Jannie Moolman looking forward to 5th Karoo Mighty Men on his farm

Angus Buchan back in Middelburg for KMMC 2015

The Karoo heartland is again set to attract tens of thousands of men whose hearts thirst to experience the presence of the Lord and proclaim His glory.

The fifth Karoo Mighty Men Conference (KMMC) will take place from April 24 to 26, 2015.

Looking forward to next year’s KMMC, Jannie Moolman, event coordinator and owner of Rusoord Farm on the outskirts of Middelburg, where the conference is hosted each year, says KMMC 2015 will be a special event as the Mighty Men spiritual father and founder, Angus Buchan is returning to lead the Sunday morning family session.

Jannie, who is one of Angus’ spiritual sons, says it is wonderful to be able to host the Mighty Men progenitor at KMMC 2015 as: “Oom Angus’ message always means so much to the people attending the KMMC”.

“Although he is just an ordinary farmer, he walks closely with our Holy Father, does His will, and conveys a special message from God.”

Jannie says the purpose of the KMMC is to provide an opportunity for men to have their lives changed by God’s grace, allowing them to return home and love their families and neighbours in a way they have never done before – with the Father’s heart.

“To be the fathers they would have loved to have, to be the husbands their wives would love to have, and to be the leaders in their families and communities that extend the love of God to all whom He places in their paths.

“Oom Angus believes God wants us to become His ambassadors, to reconcile man to God and man with man; starting-off within our own homes, Churches and communities.”

Jannie says KMMC hopes to lead people into closer relationships with the Lord, which will impact on the quality of all their other relationships.

“It is this reconciliation of men with the Lord and the subsequent healing of their relationships with family and neighbours that is most gratifying about KMMC.

“Each year many men are reconciled with the Lord, their wives and children and many men have experienced Rhenosterberg as the place of their salvation, redemption and healing, for which we are grateful.

“Each year men come back during the year, between KMMCs, which is very special to me, because it is the place where they were saved. They come back just to experience the silence, be quiet and be renewed in the presence of the Lord.

“A good example is Theo (Vlooi) Terblanche who was born again at KMMC 2013.

“This year Vlooi undertook a 500km ‘Celebration Journey’ on foot from his home in Plettenberg Bay to KMMC 2014 to glorify the Lord’s name and praise God’s grace by which he experienced salvation.

“Vlooi undertook the walk of faith without fanfare, seconding support, back-up vehicles or sponsorship.

“Vlooi was brought up in a Christian family and even became a deacon in a church, however, as an adult he fell into a life of alcohol abuse, criminal activities and unfaithfulness to his wife.

“Then some friends invited him to join them on a trip to KMMC 2013 where he accepted Jesus Christ as his saviour, gave himself to the Lord, and was reborn, which turned his life around, and freed him from being a slave to addictions.

“Vlooi regards the KMMC as his own place of sanctification in the Karoo where Lord Jesus Christ freed him from the darkness and evil that robbed him of righteous living and the love of his family,” says Jannie.

He says the love between family members and the importance of relationships is at the heart of KMMC, which is the reason that camping is such an integral part of the whole experience.

“Getting to know brothers in Christ while camping in the Karoo, the fellowship, the discussions, the shared testimonies, the fun, the friendships and new relationships that develop are all an important part of the whole event,” says Jannie.

Looking back at the way the event has developed, Jannie says the Karoo is what makes the event special for many visitors and different from similar gatherings.

He says the organising committee was unanimous in their choice of site for the conference.

“After viewing a number of possible venues we returned to the Rhenosterberg site and prayed, after which the presence of God, His peace, the restfulness of the environment and its serenity made a deep impression on all those present,” says Jannie.

“Visitors to KMMC enjoy the sense of space and stillness, dramatic sunsets, cloud formations, myriad stars at night, and the mighty Rhenosterberg towering over the camping grounds and place of worship.

“It is a venue where men are humbled by God’s glory that is evident in the vastness of the environment in which they can deepen their relationship with the Lord in the peace and calm of the Karoo,” he adds.

Jannie says another special aspect of the KMMC is the unity that has developed in the organising committee, which started off as a group of individuals that had meetings filled with debate and sometimes division.

He believes the growth in unity can be attributed to the KMMC organising committee’s emphasis on prayer.

“All KMMCs have a firm foundation of prayer and they are prepared for in prayer.

“Every decision concerning the KMMC is committed to the Lord in prayer by the entire committee.

“Members of the committee also pray together on a weekly basis and committee meetings are first established in prayer.

“The organising committee has developed into a close-knit and unified team whose sole purpose is to glorify the Lord through the event and their contributions to make the KMMC happen.

“The committee is highly aware that our purpose is to glorify the Lord, not to seek great things for ourselves, but to seek great things for our Lord.

“The organising committee works as a team and without the contribution of each one the KMMC would not be the event it has developed into.

“However, the biggest lesson that the entire committee and everyone involved with organising the KMMC has learned is to forget about the importance of their own efforts and to realise it is God that is makes it all possible,” says Jannie.

“However, it has also been a process of learning to trust each other and not judge each other,” he adds.

Jannie’s wife Marlize, who is also a member of the KMMC organizing committee, says in a recent parallel development to KMMC, women who accompany their husbands to the conference and stay in Middelburg for the weekend have also gained the opportunity to focus on their relationships with God, their families and neighbours during a Saturday breakfast conference.

The Saturday women’s breakfast conference started as a corresponding event to the KMMC 2012.

“Although women and children are invited to KMMC’s Sunday morning family session there is a strong demand for a gathering that is specifically geared for women,” says Marlize.

She says the women’s breakfast conference, together with the KMMC Sunday morning family service, makes it a weekend of worship and fellowship for both men and women.

An indirect benefit of the women’s breakfast conference is that it has brought women together from across the spectrum of Middelburg’s church denominations to organize the event.

“Likewise, it is one of the few occasions that women from different church denominations in Middelburg come together to praise the Lord,” says Marlize.

Jannie says he has been privileged to have Marlize involved in the organising committee together with him, as well as have his children experience the KMMC each year.

“Marlize has been a source of much support and acted as a sounding board for me to discuss issues and be able to listen to her opinion of the outcomes of meetings, because in chairing meetings one is often more subjectively involved, missing some of the less obvious issues and undercurrents.

“I would not have been able to chair the meetings or lead the committee without the support, advice and prayers of Marlize.

“Despite the pressures and extra work we experience in the lead-up to KMMC, we have been blessed as a family to host the event, because of the impact it has had on our children and the way they have been able to experience first-hand the effect that Salvation and reconciliation with God has had on men that have attended KMMC,” says Jannie.

“The KMMC journey, thus far, has been one of spiritual growth in relationship with the Lord and faith in His provision for all that is needed for the event for all involved with KMMC, for which we are grateful,” he adds.

Ends.