Catching up with Werner Johannes Swart

Werner Swart

It was excellent catching up with Werner Swart in Kezi, Bulawayo. Werner is based in Dunnottar which is in East Gauteng Province in South Africa. Werner works with Harvest Evangelism and he is the African Director. His job incorporates facilitating transformation processes in Africa and the world and seeks to develop prototypes.

M.M: It’s just great having you in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe at this time. What are your comments about the 26th September 2010?
W.S: Zimbabwe is poised for incredible change and breakthroughs. I had the sense that the nation is united and the leaders that spoke at the prayer day had a key understanding of what it is all about. Everyone was focused on feeding the Nation. This is just a start to the change that God wants to bring in Zimbabwe. It was an incredible event in the history of the Nation and I felt privileged to be there. I will look back at marvel.

M.M: How did you get connected with key people in Zimbabwe?
W.S: I was introduced to Peter Cunningham in Bulawayo by Indonesian businessmen and we met Ken Sharp, a businessman in Harare. It was through these meetings that we had the Trumpet call conference at Wild Geese in Harare with Ed Silvoso and The Marketplace Meeting in Harare with leading government officials and prominent businessmen.

M.M: I have always believed and understood that no matter where I work, it is a place to share the gospel and win the lost. We hear a lot about Church and the Marketplace as though they were two separate things? Does some sort of bridging need to occur?
W.S: Absolutely. The two streams need bridging. In the world it’s all about power and control and then church is for a Sunday but what God does in and through the Church and what God does in and through the Marketplace is the same. Trumpet Call is amazing in that it is already addressing the divide. Pastors are challenged to facilitate change in the marketplace through farming. It’s an amazing prototype. We need the same in other areas like education, business, mining, and the Arts and crafts – in everything we do otherwise we’ll see it as “the secular” and “the church.”

M.M: I agree. But how do you see this happening?
W.S: We all need to make a shift in our thinking. Pastors for example, can make a difference in the marketplace while businessmen can see themselves as anointed and be used by God. There are Biblical examples but the coin just hasn’t dropped: e.g. Joseph tending his father’ sheep. He made a business decisions that expanded the kingdom. The miracle of the fish where Jesus told the disciples to cast their nets on the other side. This was a business miracle. The disciples sold the fish.

M.M: The International Prayer day for Zimbabwe was the first step where the Church in Zimbabwe has taken the lead in shaping the Nation. What are your hopes for the future?
W.S: I hope to hear many stories of transformation and to see all sectors of society get infiltrated geographically and sectorally. God directs this process and it will get viral. We start to take the initiative in our own spheres. No one will be able to stop it. The leadership God has placed needs to continue facilitating the course. It can become overwhelming but this is a God-given mandate to particular people/leaders. The way you got here is the way you’ll move forward: e.g. – Moses - he needed to stay on course. Although he appointed people, he still led.

M.M: What do you think is the greatest challenge in National Transformation?
W.S: Leading is the biggest challenge. I agree with John Maxwell when he says that “Everything rises or falls on the leader.”

M.M: It’s been really inspirational chatting to you. Enjoy your time in Kezi and in Zimbabwe and we certainly hope to see more of you.

By Molly Manhanga

Reflections on the Trumpet Call Prayer Day for Zim by Scott Marques

The Harare Trumpet Call meeting kicked-off at 12pm on-the-dot and reminded me of the Isaiah 58 verse saying that 'your gloom will be as the noonday sun' and that God will 'satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land'! The moment seemed to carry all of that prophetic sense in a very practical way.

The crowd represented the diversity of race, tribe, colour, denomination and vocation that we had hoped for. The 'Trumpet Call' song rang out exuberantly with the great last verse saying 'He is the Way to healing our nation, He is the Way to Transformation, He is the Way to glory and salvation'....and the verses saying 'Reach out church, reach out' following the verses of Isaiah 58. I can honestly say that it felt like Jesus was praised
and lifted up above all else.

Diverse contributions from leaders of the church demonstrated the extraordinary unity in the Spirit that God has worked-out in our midst. Although the numbers in the crowd, around 10,000 people, did not reflect the traction that one may have expected with the leadership buy-in, there seems to be huge potential to build on the sincere passion and direction of this
gathering.

The welcome by the general secretaries of the umbrella bodies was a special moment and reflected amazing love between denominations: Langton Gatsi prayed powerfully and Angus Buchan brought an exhortation, connecting us to the International Day of Prayer going on around the world. Following these contributions, Dr Goodwill Shana and Scott Marques preached on the heart-message and the practicalities of the church feeding Zimbabwe this year. Brian Oldreive and Father Chiromba prayed into these messages. Pastor Tom Deuschle led an offering exhortation and Dr Shana sent us off as the Foundations for Farming “Gumboot” dancers did a song and worship continued. It was a truly historic and memorable meeting.

I(Scott) received calls and messages for the rest of the afternoon of similar testimonies from around the country. The theme of passionate response to the Trumpet Call message seems to have been evident right across the nation, with wonderful connection at leadership level.

The challenge for us now is to explore how we can effectively take the message of Trumpet Call down through the networks and districts to actually see the millions in the body of Christ coming to hear and respond before November planting time.

We are praying and seeking God for the next steps, with a sense of urgency and moment that God has us in.

Thank-you for all your prayers, your love and support. Please continue to pray for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done on Zimbabwe and beyond as it is in heaven.

Foundations for Farming Champs Update....

The Champions Gathering in September of 2010 was attended by 200 delegates.
Day one proved to be a momentous occasion as the sessions were attended by the church fathers comprising the three main streams in Zimbabwe, namely the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Council of Churches and the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference. This is surely unprecedented in this country and probably worldwide where all the church regardless of doctrinal differences has come togetheras one to endorse and fully support a single initiative. This of course is Trumpet Call! Churches together for Transformation!

Scott Marques and Brian Oldreive shared the vision of Foundations for Farming and Trumpet Call with passion and there was a hearty affirmation from all delegates that the time for rebuilding has come for Zimbabwe!

This Champs proved to be a very spiritual time with more emphasis on the hearts of men rather than technical teachings. Excellent Praise and Worship set the tone for every session and testimonies from far and wide were extremely moving. Two pastors from Uganda went the extra mile and after five gruelling days of bus travel, arrived at Westgate at four in the morning!

Boet Pretorious was outstanding in presenting the Well Watered Garden .
Of real significance was the delegation of farmers from Ficksburg South Africa. These amazing men and women of God had Isaiah 58 planted in their hearts some years back without really knowing why and were overjoyed to find the answer at Champs! They said they can feel the tensions rising in South Africa over theland issue and were wanting answers as to how to react as Christian farmers.

Brian’s exhortation to “share land and teach” struck a powerful chord in their spirits and they went back full of hope with definite plans to emulate Jesus,and with humility and unselfishness, serve their community and country. The station was as usual looking pristine and as Craig always says “The fields at the September Champs are for me far more visually stunning than in March – Seeing fields weed free with thick mulch reveals the heart of Foundations for Farming. And when we see land around Zimbabwe in the same condition this time next year we will know that revival has truly begun!”