Clarina van Ieperen and Ryan Smit shine a light on the unique opportunity for believers who desire to be used to impact society with the justice, truth and love of Jesus in their vocational spheres, to sign up for the Wilberforce Academy residential week in January
The third annual Wilberforce Academy South Africa will kick off with its residential week from January 19 to 24 2025. The academy brings together highly qualified and experienced faculty members, a serving team and delegates from across Southern Africa with a mission to find biblical answers to the most pressing sociocultural issues of our time.
Applications for the 2025 Wilberforce Academy will be open until November 10.
Legacy of William Wilberforce bearing fruit in SA
Our world would have been starkly different if William Wilberforce had not surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ in 1785. It is also unimaginable what world we would be living in today had he not heeded the words of John Newton to remain in politics in service of the Lord and his fellow man. In the political landscape of his day, he made the most of his position in parliament to advocate for social reforms that gave expression to true biblical justice — leading the movement to abolish the British slave trade, among other notable exploits. His life exemplifies the transformative power of putting a biblical Christian world and life view into practice — in the power and grace of the Holy Spirit, and as part of a Kingdom community surrendered and committed to following the Lord for the glory of His name and for the good of all.
Inspired by his legacy, the Wilberforce Academy continues this mission today by playing its role in equipping the next generation of Christian leaders in public life. Wilberforce Academy South Africa was launched in 2023. With the third annual Academy Week in January in view, testimonies already abound of past delegates being inspired to become involved in local school governing structures, starting a pro-life movement, launching a voter education platform, writing prophetic songs and collaborating with other Kingdom-minded culture-makers and co-belligerents in their vocational spheres.
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The Wilberforce Collective: The Academy Week and a Kingdom community
The Wilberforce Collective seeks to equip believers who are passionate about seeing the justice, truth and hope of Jesus at the heart of society. The journey begins with a residential Academy Week, followed by quarterly Refocus Days, vocational, cause-based and regional equipping events.
The Academy Week is hosted near Hermanus in the Western Cape. This residential experience ensures that delegates can spend time together during the teachings, corporate worship and devotions, mealtimes and application group discussions, to foster greater community building. Past delegates consistently express how much they value the community formed through the residential week and fellowship events over the course of the year. They also testify that the teachings and practical application group discussions help them dream bigger and be more confident in impacting their spheres of influence as salt, light, and cities on hills.
Delegates are grouped with faculty members according to vocations, which allow them to engage with the ideological challenges in their respective vocations through the application of a biblical worldview.
Vocational groups include:
• Ministry (church and parachurch)
• Business, economics and finance
• Education
• Healthcare
• Media, creative arts, and entertainment
• Law, politics, and public service
• Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
Delegate testimonial: a life-changing experience
Sarah Giles, an MA political science student and co-founder of Voter Voice SA, shares her experience:
“The Wilberforce Academy was one of the most life-changing experiences for me. My greatest takeaway was that if I truly profess to know Jesus Christ, He must be evident in every area of my life, especially in the work that I do. Meeting so many heroes of the faith, who have stood for truth, justice, and righteousness in this country, was incredibly encouraging.”
Applying for the 2025 Academy programme
Christian believers who want to become part of a community that shapes culture for Christ are invited to apply for the 2025 Academy programme at: https://wilberforceacademy.org.za/2025-academy-applications/
More details, testimonies and content are available on Wilberforce South Africa social media accounts on
Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.
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