KwaSizabantu is a non-denominational Christian mission station that reaches out to people of all racial and cultural groups bringing a message of repentance and hope and providing spiritual guidance, educational support and counselling. The KwaSizabantu ministry originated in South Africa but has expanded to include centres in several countries.
The mission station is situated between Greytown and Stanger/KwaDukuza in KwaZulu Natal and currently is one of the largest mission stations in Africa. People from all walks of life visit the Mission. Many receive help with personal and addiction problems.
Only God knew what He had planned when He sent revival to our small group of praying Christians at the end of 1966. We were desperate for God Himself to work and save the heathen. To our surprise God began with us. As we repented and made right with God and our fellow man the Lord sent revival to us and then the heathen.
For four years we had tried to get permission to buy a place at Maphumulo but were unable to. Now we thank God that we never obtained that small piece of land. Our vision at that time was small but the Lord had much bigger things in mind. In 1970 a 140ha piece of land was bought at KwaSizabantu.
Just a handful of co-workers were with me at the time. Today there are over 150 at KwaSizabantu. I am so grateful for these co-workers who have known the calling of the Lord and have faithfully served Him these many years.
The mission has gone from strength to strength because of God’s power, not ours. He has enabled us to spread the message of revival to many other places in our country, as well as many other countries where similar missions have been established.
Our many projects make it possible to spread the Gospel, so it is not necessary to hold collections for money. The Lord has lead us in this way and we praise Him for His guidance. We can feed about 1200 people daily. The projects (including sweet peppers, water bottling, avocados, etc.) assist us to pay for fuel, food and electricity every month. They also help us to send out missionaries to spread the Gospel far and wide.
There is a Zulu chorus which says that “the work is mine, yours, ours and the Lord’s”. This is true of the work at KwaSizabantu. As long as this ministry continues to be God’s work I do not doubt that the next generation will experience wonderful things from the Lord’s hand.
The Bible says “there is no other foundation man can lay than that which is laid, which is our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Cor 3:11). It then goes on to instruct us on how to build. By God’s grace we only want to build with His materials – “gold, silver and precious stones”. May we never become another well-organised ministry which looks impressive but is empty and Jesus is not the head!
Director of KwaSizabantu Mission, Rev. Erlo Stegen (December 2013)
A book about the Revival - Revival among the Zulus
NguNkulunkulu kuphela owayenolwazi ngesikhathi ehlela ukuthumela imvuselelo kubazalwane abayingcosana ababehlangene bekhuleka ekupheleni konyaka we-1966. Sasihluphekele ukuthi uNkulunkulu asebenze asindise abahedeni.Sathola ukumangala okukhulu ngesikhathi uNkulunkulu eqala ngokusebenza kithina. Ngesikhathi siphenduka silungisa indaba yethu kuNkulunkulu akubantu esiphila nabo, uNkulunkulu waqala ukusebenza ngamandla aKhe wathuma imvuselelo phakathi kwethu. Emva kwalokho wadlulela kubahedeni.
Sase siyizame iminyaka emine imvume yokuthenga indawo kwaMaphumulo kodwa nokho akuzange kulunge. Siyambonga uNkulunkulu ukuthi asizange siyithole leyo ndawo ngoba umbono wethu wawumncane kodwa uNkulunkulu enokukhulu kunalokho. Ngonyaka we-1970 iMishini yaKwaSizabantu yakwazi ukuthola isiqephu sendawo engama-140ha.
Ngangisenedlanzana lezisebenzi ngaleso sikhathi. Njengamanje sezingaphezu kwe-150 izisebenzi zeNkosi KwaSizabantu. Ngibonga kakhulu ngezisebenzi zeNkosi ezamukela ubizo lweNkosi zayisebenzela yonke le minyaka.
Umsebenzi weMishini uyadlondlobala ngamandla kaNkulunkulu, hhayi awethu. Sesikwazi ukusabalalisa umbiko weMvuselelo ezindaweni eziningi kuleli nakwamanye amazwe lapho umsebenzi weMishini uqhutshwa khona.
Imisebenzi esiyenzayo ikwazile ukuthi isisize siqhube iVangeli kalula, ngakho asikho isidingo sokuqoqa iminikelo yemali. Siyayidumisa iNkosi ngokusihola kwaYo. IMishini yondla abantu abangaphezu kwe-1200 njalo ngosuku. Imisebenzi esiyenzayo (i-sweet peppers, amanzi esiwafaka emabhodleleni, ukutshala ukotapheya, kanye nokunye) iyasisiza ukukhokhela uphethilomu, ukudla kanye nogesi esiwusebenzisa nyangazonke, sithume nabashumayeli ezindaweni ezikude neziseduze.
Kuneculo lesiZulu elithi umsebenzi ngowami, ngowethu futhi ungoweNkosi. Lokhu kuyiqiniso uma kukhulunywa ngomsebenzi waKwaSizabantu. Uma lo msebenzi usaqhubeka ngokuthi ube gokaNkulunkulu, angingabazi ukuthi nesizukulwane esizayo siyohlangana nezimanga ezinkulu ezivela esandleni seNkosi.
iBhayibheli encwadini yo-1 Kor 3:11, lithi ngokuba akekho ongabeka esinye isisekelo ngaphandle kwaleso esibekiweyo esinguJesu Kristu. Liyaqhubeka lisitshele ukuthi kumele sakhe kanjani. Ngomusa kaNkulunkulu sifuna ukwakha ngokukaNkulunkulu, okuyigolide, isiliva kanye namatshe ayigugu.
Masingabi nomsebenzi ohlelekile ohehayo kodwa uJesu engeyona inhloko yawo.
UMqondisi weMishini yaKwaSizabantu uMfundisi u-Erlo Stegen