(a recent prayer letter received from Brent & Sheila Moeller, South Africa)

We are attempting to follow an old method of ministry in a modern way. We are resurrecting circuit riding! No longer using a horse and saddle but horsepower nonetheless!

In the past two months, we have spoken five times in our Durban churches and at three other churches outside of the metro. In our new “district”, or parish as John Wesley used to call his circuit, we have eight churches that we are needing to assist.

Our circuit is quite large. The times given below describe a one-way trip to one of these eight churches from our house.

• Osizweni (Newcastle) – 5 hours NW
• Matiwane (Ladysmith) – 4 hours NW
• Ezakheni (Ladysmith) – 3.5 hours NW
• Pietermaritzburg – 1.5 hours W
• uYaya – 2.75 hours N

Durban Metro churches:

• Mayville – 45 minutes S
• Amaotana – 20 minutes W
• Thembeni – 35 minutes N

For us to fulfill this plan it will require a substantially larger budget for travel expenses.

This is not what Brent wanted to do at sixty-three years of age, but these are needy assemblies. He would gladly stay in his lane in Durban and just finish out our ministry in South Africa over the next seven years or so. Yet as the famous novel begins, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Something has to be done! There has been too much investment by three former missionary families over many years and scores of churches investing their support to just leave these ministries to flounder. All of these churches outside of Durban need oversight and direction. All of them who have property have buildings that desperately need significant attention to repair.

Some are blessed with national pastors none of which are supported by their church. Perhaps it is honest to say that all these churches including our ones in Durban, are “fragile.” Three of these churches have their own buildings and are over thirty years old. Of these three, one has an ordained pastor, a second is led by a lay elder seventy years old, and the third church is being led by the widow of its former pastor. None of these three churches have sizable congregations and few of their members have jobs.

The church in Pietermaritzburg, that we have inherited limited oversight and guidance of, was started by another missionary as well. It definitely has a brighter light of witness, but still there are some real issues and scar tissue that the young pastor leading it is dealing with. He constantly is seeking our counsel. This church has two large buildings and a parsonage. All three are in need of repair. Currently a stipend for this pastor and the church is being paid through sources in the USA. This is the third year that such help has been provided.

Similar issues are true in the ministry in uYaya and Thembeni. There is no strong male leadership and few have any employment. Many of the young adults leave these rural areas for greener pastures due to lack of work opportunities. Were it not for us subsidizing preachers to travel and hold services in these places, such ministries seemingly would not survive.

That is why in the remaining years of our ministry, we will become more available to all these churches and not just with the Durban ones. God has blessed us with a number of good men, that although not ordained, are preaching well in our stead in Durban.

We will continue our prayers that the Lord of the Harvest will send forth more laborers.

(Mt 9:38)

We will seek to recruit couples who feel led to join us and help us and God willing continue this ministry. In the meantime, we will push on and using “horsepower” we will drive what often are dangerous, rough roads to these churches. We trust God to provide the extra finances so that we may go! Pray for our health to remain strong!