Ministries

Prison ministry effective in South Africa, transforming lives

South African Pastor Willie Dengler of Mayfair Baptist Church in Johannesburg is currently in Australia, sharing his experience of witnessing how Bibles provided by Bible Society Australia are transforming lives in South African Prisons and poverty-stricken schools.

As President and founder of World Hope Ministries, Pastor Dengler will be speaking at 19 events across several churches and schools to spread the word and invite people to help raise funds for his ministry in South Africa, with hopes to further reach more underdeveloped nations in the Africa continent.

The ministry has offered the love and support of Christ in prisons, through the Discipleship Program, a 16 weeks course of which those in prison do the study, receive a certificate upon completion and are given a Bible in their language with no cost.

Pastor Dengler spoke to Carl Carmody of Challenge Newspaper about his mission in prisons with convicted criminals, “People don’t usually put much value on them, I need to emphasise that these are precious souls for whom Christ died, and that God is able to use them through their lives and in their lives, restructure, give them purpose, rebuild those characters. And that’s the living proof that we see, and we believe today that you can help by continuing to strengthen our hand, so that we may continue to supply the bible and in time to come some good Christian books.”

Bible Society Australia has been actively involved in this project, donating 25,000 Bibles over the past 3 years. In their Project Activity for 2010 release the ministry expressed wishes to keep supporting the outreach, as the South Africa Prison system continues to expand within the country plagued with a high level of serious criminal activity.

“When a prisoner commits his life to God, his immediate desire is to hold a Bible,” says Reverend Willie Dengler. “To read and study his own Bible becomes like a great thirst in his heart. Nothing is more important than seeing for himself what he has heard about Jesus and the Scriptures.”

With South Africa being a predominantly Muslim area, the church is a light and hope to those who need the Gospel. Pastor Dengler said, “Have compassion to give to those who forever have a label and a mark on them but that God by His grace will change and use.”

World Hope Ministries now aims to reach out to orphaned children and people living in squatter villages, tin and cardboard homes and shacks, by providing discipleship programs, Bible studies and food, hoping to provide a home for both physical and spiritual health and guidance.

For more details or to support please visit www.outreachcare.org and http://www.biblesocietywa.com.au/SA_Prisons.html

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