GWC Fun Run - George Whitefield College

GWC Fun Run
It takes something very special to get people out of bed
well before sunrise, especially on a public holiday. In this
instance that something very special was the 2012 GWC
Fun Run, a fund raising event which specifically enables
GWC students to travel to various destinations across
South Africa in order to obtain practical cross-cultural
ministry experience. It forms a major practical element of
the academic year and an important one at that, as many
of those we train become church and community leaders,
often engaging in social upliftment programs and welfare
organizations across South Africa and further afield.
The weather was perfect, the location magnificent, and at
06:30am on Wednesday 21 March (Human Rights Day), a
record 516 runners and walkers took off from the
Muizenberg Pavilion and headed down the Main Road. The
runners turned onto Boyes Drive opposite Kalk Bay
Harbour while the walkers turned off the Main Road at
St James and proceeded onto the pathway alongside the
sea. Both groups finished back at the Pavilion. It has to
be said that both these routes are of the most scenic one
will find anywhere in the world.
Both serious and casual participants enjoyed heartwarming
fellowship on the day. If you were part of our
event we say a very big thank you. If you were not,
please join us next year.
Mark Dickson Appointed Principal
By now most of you will know of Mark’s appointment as Principal of GWC as from 01
January 2013. The announcement met with much joy and excitement. It’s what we
were all praying for!
Sad as we are at the reality of our beloved David Seccombe retiring at the end of the
year, the faculty and staff of GWC are united in looking forward to serving under
Mark’s leadership. Whilst it is the beginning of a new season, the focus on teaching
excellence will remain unchanged so that GWC graduates are well equipped to take
our glorious gospel to the far corners of Africa and beyond. Please pray that it will be
so!
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Calling all Alumni!
It is often asked what GWC graduates are doing with their extensive training in matters theological. The extension of God’s
Kingdom is after all what is central to such training, whether serving in a local church preaching and teaching the gospel, serving
in the mission field, working in a secular social upliftment organization, or being a witness in the business world. Whatever your
calling, we want to hear from you. We are reminded in Acts 1 and the second part of vs 8 of the relevance and importance of
the work you are doing; Jesus said to His disciples,”…and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth”. Don’t you marvel at the fact that those whom He has saved are His witnesses, regardless of where
you serve! The work you are doing may be a great encouragement to those who are considering entering into full-time or parttime
ministry, and of course to all who call upon the name of the Lord. It may also serve as an encouragement to those who
financially support Christian work, and they may know of the fruit of their investment in the extension of God’s Kingdom. We
look forward to hearing from you! Please contact us at info@gwc.ac.za
Grant Porthen...
from Gangster to Gospel Worker
He writes: “Since graduating from
GWC last year I have been given
the amazing opportunity to serve
at Trinity Church in Mitchells Plain
on the Cape Flats under the
leadership of GWC graduate
Andrew Barnes. The church is
situated in an impoverished area
with a high level of unemployment,
which of course imposes financial constraints but also great
opportunity for gospel ministry. My passion is to evangelise the
community in order to win them over for Christ, which is also the
very heartbeat of our church and what we’ve committed
ourselves to do.
Besides engaging with people young and old on the streets we’ve
started an evangelistic outreach project called Christ, Life, Crazy.
The project seeks to reach kids in the community with the gospel
through the medium of creative art such as hip hop dance,
creative writing and painting. We presently meet with fifty kids
every Thursday teaching and modelling the gospel, and the
response has been amazing! It’s been so exciting to be part of the
Lord’s work in this place. What began as a few children attending
Sunday School has since led us to start a formal school on the
church premises! What’s more, the parents of many of these kids
now regularly attend our Sunday services! It’s been a joy to see
not just growth in numbers but spiritual growth among the
children and adults alike.
Andrew has allowed me numerous opportunities to preach which
has been a great learning experience for me. In addition I lead the
young adult ministry in the church. Whilst I’ve been thoroughly
trained for the roles I play at Trinity, I sometimes feel I haven’t a
clue as to what I’m doing, no matter how well prepared I may be.
The upside is though that it causes me to be reliant on the Lord for
all that I do in His service.
Andrew has been a wonderful mentor in guiding me, and it’s been
amazing to be able to share ideas with him. I’m very excited about
the work being done here, and it’s truly amazing to see the Lord’s
hand on this church. Lives are being changed as the Word of God
reaches into the hearts of individuals. Hallelujah!”
Training Leaders in Malawi
Abel & Dorothy Sauti-Phiri both graduated from GWC last year and
are now engaged in full time gospel ministry in their home country.
They had hardly settled back when a call came from the Evangelical
Association of Malawi for Abel to facilitate a 3 day seminar on Godly
Leadership. Says Abel… “It was a marathon, I was thrown into the
deep, but by the grace of God I managed to speak and answer hard
questions raised by the traditional leaders or ‘chiefs’ as they are
known. At the end of the seminar the Village Chief who is head of all
the chiefs requested another such seminar in the near future. It is
easier to talk to church leaders than traditional leaders about Godly
leadership simply because church leaders have a biblical
understanding of such things. All the same though it was wonderful to
experience and witness the gospel message taking root in the lives of
some of the chiefs”.
Since then Abel has been invited to speak at the Nkhoma Bible
Institute north of Lilongwe in central Malawi. This is also where the
headquarters of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian is situated
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and of which Nkoma Bible
Institute is an offshoot. He is
well known at the institute
through his Trans World
Radio ministry. Students and
lecturers alike were, he says,
“excited about seeing the
face behind the voice they
have so often heard on
radio”.
Abel goes on to say “I give God the glory and honour for using me as
his instrument to share the gospel with different audiences such as
churches, seminars and Bible studies”.
He enjoys and appreciates the support of his wife Dorothy and in
writing to us finishes by saying “thank you for your prayers and the
training you gave me to enable me to serve the Lord effectively.”
Abel and Dorothy’s son John is currently in his second year of BTh
studies at GWC.
The Impact of GWC at
Rusitu Bible College in
Zimbabwe
Rusitu Bible College (RBC) in Chimanimani which is in the eastern
highlands of Zimbabwe, was the brain-child of the then South
Africa General Mission (SAGM) which later became African
Evangelical Fellowship (AEF), and later joined Serving in Mission
(SIM). SAGM formed the United Baptist Church in 1897, which
now serves as RBC’s parent. RBC was established by SAGM in
1952.
In 2002 Rev Timothy Myambo was
appointed principal of RBC despite
his own reservations concerning
his academic suitability for the
position. At the time he held a
Bachelor of Theology Degree and
was in any event considering
Timothy & Violet Myambo
leaving RBC to pursue further
studies. Besides, the faculty handbook stated quite clearly that the
principal was to have a minimum of a Masters Degree in Theology,
which meant Timothy was simply not suitably qualified for the
position. In fact, suitably qualified lecturers as a whole were sorely
lacking at RBC. So the question arose: how was Timothy to meet
the minimum tertiary qualification for the position he was to hold?
This and other faculty concerns forced the writing of a five year
plan for RBC in which GWC played a fundamental role in training
leaders for the future. The number one priority was for the
principal to engage in further study. Staff development was second
on the list.
In 2005 GWC offered Timothy an opportunity to do his Honours
which he grabbed with both hands. With a one year scholarship
from a missionary organisation, which also supported his church,
he headed for Cape Town.
From left: Irvin Moyo, Panganayi Sithole, Thinkmore Chivhumba and
Timothy Myambo at GWC in 2007. The three were in their BTh first year
and Timothy in his final year of his MA.
Following the successful completion of his Honours, the GWC
Bursary Trust enabled him to continue with his Masters, which he
obtained in 2007. During this time other young men and women
who were already in gospel ministry in Zimbabwe were identified
for further training and subsequently enrolled at GWC. These folk
are now back in their home country and engaged in gospel
ministry in churches, schools and universities, while some are
serving as lecturers at RBC. Timothy has since returned to GWC
to complete his PhD. His wife Violet is with him and is
simultaneously completing her Honours Degree in Theology.
While GWC continues to prepare young men and women for full
time gospel work in Zimbabwe, the impact of RBC has become
prolific, resulting in the spread of the gospel in that country and
Mozambique.
Rev. Peter Manzanga (GWC MA graduate) is currently Principal of
RBC in the absence of Timothy in South Africa. Five of the eight
lecturers serving under him are GWC graduates. Under Peter’s
leadership RBC is assuming even greater heights.
With a reputation as an Evangelical college RBC is training
pastors and leaders from more than ten different denominations
and para-church organisations. Women’s Ministry courses form
part of the curriculum. Typically, graduates are pastors, Bible
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College lecturers, primary and high school teachers, Bible
Translators into Ndau language (a Shona dialect spoken in part of
the Eastern Highland and Mozambique Manica area), missionaries
(in Mozambique) and numerous other ministries and vocations.
RBC has become instrumental in the growth and impact of gospel
ministry in this part of Africa.
Both Timothy and Peter have expressed their eternal gratitude to
GWC for the help and encouragement received over the years. The
real heroes though are of course those who have made all this
possible by their financial giving to GWC. It is nothing less than a
partnership and an investment in the extension of God’s Kingdom
in Africa, without which none of this would be possible. GWC is
very strategic as an evangelical, gospel-centred and accredited
home of theological training of Christian leaders in Africa. It is just
possible that from Africa will emerge missionaries carrying the
true gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to Europe, the USA and
elsewhere in the world. Is this worth investing in? We think so.
Ross Anderson…
a Man with a Passion for Preaching
the Gospel
Seldom does an opportunity to
preach the gospel go begging
when Ross is around. Whether
from a pulpit somewhere in
South Africa, or among his
motorcycling friends at the Roof
of Africa rally in the mountains of
Lesotho, or the University of
Roma in Lesotho, or on the steps
of the Muizenberg Community
Centre, such as in this photo.
Ross holds the John Stott Lectureship at GWC and teaches Biblical
Studies.
money for his theological training and entry into gospel ministry.
Ross’ wife Lindy continues to conduct sewing classes for
interested students and has on a number of occasions helped
those who have been unwell or in need of counselling. Like Ross,
she has a pastoral heart and is much loved by the students of
GWC.
Please pray for both Ross & Lindy, and in particular for their
daughter Poppy, who requires special care and schooling.
A Note from the
Development Office
Could Africa become the beacon of
hope in as far as the gospel is
concerned, and the continent from
which missionaries are sent to the
far corners of the world? It is just
possible. GWC graduates are at work
in China, Chile, Myanmar, Japan, the UK,
Australia, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya,
and many other countries, and not least in South Africa!
For those who have in the past supported us, and for those who
currently partner with us in this strategic work, your financial
giving has made this possible! Had you not done so the spread of
the gospel in all these places would have been severely
jeopardised. So please don’t stop. There is still much to be done if
we are to impact lives, communities, cities and nations with the
good news of our glorious gospel.
If you have not previously supported this work, please
prayerfully consider doing so. You can do so by debit order or as
a once-off gift. Either way you will make a difference in the
extension of God’s Kingdom. That after all is what really matters!
Wherever you are, please do not stop praying that the work of
GWC may grow and bear much fruit! •
Believe it or not, Ross is a qualified diesel mechanic and worked as
such for a number of years prior to entering into full time gospel
ministry. Whilst he has a love for tractors and anything that smells
of diesel, his main reason for working in this industry was to raise
Tel: +27 21 788 1652 Fax: +27 88 021 788 1662 Email: info@gwc.ac.za Website: www.gwc.ac.za
PO Box 64, Muizenberg, 7950, Cape Town, South Africa
GWC is authorised to issue a tax certificate for donations subject to Section 18A of the Income Tax Act
George Whitefield College (Association incorporated under Section 21 no.2003/003197/081), Nonprofit Organisation, Registration No 042885
Registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997
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