AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for the Republic of South Africa

Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)

Home > Nov 01: South Africa

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Nov 01: South Africa

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South Africa

Republic of South Africa

Africa

See Prayer Information

Geography

Area: 1,218,363 sq km
A republic with nine provinces at the southernmost point of Africa. Relatively well watered in the east; arid with increasing desertification toward the west coast.
Population: 50,492,408    Annual Growth: 0.99%
Capital: Cape Town (legislative). Pretoria (administrative). Bloemfontein (judicial)
Urbanites: 61.7%
HDI Rank: 129 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)

Peoples

Peoples: 62 (10% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Official language: – all the major ethnic languages. English and Afrikaans are the main languages in higher education    Languages: 11 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian

Religion		Pop %	Ann Gr
Christians	37,990,488	75.24	0.9
Evangelicals	10,649,521	21.1	2.2

Answer to Prayer

South Africa’s functioning democracy, which has continued now through four general elections, allows the population a say in determining the country’s future and sets a positive example for the rest of Africa that such models are sustainable and practicable.
     For an additional 3 Answers to Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

Challenge for Prayer

Biblical Christianity continues to be strong and influential.
a) Evangelism outreaches, ministries to social concerns and prayer networks have all multiplied. A great variety of Christian agencies minister to needy sections of society.
b) Pentecostal denominations flourish among all communities, growing from 400,000 affiliates in 1960 to 6.3 million in 2010. Growth since 1995 has been especially pronounced and has incorporated an enterpreneurial approach to ministry and outreach. Notable ministries are the various AoG groups, Apostolic Faith Mission, Full Gospel Church of God and others.
c) Charismatic numbers have rapidly multiplied among all groups – to now one-fourth of the population. Networks draw together many such churches under apostolic leadership from across all regions and races in South Africa. There is much good to be said about the robustness of these movements.
d) Mainline denominations have, in part, been transformed by new vision, structures and outreach. The cell church movement has significant impact. The NGK has many megachurches, much increase in mission output and renewal in many congregations.
e) The massive growth of African Initiated Churches to 33% of the African population. Most of these in South Africa originate from the Zion Christian Churches. There are as many as 4,500 groups (many being of one congregation only), which range from evangelical/Pentecostal to highly syncretistic to barely recognizable as Christian. The work of KwaSizabantu Mission is particularly commendable and effective in rooting a dynamic Christian faith deeply among the Zulu people.
     For an additional 11 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of South Africa.