Johannesburg is the commercial capital of South Africa and a gateway between Africa and the rest of the world. Out of South Africa’s population of 56 million people, ten million people reside in Johannesburg. South Africa still enjoys religious liberty as this is enshrined in the constitution of the country. Christianity is the dominant religion in South Africa, with the majority belonging to the Roman Catholic Church followed by a diverse number of charismatic Christian churches. Other than Christianity, African indigenous ancestral worship is widely practiced followed by Islam and then Judaism.
The message of Reformation came to Johannesburg in 1944 when two brethren from Zimbabwe visited South Africa. Since then the message has spread throughout South Africa and has reached neighboring countries such as Lesotho and Swaziland. The work here is organized under the South African Field Conference with its headquarters in Johannesburg. However, because of the high cost of property in Johannesburg, the Field Conference has not been able to own a property but is operating from a rented office of about 388 sq. ft. (36 m2). Moreover, most of our churches in Johannesburg do not have their own places of worship but rather rent properties from other churches or use government schools for Sabbath services on Sabbath.
A few years ago, by the grace of God, we purchased a plot of five acres with an existing house, funded through donations from church members in South Africa. The plot is about 6 miles (10 km) outside the center of Johannesburg city. The existing house is old and needs some renovations. The project will consist of a permanent headquarters, a central chapel, and in future years a school with dormitories. The realization of this project will need significant financial outlay over several years. All our resources have been used to purchase the plot and therefore we are appealing to you, our brothers and sisters from all over the world, to help us realize this project.
We pray that God will richly bless you as you give generously towards this project and thank you with all our hearts for the help your gift will bring in furthering God’s work here in South Africa.
Your brothers and sisters in the South African Field Conference
