22 - 23 April 2008 hundreds of South Africa church leaders gathered in Boksburg for The National Initiative for the Reformation of South Africa (NIRSA) which was convened by Michael Cassidy, Founder of African Enterprise and Rev. Moss Ntlha, the General Secretary of the Evangelical Alliance of SA. Michael Cassidy emphasized the seriousness of the crises confronting us in South Africa, namely poverty, AIDS, crime, corruption, the undermining of marriage, racism, sexism, xenophobia and the electricity crises. “Pre-1994 we had white power. Post 1994 we had black power. Now 2008 we have no power!”

He reported that their organization experienced eight burglaries in eight weeks. His wife and daughter had been caught up in the crossfire of a gun fight in a shopping mall. He pointed to Zimbabwe and the crime in South Africa as examples of “negative tipping points.”

“We need a Christian coalition for national renewal and integrity. We need to be praying for leaders—whether we like them or their policies or not. We don’t have the answers but God does. We need a new humility before God.”

He said it was “catastrophic that South Africa’s lawmakers had taken ‘...in humble submission to Almighty God’ … out of our
constitution in 1996. This made us a law unto ourselves as a nation.” He mourned the prevalence of “politicians taking money from the public till, criminals taking lives with impunity, those who commit adultery, idolatry, sexual promiscuity … Righteousness exalts a nation, sin is a disgrace to any people. We need a restoration of prophetic witness of the Church to raise up those who will lead the people of God in Biblical Reformation.”

He led the delegates in praying the prayer of Jehoshaphat: “We are powerless … we don’t know what to do … but our eyes are upon Thee.”
2 Chronicles 20:12 Archbishop Buti Thlagale dealt with The State of our Nation today. He condemned the indifference to the suffering of others and the failure to treat other people’s property and persons with respect. “Given the moral decay in our communities, we have an obligation to do something.”

He spoke against “the corrosive culture of self-enrichment which points to a misguided sense of entitlement and a get-rich-quick mentality.” He condemned the corruption that had paralyzed “our communities with fear and a deep mistrust for our institutions, undermining the rule of law.” This is “a morally repugnant situation. Government is not committed to
eradicating crime and poverty in our society.”

The moral disintegration of our society was the result of an absence of moral leadership throughout South Africa. The churches have failed to present a Christian vision to counteract this decay in SA.

Archbishop Buti then called on delegates to resist “the spread of secularism and materialism. The country is sinking into the abyss of modern decay. We as church leaders are responsible for this. The killing of children in the womb is promoting a morally insensitive
society.”

“As criminals hurt and kill and maim, we have a moral duty to uphold respect for life and property. This must be part of our church
programmes.” He called for an end to “political correctness and fear. We need a prophetic church. We need a strong church for a wicked and broken world.”

If my people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.2 Chron. 7:14

(Extracted from JOY! Magazine - June 2008)
(Article shortened. Eds.)