More than 100 young people marched through the Pietermaritzburg city centre on Saturday (January 28) in a forerunner to a citywide mission that will celebrate 50 years of ministry by African Enterprise (AE) on the African continent.
AE founder Michael Cassidy’s vision to “evangelise the cities of Africa through word and deed in partnership with the church”, led to the first AE citywide mission in Pietermaritzburg in 1962. And 50 years later — from August 12 to19, AE will run another citywide mission in the same city. The “Choose-Zikethele” mission will be followed by three days of Jubilee Celebrations from August 20 to 23, with speakers from all over Africa and beyond sharing a retrospective and prophetic view on the state of the Church in Africa and the world.
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AE was founded in Maritzburg and today is an an international Christian missions agency with offices in 16 countries.
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During Saturday’s prayer march youth marched down the city streets declaring “Choose-Zikhethele – the choice is yours!”
The young people, representing church youth groups from around the city, marched from Pine Street, down Langibalele Street, to the Church of the Vow. Dancing and singing they stopped four times at key points to pray for their city. They prayed God’s blessings on those working in education, business, provincial government, the municipality and the taxi associations.
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The march was significant in that it represented the next generation of young leaders challenging citizens to make the right choices that would determine the future of the “City of Choice”. In between singing hymns, the young people prayed that city business and political leaders would make good choices – honesty over corruption and prosperity rather than poverty, to name just two. At the Church of the Vow they prayed for unity in the city and amongst the churches. Throughout the day they called on the city to choose Jesus.
The young people are part of the upcoming “Choose-Zikhethele” mission facilitated by AE in partnership with the churches of the city. The mission will involve a long-term commitment by city churches to strategically serve the city in every aspect of its corporate life. Church leaders hope to see transformation in the lives of individuals, families, key institutions like the municipality and the broader city itself.
Churches and Christian NGOs from all Christian denominations are welcome to join the mission by contacting the African Enterprise offices on 033 347 1911. More information is available on the AE mission blog.
