Last KMMC will be best and a new start, says Angus Buchan

Angus Buchan has confirmed that Karoo Mighty Men Conference 2017 (KMMC 2017) will be the last to be held at Renosterfontein Farm on the outskirts of Middelburg near the foot of the majestic Renosterberg Mountain.

However, the MMC founder said that he is confident KMMC 2017 will be the best yet — and that God would start a new conference in the Karoo next year with a new team and new venue.

Uncle Angus met with the KMMC organising committee before a larger gathering of Mighty Men Conference (MMC) organising committees at his farm, Shalom, this past week to convey MMC guidelines and parameters for the 20 events that are set to take place during 2017.

He paid tribute to the KMMC committee members for being among the first to receive the baton from him to host a MMC after the last conference at Shalom in 2010.

Decision guided by the Lord
The MMC founder said although people from many different parts of South Africa and even overseas have mentioned to him how they were blessed by KMMC, everything has a season and the decision by the event’s co-ordinator and host, Jannie Moolman and his wife Marlize, together with the organising committee to make 2017 the last KMMC was not an easy one, but was guided by the Lord.

“What you have to understand is that God speaks through individual men not through an organisation; for example, God spoke to Moses and raised him up to take His people out of Egypt; He did not speak to a group of people telling them to take the Israelites out of Egypt . . . and just as well or they would, probably, still have been in Egypt.

“Jannie has heard from the Lord that the season for hosting a Mighty Men Conference at Rusoord Farm is over, which is no easy thing, just as it was not easy for me when I heard from the Lord that the season for MMCs at Shalom was passed and that I should hand the baton on.

“Jannie and Marlize were called by God and the buck stopped with them, not with the group.”

Uncle Angus encouraged all committee members to focus on KMMC 2017 and give their all to this year’s event.

He said God would show the next step in due course and urged the KMMC committee members to pray for guidance from God with regard to the way forward for an MMC in the Karoo and its location.

It’s a God thing
“Listen to the Lord, the MMC in the Karoo belongs to Jesus . . . it is not an Angus Buchan thing, nor a Jannie Moolman thing it is a God thing.”

The MMC founder said it is vital that each of the committee members have peace about how the MMC conference continues in the Karoo.

He anointed each committee member and prayed that God would give them clarity concerning the MMC in the Karoo.

“I believe God will do a new thing with this committee next year, with a new name and a new venue,” said Uncle Angus.

“The move of God in the Karoo is far from finished. We might change the physical locality and name of the conference, but the Lord’s will being done in the Karoo will not be stopped.

“We can’t contain God, He is too big,” added the evangelist.

All present at the meeting agreed on the necessity to focus on KMMC 2017, now, and leave discussion of where, when and how the next conference would take place until after this year’s event.

KMMC origins
Looking back on how KMMC came to be, Jannie said that after the 2010 MMC at Shalom farm, Uncle Angus announced there would be no conference at Shalom in 2011 as he would be concentrating his efforts on holding gatherings at soccer stadiums throughout the nation and that he was passing on the baton to regional conferences, which should be held instead.

“After speaking with fellow Christians in the nearby towns of Cradock, Colesburg, Somerset East and Graaff-Reinet we decided to present a regional Karoo Mighty Men Conference and that Middelburg, because of its central location, would be a good choice as a location for hosting the event.”

Jannie explains that after viewing a number of possible venues the organising committee returned to Renosterfontein and prayed at the site at which the cross is now erected at the top of a koppie overlooking the stage area.

“The presence of God’s Holy Spirit, His peace, the restfulness of the environment and its serenity made a deep impression on all present — many of the organising committee were reduced to tears.

“All of us just knew it was the right place. The KMMC organising committee members were unanimous in their choice of site for the conference.”

The effectiveness of KMMC
Jannie says a measure of KMMC’s effectiveness is the number of men who have returned home each year changed by God’s grace and ready to serve their families and neighbours in Jesus Christ’s name, which has glorified the Lord.

However, KMMC has been a fruitful event from a number of other perspectives: winning souls for the Lord with thousands of men (and women and children) having accepted salvation in Jesus Christ at the venue; the number of visitors growing from 3 000 in 2011 to 30 000 in 2016; the initial momentum and inspiration for four new MMCs gained at KMMC (Soweto, Kareedouw, Boshof and Cape St Francis); and the individual members of the organising committee growing as followers of Christ in faith, prayer, self-sacrifice and deeds.

Jannie says one of the most important areas of growth of the KMMC organising committee during the seven years of hosting the conference is individual members’ faith maturing and strengthening.

He contends that the committee members’ biggest lesson in faith has been to rely on the Lord and that trying to achieve through their own efforts is counter-productive.

“We have found that the more we take ourselves out of the KMMC equation and depend on God, the more He acts supernaturally.

“For example, during the first two conferences in 2011 and 2012 the organising committee felt it necessary to ask those attending to pay an entrance fee to help cover costs, because the event is extremely expensive to present.

“Yet, despite the entrance fee, we still had difficulties covering the financial requirements.

“However, after the committee decided to rely completely on their faith for God’s provision and not ask an entrance fee in 2013, thereby making it possible for all to attend, no matter their financial circumstances, God has worked miraculously; He has provided excess, allowing us to sow into the Kingdom,” says Jannie.

Foundation of prayer
He says a fundamental element of the growth of the organising committee’s faith has been prayer.

“From the very first year of KMMC in 2011, we have laid a foundation of prayer for everything we have done by first committing all decisions concerning the conference to the Lord in prayer.

“Each year we have also had a KMMC Intercession Team consisting of men and women from all over South Africa, and a 40 Days of Prayer programme that forms a foundation for the conference, which begins in March and continues until the day the conference starts.”

Jannie says it is important to note that some of KMMC’s most powerful and faithful prayer warriors have been women.

He explains that although the Lord placed it on his heart, the decision to end the hosting of KMMC at Renosterfontein has not been easy having involved much prayer and many tears as the seven-year spiritual journey has been both life changing and character forming for him, his family and the organising committee.

The last KMMC
“We believe and trust the Lord that the last KMMC will be extraordinary, especially with the line-up of speakers: Afrika Mhlophe, will lead the Friday night session that will include four other speakers — a KMMC committee member, a camp commander, a camper and Uncle Angus’ son Andy Buchan — who together, will give an overview and review of the KMMC experience”.

“All previous KMMC speakers will also attend the Friday-evening session.

“Petrie Spies, who is a young, dynamic youth preacher from Bloemfontein, will bring God’s word on Saturday morning.

“Bishop Joshua Lwere, whose presentation at KMMC 2016 on reconciliation was both heartfelt and acclaimed, will present the Saturday evening session. Bishop Lwere, is the overseer of a network of about 30 000 churches across Uganda. He has taken it upon himself to work for the reconciliation of Ugandans based on repentance and forgiveness. Idi Amin’s son, Jaffar, is one who has repented and travels with Bishop Lwere all over Uganda asking for forgiveness on behalf of his father and promoting reconciliation among his people.

“Finally, on Sunday morning, Uncle Angus Buchan will bring God’s Word and lead families in worship of the Lord in the glory of His creation as reflected by the silence and space of the Karoo heartland, towered over by the majestic Renosterberg on the edge of the Sneeuberge mountain range,” says Jannie.

KMMC 2017 will take place April 28 to 30 on the outskirts of Middelburg in the Eastern Cape on Renosterfontein Farm. For more information contact Ruthi van der Merwe at (M) 082 857 7839 (F) 049 842 3310 e-mail: info@karoommc.co.za website: www.karoommc.co.za