Ministry News: Grace Baptist Church (Daveyton, South Africa) (May 2025)

Greetings, brothers and sisters, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Please find herewith the latest news from Grace Baptist Church in Daveyton, South Africa.

We are overjoyed to announce that the Lord has graciously added another precious member to our family! As the psalmist declares, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him” (Psalm 127:3, NIV). We are humbled and grateful to be entrusted with raising another child in his love.

This journey, however, has not been easy. It has been our most challenging and costly pregnancy yet. Our hearts were heavy with concern—not only our immediate family, but our children, our church family, and even our gynaecologist shared in our worries. The pain of losing a baby at twelve weeks still lingered in our hearts, and it was difficult to explain to our children that their sibling was now with the Lord. Seeing the sadness in their eyes was a double burden.

Our gynaecologist tried to encourage us, saying we could try again but, at the time, hope seemed distant. Yet, as the African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” In our case, it took a village to lift, encourage, and pray for us through. Our church family prayed fervently, our gynaecologist checked in constantly, and the hospital was ready at a moment’s notice. Through it all, we felt the love and support of the body of Christ surrounding us.

With hearts full of gratitude, we introduce you to Funinkosi Mnguni. His name means “Seek the Lord,” a testimony to the many prayers that have covered his life even before birth. As the apostle Peter reminds us, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7, NIV).

It has now been eight months since we moved to our new place as a church, and we continue to witness God’s faithfulness as he builds his church (Matthew 16:18). Our members remain devoted to gathering and as elders, we have diligently studied the book of Romans, now reaching chapter 16.

We rejoice to share that, as mentioned in our last newsletter, we have been training deacons. By God’s grace, seven have been appointed, bringing fresh energy and opportunities for ministry. More young people are stepping forward to serve in Sunday school, and several men have taken responsibility for caring for our facilities. We also see two faithful men emerging as future elders, consistently leading our Sunday services and Bible studies.

God’s work does not stop there. He has brought us a brother from Swaziland, drawn to the way we do church. After careful discernment, we welcomed him as our intern. He is thriving, studying expository preaching through the Simeon Trust online course, and passionately sharing the gospel door-to-door. His efforts have brought new visitors, and we are grateful for the fruit God is producing.

Paul instructs Timothy, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2, NIV). In our last newsletter, we shared how God sent us three potential interns. With limited resources, we welcomed Peterson Manyatsi from Swaziland, who discovered us through our online ministry. Though we felt unprepared to mentor interns, after much prayer and discussion, we agreed to invest in him this year.

Peterson has been eager to learn, enrolling in the Simeon Trust course and joining our door-to-door evangelism. Already, we see people coming to church through his efforts. What a joy to see God raising faithful men to carry His message forward!

Jesus prayed, “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one” (John 17:21, NLT). Easter weekend is a significant time in our township, with many conferences focused on the death and resurrection of Christ. This year, we joined with four other churches to study the book of Galatians over three days. Our theme was unity in the gospel, and our people, along with many visitors, were deeply encouraged by walking through an entire book of the Bible together. We remain committed to teaching God’s word, book by book, trusting it will transform lives.

Furthermore, the Lord has opened new doors for our church in Mpumalanga Province, where a group of pastors has been blessed by our teachings. A young man we discipled has been instrumental in connecting us with these pastors. Already, one pastor has sent two young men to Christ Seminary for training, a direct result of our ongoing involvement and faithful teaching.

I have been invited to speak at their men’s conference on 14 June, teaching on biblical manhood. We are deeply grateful for these opportunities. We believe that to transform the townships with the gospel, we must first transform the pulpits. It excites us to see pastors reforming and committing to teaching the truths of God’s word to their congregations.

We deeply value your prayers and support. Here are specific ways you can stand with us in prayer:

1. For Our Family: Pray for us as we raise our children in the ways of the Lord. Ask God to grant us wisdom, patience, and love as we nurture them. Also, pray that the Lord will provide for our needs as we serve him faithfully.
2. For My Wife’s Recovery: Pray for my wife as she recovers from childbirth, especially after facing many complications and undergoing surgery. Ask the Lord to grant her full healing, strength during this time.
3. For the Growth of the Church: Pray that the Lord will continue to build his church among us and add daily those who are being saved (Acts 2:47). Please lift Brother Alu and Zamokhwakhe, our potential elders. Pray that we will continue to train them faithfully and that the Lord will protect them from the evil one (John 17:15).
4. For Standerton Pastors Fraternal: Pray for the Standerton Pastors Fraternal as we partner with them. Ask that, through our collaboration, many churches in the region will be reformed or revitalised, and that the gospel will flourish.

Thank you for your prayers,

Chris Mnguni
Pastor-teacher
Grace Baptist Church Daveyton