Stand and be Counted

The campsites early on Friday morning of the Mighty Men's Conference 2009

Most of South Africa is talking, not about the recent election results, but about the Mighty Men’s Conference 2009 which has just taken place on Shalom, Greytown, South Africa.

The capacity of the largest rugby stadium in South Africa is 80,000. As a child I remember these venues being packed out at rugby matches. But that was before the advent of television in South Africa. Nowadays world cup matches draw up to 50,000 spectators.

The truck above is known as the Seedsower and is taking the Gospel from Cape Town to Jerusalem. My son, John, who has a heart for outreach and has started his own mission startion in the Drakensberg, gazes at the Seedsower in awe.

Angus in front of the Seedsower
My sons, Angus (above) and John (below) phoning their respective wives

Thousands of chairs and hay bales set out for the men

A view from the hilltop down onto the farm covered in tents

Last weekend, on this KZN midlands farm more than 200,000 men attended the Mighty Men’s Conference. Men took their sons (our family doctor took his three teenage sons), grown-up sons took their fathers, brothers took brothers. The other doctor in town took his four cousins. Whole church and home cell groups attended the conference together; in the corporate world, men took their collegues. Many lives were changed as men committed their lives to God and accepted Jesus as their Saviour. Amen!

Angus, John and a friend, Avery
Men congregate in front of the stage

Banners bearing Jesus' name wave and men sing and praise God
while they wait for the sessions to begin

The stage structure was eight stories high. A tunnel ran from below the stage to the homes of the MMC09 organisers


Men sit quietly and listen as Angus Buchan, well-known South African evangelist, packs a powerful message

What is utterly amazing is that hundreds of thousands of exuberant, brawny, active men could camp together without any of the popular male South African props: fishing, hunting, adventure motorsports, drinking. Instead, after each session led by Angus Buchan, men retired to their campsites and enjoyed a fellowship which only the Lord can bring.

If you bump into a man who’s been to MMC09, he’ll tell you about the feeling of sanctity which pervaded the land he camped on. This is because the land is prepared for months ahead (not only by growing grass) but by intercessory prayer. Prayer is powerful and a spirit of calm and holiness rests on Shalom at all times.

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Note: Photo credits by my son, Angus, my friend Michael and MMC09 website.

If you'd like to know more about Shalom Ministries, click here