Our vision: To encourage the body of Christ (the church) to come alongside their local Police Station to pray for the police men and women and their families, and to offer practical assistance wherever possible.

Last year we met each month in a church and sometimes in a police station. A breakfast was held at the Rivers of Joy Church for the station commanders, about 40 in all. A national day of prayer was held on the 27th October to pray for all in authority. Many links have formed since that day, many of which can be found on this web site. What it has shown is that the Lord has made many, many Christians aware of the need to pray for those in authority and to seek His face for a Transformation of our communities.

This year 2003 we have continued to pray each month, focussing more on the police stations. Colleen Hawes has been working with the Station Commanders and it is evident that there is a very real cry from the police themselves that churches become involved. So far we have held meetings at Linden, Randburg, and Norwood. Linden has been adopted by the Linden Family Church.

Churches came together over the Easter period to pray for the Booysens Police station. Parkview is wonderfully covered by the Wesleyen church + small prayer groups who meet there once a month. The Police themselves have a weekly prayer meeting as well. One of the lady police officers had been praying for over five years that such meetings would come about. New Life Church has opened a coffee shop at Randburg Police Station on a Saturday, making themselves available for fellowship and ministry.

Fanie Van Vuuren has been positioned by the Lord for full time ministry in the Christian Police Association. Something that he has longed for, how wonderfully God is answering his prayers. He is truly a dynamic force in the CPA and the Lord is using him. Chris du Plessis who has been with us since the early days with Eben McLaren has retired from the police service, after 40 years. The Lord is opening doors for him …..the police will miss him. What a very special man.

Susanna and Edwin Van Andel continue to work with Commissioner Reddy in Hillbrow. Operation Divine Intervention is growing and more and more Pastors are becoming involved. Susanna faithfully sends out a newsletter every month, a letter that can only stir our hearts to respond in prayer. Meetings take place every second Friday at the Hillbrow station.

Cops for Christ I hear are growing rapidly in the Cape under the leadership of Michael Share. Michael is an anointed man of God and is seeing the Lord open many doors. He is always looking for men and women to start a Cops for Christ cell here in Norwood area. Information: Michael 0823389784

The Jeppe Street Police station still hosts prayer meetings once a month.
Information: Inspector Freddy Ledwaba. 0832447704.

We have believed and continue to believe that prayer is the way forward and that Transformation is the fruit of united, persevering prayer. SOPHIA TOWN Police Station is evidence of just that! For over three years now a small group have been meeting to pray on a weekly basis (36hrs average per week) and today they are experiencing a turn around. Yes, the crime has come down but as someone said the station is more like a church. The station commander is born again, prayer meetings are the norm, and the manifestation of God’s power apparent.

We believe that God is longing to pour out his Spirit upon this city, on this nation. That we are on the brink of breakthrough but we as the body of Christ need to press on, united and determined in prayer.

Please do not stop praying, wherever possible form more small groups to pray for your community in which you live—the schools, hospitals, businesses, churches and police stations. Revival has always come about as a response to man earnestly, desperately seeking God. We don’t want only small pockets of revival - we long for nation changing revival power from God ... a nation on its knees will see that Transforming Power.

Action Against Crime remains but one facet of the prayer initiative that God is raising up in South Africa. David Brickner from Jews for Jesus reminds us: “We often forget that we are in a war”. We are in a war and our only response can be to take up the armour and weapons that God has given us and fight the fight that He has called us to. Praying in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

For future meetings dates and times in Gauteng, please click here.

For Further Information about meetings in Gauteng:
Colleen Hawes 084 511 9606
Jane Flack 082 801 8674.

Please remember we need men and women to get involved and to take on a commitment to pray regularly for your local station. We would love to hear from you.

God Bless,

Stuart Spani, a local Christian Video Producer, claims to have the best job in the world, and I must say I agree. Over the last 6 years he has visited Africa three times, India four and Israel twice, documenting stories of Christians who make a real difference in the communities they serve.

In April he and Jaco Jacobs, of South West Africa Ministry, went to Namibia to deliver 90,000 meals, from Fraser Valley Gleaners, to the Bushmen. (See June issue of BC Christian News). Through a series of minor miracles he fell into what he considers the most significant story he has ever covered. He traveled to South Africa when he left Namibia to an area in Johannesburg called Sophiatown.

Stuart is no stranger to miracles; in fact his present ministry was born after he received a miracle healing in 1986, when his broken back was healed in one hour. Before and after this incident he witnessed several miracles and recorded numerous others through first hand witnesses. What he found in the police station in Sophiatown in South Africa was miracle after miracle that resulted in a whole community being transformed.

I am South African and I know Johannesburg. Most areas in this city are very dangerous for foreign visitors. Sophiatown is one of them. The street language in Sophiatown has a word to describe this area. "Kofifi". This means: 'a place of darkness and despair'. Spani says: "The crime rate in this area plummeted over the past two years and in the past six months major crimes have been drastically reduced." The following is an account of what Stuart saw and recorded in South Africa.

Senior Superintendent Michelle Pretorius of the South African Police Services became police chief in Sophiatown 2 years ago. This station was classified as a "crackdown station" reflecting the exceptionally high crime rate, the 2nd highest in 21 precincts in Johannesburg. During the past 2 years the crime rate in her station dropped to the 2nd lowest. How did this happen?

Pretorius reports that most of the 100 police officers in Sophiatown have accepted Jesus. They are now fighting sin, not crime. Three ongoing initiatives were started at this station: a "24-hour Prayer Watch", Christian Coffee Shops and the project "Adopt a Cop".

This is a police station with a difference. Pretorius and her fellow officers have communion in the station on a regular basis. There is a prayer room immediately under the holding cells and everyone entering the department is asked if they want prayer, criminals and victims. In this prayer room they have a 24-hour Prayer Watch, where members of the community come to pray for the police around the clock. Crime reports and the names of the police officers are posted in this room and the prisoners in the cells can hear the prayers. Very often people drop in from the street to pray with or for Superintendent Pretorius and the station.

Volunteer street workers, Ria and Amanda are involved in this amazing effort in the Sophiatown Police station. Ria believes that a police station should be seen as a Lighthouse in the community where people can find more than solutions to their problems. "Through the presence of God in the officers of the police force, we want them to find Jesus," she says. "Prayer moves the Hand of God, and God wants to shake this place." These women prayed for three years that Michelle would be given the job as Police chief in Sophiatown. They knew that she was a devoted Christian and that she would have a major impact on the station as superintendent. God is definitely 'shaking this place'!

This dynamic duo has organized clean up and crime watch committees in tenant buildings in Sophiatown. They also promote the "Adopt a Cop" campaign, where individuals or churches adopt individual policemen and constantly hold them up in prayer. This effort spread and today numerous churches in Johannesburg are adopting a police station. She is delighted that even schools in the area are now involved and that many principals encourage their students to "adopt a cop" in prayer.

Amanda's story is an ongoing string of miracles:

A policeman leaves her at the altar, marries her best friend and she turns to alcohol and other drugs. She accepts Christ and the Holy Spirit begins to control her life in many ways. God inspires her to work with police officers and to put Christian Coffee Shops in Police stations. Many of the Johannesburg police stations now have these coffee shops where people meet and pray.

Amanda tells the following story: "Shortly after I became a Christian the Holy Spirit directed me to have the following tract printed, with red ink, to be first distributed to the police and then by the police to the people they come in contact with. It reads: 'WARNING - IF YOU DIE NOW WHERE WILL YOU GO? HEAVEN (ETERNAL LIFE WITH CHRIST) JOHN 3:16, OR HELL (ETERNAL DEATH WITH SATAN) REV: 20:10. THINK ABOUT IT AND MAKE SURE!! BECAUSE IT COULD HAPPEN IN THE NEXT MINUTE.' The only printer I knew was through my drug habit. I asked him a favour - to print this tract. I was amazed when he said yes. After I left I remembered that I had not told him that they were to be in red ink. He phoned me and said, "I'm out of black ink, can I print them in red?" The police have now handed out over one million of these tracts."

Fanie Van Vuuren - member of the Christian Police Association in Johannesburg, started by Dwyght Duvenhage - has had a revelation that a revival would start in The South African Police Force and sweep around the world. Van Vuuren says:" Jesus saved the criminal on the cross first and we want to let the police share the gospel with the criminals because this is the only way to fight the crime battle." He asks for prayer for the salvation of the Police Force.

Pretorius concludes laughing: "Major crime is really coming down and will be zero one of these days. The National Police Commission will soon phone me to ask: Sophiatown, you have no crime rate. What are you guys doing right out there?"

Stuart Spani remarks:" God is doing something profound in this police station in South Africa - Christianity is proving to be the answer."