Servant Leaders

The FPC South Africa Team is complete!

Larry Bell has joined us to finish our journey and mission.

Our morning started off going to jail…kind of. Harold and Jim were provided the opportunity to meet and give their testimony to Kruegersdorf Correctional Facility guards EARLY this morning. Harold has experience with prison ministry through Kairos. Jim and Harold interacted with women and men who have the rare and difficult task of bringing light and love to those who know the darkest sides of society.

Creativity and the will to succeed, even in the face of adversity is a universally admired quality. Combine these traits with a strong belief in the power of faith and guidance. The people we spent the day with have these traits and understand that “you go nowhere by accident; everywhere you go, God is sending you; everywhere you are, God has put you.” These people can move mountains and establish solid foundations for many to grow and follow in their footsteps; they create legacies and faith as well as ensuring the growth and sustainability of their communities. Benjamin Franklin believed productivity and industriousness were the work of the Lord, that we are charged to use our God given abilities to grow the world around us. The character traits mentioned are pieces to the whole of being a Servant Based Leader. Jesus is the truest example of Servant Leadership.

Through OC Africa, we enjoyed the opportunity to interact with a group called Africa Skills. Africa Skills is a 15-month intensive training derived from the German BESD program (Basic Economic Skills Development). Mentors, Enterprise Development Practitioners (EDP’s), work with 11 Emerging Entrepreneurs (EE’s) in a one-on-one setting to help cultivate their business into a sustainable, productive community asset. Gabriel, the head of this program, is a true servant leader. On top of running Africa Skills, he is a pastor, prison minister, and also mentors aspiring pastors. We began our interaction with Africa Skills by an invitation to share our knowledge to the amazing EDP mentors through assigned topics by Africa Skills. Judy opened our session with a wonderful devotional from John 6:63 on making sure your spirit is right with both God and yourself before going out into the world each day.

After Judy’s devotional, Karen gave a presentation on how to build presentations using PowerPoint. It fit perfectly with the EDP’s work plan. The presentation was well received and the EDP’s will take Karen’s presentation as a teaching tool back to their EE’s.

Clayton followed her presentation with a session entitled “Shepherding Your Business: Servant-Based Leadership Approaches to Mentoring”. Using the story of Christ as a servant leader washing the feet of his disciples, Clayton led the group through the concepts of servant-based leadership. He beautifully brought the illustration of a shepherd into the discussion and closed with a quote from Nelson Mandela. The FPC team then joined the EDP’s in small groups to further explore this concept. Clayton’s presentation received great feedback with many questions and conversations.

A quick lunch break catered by KFC transitioned our team 20 minutes away to Kagiso township where we were treated to an interaction and conversation with current and past EE’s.

These are spectacular people who love their business and truly care about increasing the quality of life in their communities. Several EE’s gave their testimony on their businesses, their struggles, and how much of an impact the Africa Skills EDP’s have had in cultivating their success. One theme rang true through every conversation, God has had a direct influence on guiding them to where they are today. With the EE testimonies finished, the floor was opened to Larry Bell.

He began with a prayer from Psalm 19:14. He gave a passionate word of encouragement based on Psalm 127:1. He gave examples from his own life and business with the main theme being, ‘If you are passionate about what you do and it brings you joy, God is in the midst of it. But you must keep God in the midst each and every day. Keep your focus on God and keep seeking His will and you will find joy.

Our afternoon finished with a trip to the informal settlement of Zandspruit to visit the Zandspruit Youth Program.

The facility is overseen by OC Africa team members Barbara and Paul Siaki and it is a paradise in the destitute desert of the Zandspruit settlement. A team member said of the youth program area, “as you pull through the gate you can feel the Spirit of the Lord just explode into your presence.” Barbara and Paul have given a majority of the leadership over to Nlahnhla, a 27 year old who exudes the love and grace of Jesus through him. Nlahnhla was one of the first students who attended the youth community center and returned to help foster its continued growth.

Everywhere you looked, joy abounded. It was an uplifting experience of singing and dancing and a great way to finish the day.

We wrapped up our evening in Jo-burg at Moyo’s.

The recommendation from the Teicherts was a delicious meal filled with laughter and reflection to close this chapter of our South Africa journey. The Teicherts and their entire OC Africa community are inspiring and a blessing to all they encounter.

We are so thankful for people such as them and are honored First Presbyterian Church has had the opportunity to be a small part of their ministry.

Our Johannesburg journey has come to a close. Now we are off to see the wonderful tree of life that has grown from Amy Bell’s legacy in Cradock.