It’s time for a mighty revival in SA — Alf James

Also see: Come and drink from the reopened wells of revival

The Mighty Men Conference (MMC) movement together with the It’s Time gatherings have developed to the extent that hundreds of thousands of South Africans are assembling at regional gatherings throughout the country every year and are forming a foundation for revival in the country that is set to spread to the rest of the continent.

Although the MMCs started with only 240 men attending the first conference at Angus Buchan’s farm, Shalom, in 2004 it grew like a spiritual veld-fire to an astounding multitude of more than 200 000 men worshipping and praising the Lord six years later.

MMC movement growing exponentially
The MMC movement has continued to grow exponentially since the evangelist passed the baton on in 2010 expanding from the single meeting held annually at his farm in KwaZulu-Natal to: three regional conferences the following year, 2011 (Bushveld Mighty Men Conference, Karoo Mighty Men Conference, and Western Cape Mighty Men Conference); nine MMCs in 2016; and 20 MMCs due to be held in 2018, including Mighty Men Botswana, Mighty Men Namibia, and Mighty Men Zambia for the first time, furthermore, Mighty Men Canada is starting next year.

MMCs have also been held in the UK, US, Scotland, New Zealand and Brazil. Furthermore, the two “It’s Time” assemblies that have taken place in South Africa attracted about one million people to Bloemfontein and 150 000 in Mitchells Plain, which has grown the MMC movement to include women and township residents, as have the Mighty Crusade meetings.

“You know, having studied revivals all over the world, I found out that they normally last for 18-months to two years,” said the MMC founder.

“However, this revival, because that is what it is, started in 2003 when God gave me the MMC vision and it’s still continuing now in 2018. It’s been going for 15 years and it is growing.

“The bottom line is that, firstly, God’s hand is on it; it is a God thing not a man thing and secondly, we haven’t tried to take possession of it.

“I liken it to a wild bird coming and sitting on your open hand to eat seed. Then it flies away and more birds come, but if you try and capture that wild bird — that’s the end of it.

“I think a lot of people have tried to take possession of something that God has given them to steward, and it has died.

“If I had disobeyed God and continued with the MMC at Shalom, I don’t think there would have been an MMC movement today; so as hard as it was to do, I had to hand it over, for everything has a season.”

Uncle Angus emphasised that no man can take any credit for the MMC move of God.

“It’s unconventional, it’s never happened before … I don’t know if it will ever happen again and it is unique, attracting both rich and poor, and men of different races and languages, … it is happening in Australia, the US, the UK, and it is going to Brazil, it is going all over the world.

“We have just been invited to Nigeria to do a men’s conference this year.”

Jannie Moolman, chairman of the Karoo Mighty Men Conference (KMMC) organising committee and trustee of the Shalom Ministries Trust, agrees that Uncle Angus’ handing over of the baton activated the expansion of the MMC movement.

“All of the regional MMCs start smallish but grow in number of attendees to the point that this year the 20 regional MMCs will each host between 5 000 and 20 000 men.”

Transforming families
Uncle Angus said the MMC movement is busy transforming families.

“We have a simple message: for men to head-up their homes and to take a Christ-like responsibility for their relationships. We teach men to be responsible husbands, fathers, brothers, neighbours and citizens of this country.

“We have sons, fathers and grandfathers attending MMCs together and they will never forget it, because the MMCs are about relationships; starting with our relationship with God, which determines all our relationships, and extending through our family to our neighbours and even strangers … remember Paul said in Romans 13:9 that all God’s commandments are summed up in this saying, namely, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.

“If you come to a MMC, you are one of the boys whether you were black, white or coloured, young or old, general manager of Anglo American or a street sweeper in Cape Town; you sit next to each other, greet one another, pray together, and praise God as one,” said the farmer-evangelist with Faith Like Potatoes.

Uncle Angus believes history is being made: “Previously, if you went to your average church, 80% of those attending were women, children and the elderly”.

“Today, that is not the case in South Africa anymore. Our churches are full of men, young and old, who are leaders in their communities and are changing this nation.”

However, while men have been at the centre of Uncle Angus’ ministry for the last 14 years that is no longer the case; the “It’s Time” and “Mighty Crusade” gatherings have drawn both men and women of all ages, races and every possible persuasion in their thousand, tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands.

The MMC founder believes we are living in revival, which as John Wesley said, “Is a people saturated with God”.

Building a base of believers to ignite revival
Dr Desmond Rose, who wrote a book entitled Write the Vision that tells of three visions, given to servants of the Lord from vastly different backgrounds, countries and continents, which all foretell of the Holy Spirit igniting flames of faith in South Africa that will spread through the continent and the rest of the world, believes the Lord is using the MMC movement and It’s Time gatherings to build a base of believers that are not only living in revival but will serve to be the catalyst that the Holy Spirit uses to ignite revival.

Originally from South Africa, Dr Des went to the US to study theology and prepare himself for ministry. He gained a doctorate in Ministry at the Oral Roberts University and has lived and pastored in the US for the last 31 years.

However, he has been visiting South Africa for extended periods over the last seven years in anticipation of the Holy Spirit’s move in the country.

Having attended both It’s Time gatherings and the Gauteng Mighty Crusade he said the fact that the MMC movement has expanded to include women and South Africans of all races, denominations and political persuasions is building the unity of God across all race, class, gender, and culture lines as well as any other barriers that have divided people of faith from each other in the past, which is necessary before a movement of the Holy Spirit ignites revival.

“It is necessary for us to first know ourselves and each other as united members of the body of Christ and through Him children of God, then as South Africans and lastly as citizens of the world, before the Holy Spirit moves in and through us as a rushing mighty wind,” said Dr Des.

Moolman agrees with Dr Des; he sees the MMC movement, together with the It’s Time gatherings, as laying the foundation for revival to ignite in South Africa.

“Whereas the MMCs laid the emphasis on reconciliation, between men and God, men and their families, and men and their neighbours, the It’s Time gatherings have promoted repentance by both individuals and the nation.

“Both reconciliation and repentance are necessary forerunners to revival,” said Moolman.”

Our role in revival
So, where do we go from here? What are our individual roles in revival for South Africa?

Uncle Angus has made it clear on a number of occasions that it is vital we become prayer warriors, because there is not a revival that has happened anywhere in the world without being prepared in prayer.

“South Africans need to become a praying people,” said the mighty evangelist.

“We need to become prayer warriors. God is looking for people who will pray. Pray against corruption in our government, pray for our government.”

Yes, it is vital that we become prayer warriors praying for a return to the Lord’s ways in South Africa, because there can be no revival without a surrender to the sovereignty of God, His holiness, His righteousness, and a realisation of our utter dependence on Him for salvation from the sinful nature of the world.

Revival comes from God and has little to do with our own effort — except the humbling and submission of ourselves before God — it is the Holy Spirit who convicts us of repentance and inspires revival.

We should pray for a national heart rendered for repentance, for turning back to the Lord’s ways, surrendered to the truth that we are completely dependent on Him for the healing of our land and for revival to take place in South Africa.

Prayer warriors actively fighting
We should see ourselves as prayer warriors in the army of Jesus Christ actively fighting the good fight for the transformation of South Africa utilising prayer as our weapon of Holy-Spirit-driven change, not only of our country, but of ourselves, and the people and conditions around us, for God’s glory.

Therefore, our focus should be on prayer as the manner in which we co-operate with the Lord and members of the body of Christ to repent for revival, which starts with our quiet time when we are alone with God in communion and worship, interceding for our families, brothers and sisters in Christ, and country.

Perfectly, we should sacrifice the first fruits of the day to God and extend that time with Him into the rest of our day communicating with Him and praying for reconciliation, repentance and revival in South Africa.

“Let revival start with each of us through prayer,” said Dr Des.

“Be constantly in contact with the Lord of the Harvest, and He will direct your path. Waiting on the Lord is the right thing to do. Live your lives as if Jesus is coming today and be His witness,” added Dr Des.

Likewise, Uncle Angus has such an urgency on his heart for prayer that almost every time he speaks, nowadays, he urges South Africans to pray saying that if we are going to be effective servants for God in these last days then we have to become people who pray continually.