Vicki Fourie, the pioneering co-founder and director of Jeffreys Bay School of Supernatural Ministry shares about the birth and the first year of the ministry school in the Q&A interview below
1. What is the story behind the start of the school?
Recently, I did a timeline of the story of my life during my weekly creative writing classes in Jeffreys Bay. I realised that the Lord had been orchestrating scenarios way before I even decided to start JSSM in November 2021. I noticed a golden thread that kept on repeating in my timeline, and the theme is that I have been a pioneer my whole life. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been breaking the wind, stepping over stereotypes, and going against the status quo of how things have always been done.
I have 97% hearing loss, but I still learned how to speak like a hearing person and I read lips. I went to an English hearing school, despite Afrikaans being my home language (most deaf people can only learn one language).
- Advertisement -
I excelled in ballet and drama, and I was the head girl of my school. I became a motivational speaker after winning the Miss Deaf South Africa title (most beauty pageantry girls only do charities and fund-raisers), and almost all the Miss Deaf SA girls that won before me only used sign language as means of communication, so they couldn’t speak on the radio or do TV interviews, whereas I was able to do just that. I also wrote two books in between doing all these things.
In 2013 and 2015, I had my cochlear implant operations. It’s because of these implants that I was able to go to America to do BSSM (Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry) in Redding, California from 2016-2017.
Before getting the implants, I had a hard time understanding foreign accents, and I never would’ve had the courage to go overseas by myself. My lip-reading skills were limited to just Afrikaans and South African English. I never would’ve been able to do BSSM if it hadn’t been for my cochlear implants. For that, I will forever be grateful.
I grew up in a Christian home, with both my parents as apostolic and prophetic pastors in full-time ministry. I knew about the Lord, but I had a religious spirit and mindset. I saw the world as black and white, and there was no room for errors or mistakes. I thought I had to perform to earn the Lord’s love.
BSSM became the platform upon which these lies were exposed and removed and replaced with the truth of who God says I am. It was an extremely painful process, and every day felt like open heart surgery. I was confronted with my performance spirit, and my need to prove myself to myself.
I also had to let go of past disappointments and bitterness; I learned how to surrender and let go of my right to understand. I cried every single day in class.
During that year, my identity was forged in the fire, and I came out victorious and free.
When I came back from the US in 2017, I said to my parents: “We have to start a BSSM school in South Africa!”
At the time, we had a big church in the south of Johannesburg. We had the building, the resources, the finances, and the students to start a BSSM school. Everything was ready for take off. But then… my father got sick and passed away from cancer six months later. The dream of starting a BSSM school was immediately swept off the table.
Fast forward to January 2021. When my mom and I moved to Jeffreys Bay, I said to her: “It feels like I’m back in Redding, California. The spiritual atmosphere’s layer is so thin and the creativity here is electric.”
I also started reconnecting with BSSM alumni in the Eastern Cape. Slowly, I started remembering what it had felt like to be part of a vibrant and prophetic company of people. After I had come back from BSSM in 2017, I simply couldn’t find a likewise community of believers. Sometimes, the very thing you are looking for is the very thing you must start yourself. I knew that my mom and I had to start a BSSM school in Jeffreys Bay.
On the 2nd of February 2022 this year, we had our Grand Opening. The date is significant to me because of the double portion anointing and blessing that I had received from my father. He had always wanted to start a “School of the Prophets”, and it’s one of his many dreams that did not come to fulfilment during his time on earth. The mantle has been passed on to me, and I know my father is cheering me on in Heaven.
2. What has been happening during your first year?
As the director of JSSM, I’ve come to realise that what the world tells us about leadership is not necessarily how the Lord wants us to operate. I’ve had to let go of control, especially where the students and class programmes are concerned. Operating in prophetic and apostolic leadership is a scary place to be, especially if you want everything to be “perfect” and have a desire not to offend anyone. I’ve learned how to balance the tension in being a ‘surrendered pioneer”.
When I look back on this year – our first year – each term has been different. God has shown up in different ways. During the first term, we had various open nights, with ROAR Worship and Werner Strydom ministering.
In the second term, we focused on prophetic dance movements, which were led by Janine Thetard from St Francis.
In the third term, we focused on vulnerability, sharing our lives, and healthy confrontation.
This fourth term, we’ve focused on testimonies and releasing breakthroughs over one another.
I love how at the beginning of each term, we’ve had no idea what Holy Spirit wanted to do. We simply gave Him the space and the permission, and He did show up. It’s been an organic year full of challenges, growth, and healing.
At the moment, we are fully on campus. We do not feel the release to be online as of yet. We believe in the power of corporate anointing, and something incredible happens when we get together in person. Our facilities are at Global Leadership Academy; they have been incredibly supportive this year and we are so thankful for them. They are such a blessing to us.
For the next few weeks, we will post the students’ testimonies on social media. The first one is already available online:
3. What is the plan for 2023 and going ahead?
We are now in the process of accepting applications for 2023. We will still focus on the first-year programme, but in 2024 the second-year programme will be available as well.
We also plan on starting spoken word nights in 2023, which will take place twice a month on Sunday evenings in Jeffreys Bay. We want to give our JSSM students the platform to minister and share their hearts through songs, stories, poetry, prayers, Scripture, testimonies, etc.
I also started a creative writing school this year called The Creative Community, and I’m blown away by how the Lord is showing up through creativity. I believe this is the new thing the Lord wants to do with His church, and the spoken word nights will be based on the heart of the artists and the heart of the Artist. I love how my writing classes and JSSM have overlapped regularly this year.
Next year, The Creative Community will focus on “write your story” and we will write our memoirs through the course of 2023. We get together once a week on Sunday afternoons from 3pm to 5pm, also at Global Leadership Academy.
4. How does the school operate?
JSSM is registered with BSSM in Redding, California, and we use the BSSM Equip platform to stream teachings online. We regularly receive advice and support from the BSSM staff through emails and Zoom meetings.
The BSSM Equip platform has over 300+ teaching materials available. However, each night at JSSM is different. Some evenings we do not even get to watch the BSSM Equip teachings; Holy Spirit leads us instead to pray for one another, have a prophetic dance session, prophesy over one another, etc. Each night has been uniquely different so far.
We also focus for an hour on worship sessions. Worship is one of our main values, and we value it highly. It is during worship that we receive most of our revelations and breakthroughs. We also have group discussions, revival group, etc. We do the same book reports that BSSM recommends we read as well.
Our three core values at JSSM are the following: We are presence focused, risk-takers, and community driven.
5. If there is anything else you want to say about the school?
‘Will you say yes?’ is a question frequently asked at BSSM, and I’ve been asking prospective and interested students that as well. Sometimes, all God wants is our yes, and He will provide the rest.
Doing JSSM is tough, as I’ve seen with our students this year. But doing BSSM in the US is tough as well. There are sacrifices to be made, priorities that need to shift, deep healing that happens, and healthy confrontations taking place. It’s not an easy year at all, but it’s so worth it. There’s an immense growth that takes place, a renewing of the mind that happens, and you get pushed out of your comfort zone.
One of the reasons why we do JSSM in the evenings is so that the students can still work during the day, and so can afford to do JSSM.
Full-time classes are from Mondays to Thursdays from 6pm to 9pm and it’s a 10 months-course (one year).
Part-time classes are on Tuesdaysand Thursdays, also from 6pm to 9pm, and it’s a 20-months course (two years).
Our youngest student this year is 19 years old, and our oldest is 73. This school is for everyone – all ages and all races.
Jeffreys Bay is a beautiful coastal town, and we have beautiful weather and great waves. One of the reasons why my mom and I started JSSM is because we know how expensive BSSM is. We wanted to make it accessible and affordable to South Africans whose hearts burn for the presence of the Lord.
My life changed drastically after doing BSSM, but it came at a great cost — financially, spiritually, and physically. Do you want more? And will you say yes?
Prospective and interested students can apply for JSSM by sending us an email at jssmcontact@gmail.com
Follow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/people/Jeffreys-Bay-School-of-Supernatural-Ministry-JSSM/100075953690452/?fref=mentions
Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jssm_southafrica/
For more info on JSSM, visit our webpage — https://vickifourie.com/jssm/
Please help us to keep on publishing news that brings Hope in Jesus:
>> Donate >> Become a Super Subscriber
VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/gatewaynews100
COMMENTING GUIDELINES
You are welcome to engage with our articles by making comments [in the Comments area below] that add value to a topic or to engage in thoughtful, constructive discussion with fellow readers. Comments that contain vulgar language will be removed. Hostile, demeaning, disrespectful, propagandistic and off-topic comments may also be moved. This is a Christian website and if you wish to vent against Christian beliefs you have probably come to the wrong place and your comments may be removed. Ongoing debates and repetitiveness will not be tolerated. You will also disqualify yourself from commenting if you engage in trolling.
God bless this ministry!