Day 4: South Africa

(Friday, March 28, 2014)

Today was primarily a travel day as the team flew from Johannesburg to Cape Town, but the trip was bookended by a couple of great visits.  To start the day, we visited Northfield Methodist Church in Benoni (just outside of Johannesburg).  It reminded me a lot of our church in Fort Lauderdale (Christ Church).  They have a satellite campus called the Wesley Community Center out in the township of Etwatiwa.  This is a ministry with people in need.  It offers reading classes, exercise classes, a preschool, HIV counseling, food distribution, gardening and morning prayers.  We toured the pre-school and the children had such expressions of joy on their faces.  They loved to give “high-fives” and wave at us.  

After this, we made our way to the airport to catch a quick flight to Cape Town.  Cape Town is an interesting place.  It is a resort/destination town on the coast (near the Cape of Good Hope) and it has some of the wealthiest people in South Africa, as well as some of the poorest.  Peter Storey, author and former Bishop, is our host here in Cape Town.  Bishop Storey used to offer pastoral counseling to Nelson Mandela when he was in prison on Robbins Island.  He is also close to Desmond Tutu.  

After he picked us up from the airport, we met with the Bishop, District Superintendent, as well as several pastors and lay people from the Cape Town area.  Peter Storey said that Cape Town was really two cities: one of the rich and one for the poor.  Interestingly, the said the churches in the areas of the greatest affluence are declining; the wealthier people get the less they feel then need church/community we were told.  Yet, the district itself is very active.  It has two children’s homes for at risk kids, as well as several nursing homes.  Methodist Churches are located in some of the poorest settlements.   I love the way the Bishop described the Methodists in the area, “We are an excited band of disciples seeking to do Jesus’ work with the people Jesus loves so much!”  This is a great mission statement!  

When we talked about churches in America tonight, Peter Storey offered an interesting insight.  He said, “the American Church is dangerously close to losing its soul if it does not start engaging the poor.”  He spent time teaching and serving a church here in the United States.  It is clear, though, that through all of the churches and leaders that we have met, that God is working in powerful ways.  

Tomorrow we visit Robbin Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for many years.  Should be an interesting trip.

God’s Peace,

Brett