On October 16 to 18, 2014 Men at the Cross, a men’s ministry that is part of Gateway Church International (GWCI), held their ‘Restored 2014’ annual men’s conference which saw over 200 men come together under the theme “Reach, Teach, and Release men to grow in Christ.” Men at the Cross is men’s ministry based in Witbank, Mpumalanga. Yearly these men travel over 800km to attend the Karoo Mighty Men conferences (KMMC) and are inspired by what takes place in Middleburg.
Their conference was geared to help men realise their inherent Godly potential and capacity that they possess and to identify and nurture this into a Kingdom impact and influence. The conference held at GWCI saw men coming from various parts of Mpumalanga and Gauteng provinces. In welcoming the guests the lead pastor of GWCI, Pastor Eddie Phetla, said that men are the foundation of every family.
During his ministry session where he spoke on ‘Living as a man of character and integrity’ Pastor Phetla emphasised the importance of ethical living and being vigilant against temptation and compromise. Other speakers for this conference were Drs Bonnke Shipalana and Thabelo Malovhele and Pastor Afrika Mhlophe. Dr Shipalana is a businessman, motivational speaker and co-author of the book “Applying Your Faith.”
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Dr Malovhele is a lead pastor of Mamelodi Christian Worship Centre and author of the book “You–Your marriage relationship is designed for God’s Purpose.” Pastor Mhlophe is a lead pastor at Good News Community Church, Port Elizabeth and author of “Christianity and Veneration of Ancestors.” During his session Dr Shipalana spoke on ‘Purpose driven life’ and emphasised the need to occupy time in pursuit of one’s God-given purpose as opposed to just being busy.
Dr Malovhele spoke on “A fathering heart” focusing on the role of a father and different styles of fathering. In his first session Pastor Mhlophe used the example of Adam and Eve’s fall to look at what happens when a man abdicates his responsibility of leading his family. His next session was a seminar on ancestral veneration and the challenges of idolatry and this session was followed by a lot of questions.
The conference ended with an awards ceremony that acknowledged and honoured men for their leadership and service in the different ministries at GWCI. In total, 14 men were awarded with the PHALADI leadership awards.
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It was a powerful & transformational conference. Thanks to all conference speakers & organisors