Reformed Church in Africa, die Metodistekerk, die Anglikaanse Kerk, die Katolieke Kerk, die Presbiteriaanse Kerk, die UCC, die Lutherse Kerk, die AGS, die Volle Evangelie-kerk, Rhema, pinksterkerke, die Zion Christian Church en die Afrikaanse Protestantse Kerk. Die kerke was eenstemmig in hulle besorgdheid oor die situasie en die oortuiging dat sterk optrede nou nodig is, het Burger gesê... Burger sê die moord op ds Stefan Louw, ‘n NG predikant van Melville in Johannesburg, en die sterk gevoel wat in gemeenskappe heers oor die misdaadsituasie, het die kerkleiers genoop om byeen te kom.

Kerkleiers wil na Mbeki oor ‘krisis’; Die Burger, 19.10.2006, p 2 Neels Jackson

JOHANNESBURG - Kerkleiers gaan ‘n dringende ontmoeting met pres Thabo Mbeki aanvra om hul ernstige kommer oor die misdaadkrisis in die land aan hom oor te dra.... In ‘n verklaring wat gister uigereik is, sê dr Coenie Burger, moderator van die NG Kerk, die tyd het aangebreek dat kerke saamstaan om ‘n duidelike profetiese getuienis oor die kwessie te bring en om die kerk se aansienlike hulpbronne in te span om te help om die geweld in die land te verminder... Die kerke wil naas die ontmoeting met Mbeki, ook:

* Vennootskappe sluit met die sakewêreld en burgerlike samelewing, die polisie en regering om ‘n verenigde strategie teen misdaad en geweld uit te werk;

* Kerke landwyd uitdaag om verantwoordelikheid te aanvaar om harte en gesindhede te verander.. Hierdie uitdaging behels onder meer dat praktiese steun aan die polisie gelewer word, dat meer steun aan slagoffers gegee word asook dat pogings versterk word om jong mense en gesinne met boodskappe van hoop te bereik; en

*’n Kundige ontleding laat doen van die kompleksiteit van misdaad en geweld in die land.


PLEASE PRAY:

For wisdom and guidance as we work in this region. Please pray for each of us, including our church partners, the congregations, members and families in South Africa,