No, there aren’t any elephants or zebras roaming the streets of Mitchell’s Plain in South Africa.
But there is a tremendous reception to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In fact, rejection is a rarity, says Aleric Dreyer, pastor of Springwood Baptist Church in the Mitchell’s Plain region of Capetown, South Africa.
He and his wife, Juliana, recently were in the United States, first visiting Miami, Fla., and then Coldwater Baptist Church in Oxford (Calhoun Association). Springwood Baptist, Dreyer explained, is involved in a partnership with Miami.
While in that city for two weeks in March, Dreyer preached from one Sunday to the next in a revival at a Jamaican church.
The couple visited Coldwater Baptist at the invitation of its pastor, Jacky Morgan. Less than a year ago, Morgan was involved in Cape for Christ Crusade in Capetown, South Africa, conducted by Multi Ministries International. Morgan preached at the Dreyers’ church.
Morgan asked the Dreyers to visit his church while they were in the United States so the members could hear firsthand about the ministry there.
Morgan hoped it would encourage the members to get involved in missions work in South Africa and establish an ongoing partnership.
And it worked. Morgan reports that a number of people at Coldwater Baptist are planning to go to South Africa to assist in missions work.
What the members of Coldwater Baptist will find there is “a very high regard for the gospel,” said Juliana Dreyer.
Even people of other faiths have an openness to it. She explained that there are a number of former Muslims in Springwood Baptist.
Actually, she continued, Muslims tend to come to their church for help in time of need.
And during visitations, “they have given us requests to pray about,” said Dreyer. This, he said, makes the faith of the Baptists a viable one for the Muslims.
There is such a regard for the gospel that South Africans actually classify themselves as Christian. However, Dreyer explained, only about 25 percent have experienced salvation.
In South Africa, there is a great freedom of religion, Dreyer continued.
The abolition of apartheid gave rise to and increased interest in Christianity and other religions as well.
Juliana Dreyer pointed out that churches are free to go into schools to minister, a big difference from the United States.
The window of opportunity in South Africa for telling people about Jesus is wide open, Dreyer said. “How long it will last, I don’t know.” And that means using the chance to its fullest is of the utmost importance.
Capetown, the Dreyers explained, has probably 125 Baptist churches and a population between 4 million and 5 million.
Springwood Baptist Church, the couple stated, is one of about nine Baptist churches serving the one million people in Mitchell’s Plain.
There are 110 members at the church, though 140–150 attend Sunday morning worship services.
And though the people of Springwood worship the same God and seek salvation through the same Jesus, their services are a little bit different.
“We have longer services,” said Juliana Dreyer.
The services focus more on worship, added her husband. “We will have about 40 minutes of worship.”
Also, onlookers would find that there are more vocal expressions, such as shouting, said Juliana Dreyer.
“Our worship is more spontaneous,” said Dreyer, who has served as pastor of Springwood for 10 years. “Our worship is more vibrant.”
But otherwise, the couple found the worship services in the United States to be similar to their own.
Like their counterparts in America, the Christian churches in South Africa face social issues that are vying for the hearts and souls of the youth.
“Pray much for us,” Dreyer requested with urgency.
Crime, unemployment and gangsters are the three major social issues facing the congregations, said Dreyer.
“(Gangsters) are a big, big problem,” stressed the couple, who are the parents of three sons — 13, 11 and 7 years old.
The Dreyers noted that there are no outlets for youth.
Though sports is a good tool, “not everyone is engaged in it,” said Dreyer.
While in Alabama in April, the couple also spoke at Grace Baptist Church in Oxford, New Haven Baptist in Anniston and Munford Elementary School and on the “Front Porch Fellowship” program of WTBJ Radio 91.3.
The Dreyers also were exposed to many ministries, which have given them food for thought, and perhaps even more.
“We go home with some new ideas” that can benefit both the church and community, said Dreyer just a few days before he and his wife embarked on their 17-hour flight back to South Africa.
They also went home with some rather unique experiences from their time in Alabama. For one, they got to drive a race car at Talladega Short Track, said Morgan.
But he suspected that Juliana Dreyer’s favorite activity was shopping at a Wal-Mart Supercenter.
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