Tributes are pouring in from all over the world for Graham Power, founder and CEO of Power Group and influential Christian marketplace leader.
Graham passed away at 2.10pm on Friday October 14, exactly a year to the day after I wrote an article that was published by Gateway News issuing an international call for prayer for Graham after he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia. People around the world have been gathering to pray for Graham over the past year.
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This tribute is written in honour of an amazing brother, friend, mentor, leader to many around the world and devoted husband to Lauren Power, amazing father to Nadene, Gary, Alaine and their spouses and Oupa to their children.
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Entrepreneur extraordinaire
Graham founded the Power construction Group in 1983. He started the business on his farm and it later grew into one of the biggest and most progressive construction companies in South Africa. The Power Group, is a leader in civil engineering construction, infrastructure, and turnkey property development.
Servant Leader and role model
2 Chronicles 7:14 —“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.”
You could not be around Graham and not hear this Scripture over and over again. It was a Scripture he loved and quoted often. This Bible verse gave birth to a vision that God gave Graham, showing three specific waves — the first wave signifying a gathering of God’s people in a time of repentance and prayer; the second mobilising people globally towards ethics, values and clean living; and the last wave addressing the healing of the land and triggering revival. This vision ultimately resulted in the establishment of Global Voice of Prayer, Unashamedly Ethical and Heal Our Land movements. Tribe was the youth arm of all the other initiatives.
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Unashamedly Ethical
Unashamedly Ethical is a global movement of individuals and organisations guided by a founding vision to transform society by taking a stand for ethics, values and clean living. It is currently in 144 nations around the world.
Graham also served as the Transformation Africa Chairman and on the advisory board for the Lausanne Movement Workplace Ministry.
Graham was also involved in many prayer meetings held at Parliament. We were honoured when he accepted an invitation to pray for unity at a meeting I hosted in Parliament in March 2018.
Author
Graham also co-authored a life-changing book with Diane Vermooten about how God directed him to gather 45 000 believers in prayer in Cape Town in 2001 for a Global Day of Prayer. That day of prayer has since metamorphosed into the Global Voice of Prayer and is currently in 220 nations around the world.
Family man
He was a dedicated family man. In spite of his incredibly busy schedule, family was always first and foremost with him. He was devoted to his wife of more than four decades, Lauren Power, who he had the opportunity to nurse back from her health challenges and near-death experience a few years ago.
His children, Nadene, Gary and Alaine have all served alongside him in ministry and business in one way or the other. Gary had this to say about him: “Dad was always positive about South Africa and Africa and his love for Africa was rising”.
Gary talked about the inclusivity of the Power Construction company, and how it embraced diversity long before the end of apartheid. He said that “standing against corruption, for his dad, was done out of love and that he considered it a ‘call’ and not a job”.
Graham would often be found spending precious holiday times with his whole family, including his grandchildren, who fondly called him “Oupie”. He left a strong legacy of prayer in his grandchildren who prayed for their Oupie until his final days.
Soldier to the end
Graham soldiered on until the very end. In August, I had the great privilege of hosting eight revival meetings in South Africa with Dr Kynan Bridges from Florida, USA. Graham hosted and led the Cape Town leg of the revival meetings from August 8 to10.
One of his last assignments before being admitted to hospital with pneumonia and post-Covid complications was spearheading the Economic Summit (Africa) meeting held at In Harmonie, Franshoek. At this meeting he, along with his incredible team, hosted 60 leaders from around the world, to deliberate on economic solutions for Africa. This was done in partnership with Arleen and Dick Westerhof from the Netherlands.
Graham’s final assignment before he was admitted to hospital was handing out a number of Unashamedly Ethical (UE) awards at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West to various national and international leaders. The UE staff surprised him by presenting him with the UE Lifetime Achievement Award. What an awesome privilege it was seeing Graham being honoured in this way!
Tributes from around the world
The impact of initiatives started by Graham have been felt all over the world. Below are a few snippets from tributes sent from around South Africa and the world:
South Africa-Michael Cassidy (Founder of African Enterprise)
Graham was to me forever a Barnabas and a great encourager and any projects I was leading or initiating he would support with great enthusiasm. He often called me his spiritual father because it was out of a leadership breakfast for civil engineers I addressed in Somerset in 1989 that he felt put on the road of conversion. On behalf of African Enterprise, The Lausanne movement and the Christian Leaders Forum of South Africa I salute Graham as one of the spiritual giants of our time.
Unashamedly Ethical (Brazil)
Our sincere condolences to the Power family. What a legacy! He was a true leader that presented the Kingdom of God through his courage with the founding of Unashamedly Ethical. We thank You Lord for his amazing life and journey! And we will gladly, courageously and humbly continue his work here.
Linda Ma (Hong Kong)
My daughter and I met Graham in 2004 in a stadium in Cape Town where he hosted Transformation Africa. He later inspired me to bring this movement to Hong Kong ,where under his guidance, I booked two stadiums in 2005 where approximately 50 000 people attended. Graham has been a mentor to most of us, a leader, a friend and a role model who loved God passionately. What he has done has touched millions of lives around the globe, including myself and my family through the Global Day of prayer.
George Prah (Ghana)
We recall the historic afternoon in August 2019 when you launched Unashamedly Ethical Ghana. It was in the presence of esteemed dignitaries of state and faith. Your passion for ethics, values and clean living was proclaimed with such sincerity and conviction, inspiring great hope to a people in pursuit of a fresh breath of transformation. You set the ball rolling forward and we will never go back again.
Arleen Westerhof (Netherlands)
Graham was a mentor, a legend, a general and an example to us and to so many around the world. He leaves behind a rich legacy. With all that he was carrying, he was still willing to become a board member of my own organisation, Economic Summit. His wisdom and spiritual authority left their mark and we are better for having had him with us.
Pearl Kupe (South Africa)
What a privilege and an honour it has been to call Graham my buddy, and big brother. A man of great honour and integrity and simplicity at the same time. A calming influence and consistent voice of reason. It has been a great privilege to work closely with Graham on many different initiatives including, but not limited to: Global Voice of Prayer, Heal our Land, Tribe, Unashamedly Ethical, Christian Leaders Forum , Global Forum of Women Entrepreneurs and the Economic Summit (Africa) initiative, among others. He has left a giant footprint in all our lives and an incredible legacy on this planet. We remain in prayer for Lauren, Nadene, Gary, Alaine and his beautiful family. Qhawe la ma Qhawe (Hero among heroes). We celebrate your life and legacy!
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What a man!! We bless the Lord for his life and the godly legacy he has established.
Well done good and faithful servant !