Amanzimtoti will play host to the first ‘urban style’ Mighty Men Conference (MMC) from October 3 to 5 where Christian men of all denominations will get a chance to interact in a relaxed environment while drawing inspiration from four dynamic speakers.
Mighty Men founder Angus Buchan hosted seven MMCs on his Greytown farm, concluding with hundreds of thousands of men at the final event in 2010. Since 2011 men in various parts of the country have heeded Buchan’s call to host MMCs which have brought together thousands of men of faith for a weekend of encountering God in a camping setting.
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Although this is the first conference in an urban environment, men will still be camping at the venues – Kingsway and Kuswag High Schools – as this is considered an important element of the experience, say the organisers in a press release.
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Host of the event, Jacques van Schalkwyk, explained,: “The conference creates a forum for men to share the same challenges they experience daily.
“That is why the camping element is so important. It allows the men break away from the normal day to day hustle and do something they like.”
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He said the conference would provide much-needed clarification for South African men on their roles in society.
“Men, in general, do not have role models anymore and we see that the duties of a man in his church, his house, his work and in his community has become unclear.
“Men are also under immense pressure to meet the expectations from work and families in an extremely difficult economic climate. The pressure on them to fulfill their role as the leader of their household and their role in the community is very high. Coupled with this is the inability of men to open up to people in their immediate family and work circles, we can understand that this is a recipe for disaster.”
The anticipated 3 000 campers will be treated to stimulating talks by four Durban-based pastors all held in high regard. And for the rugby lovers among the crowd, the South Africa vs New Zealand game will be displayed on the big screen, say the organisers.
First up on Friday 3 October is international speaker and author, Takalani Mufamadi, the senior pastor of Grace Tabernacle Church in Austerville, Wentworth. He is also the third General Overseer of the Full Gospel Church of South Africa.
He will be followed on Saturday morning by founder of the Wimpy Restaurants Group in the Southern Hemisphere, Eric Tocknell. Eric, who is the author of bestselling book about the life of Angus Buchan called ‘Faith Like Potatoes’, is a trustee of Shalom Trust Ministries with Angus Buchan. Eric was also the co-author of Operation Crime Stop, which became the Business Against Crime initiative in South Africa.
One of the senior leaders of Glenridge Church in Durban, Ryan Matthews, will address the crowd in the evening.
Finishing off the weekend with a rousing morning service will be co-senior pastor and founder of Grace Family Church, Mark van Straten. Mark is a mentor for other church leaders and spends some of his time travelling and sharing ideas and experience with other pastors all over the country.
The Sunday morning service will be open to men, women and children free of charge. The local surrounding churches have pledged to take their congregations to the fields and, with an expected attendance of 8 000, it is sure to be a unifying walk in faith, says the press release.
The cost is R100 per person for camping and R50 per person for day visitors. Sponsorship is welcomed. More information is available at www.mmctoti.co.za, the Facebook page: MMC South Coast or by contacting Freddie on 082 941 2944 or Jacques on 084 097 9494. Tickets are available at www.itickets.co.za.
