Hope Prison Ministry in South Africa

Prayer Partners and Supporters of Hope Prison Ministry in South Africa,

You can read below an exciting and informative update from the Director of Hope Prison Ministry in Capetown, Jonathan Clayton, as he travelled to the Eastern Cape region to visit and evaluate the work being led by Brother Richard, Maxwell, Nethi and others. It is exciting to see how God continues to open new doors for the ministry to grow and transform more lives in Christ. Thank you for your commitment and steadfast to support the ministry until 2011.

I am still scheduled to visit South Africa to visit the prison ministry, churches, and youth conference for 3 weeks in November and December this year. Thank you for your continual prayers!

Phil Smith
Missions Pastor
Countryside Christian Church

From: Reverend Jonathan Peter Clayton
Sent: Monday, May 04, 2009 1:38 PM
To: 'Philip Smith'; Richard Gallant; Carolyn Butler
Subject: RE: Update about HPM in Eastern Cape

Thank you for your financial support, love and care. You are a great blessing to us.

A report of my trip to the Eastern and South Cape. I did 3500 km and God protected me on the road.

I met Richard in Port Elizabeth the Saturday morning 04 April 2009. We met with Christopher Baadjies and Eustice Wabanie. They are very excited to start with the TEE in St Albans Afrikaans and English. The Saturday afternoon myself , Richard and Eustice went to a home of a lady who is doing the Bible Way Correspondence course in ten prisons. She is Carol Du Toit. She were so excited to know that we have the TEE Programme, because the prisoners do ask her for more Bible studies. She and her husband goes to Kirkwood prison twice a month. She also introduced us to a ex prisoner, Antoinette Simons,who is doing spiritual care in North End Prison Port Elizabeth.She will come to Cape Town next month for training and how to coordinate the TEE Programme in Port Elizabeth and being accountable to Richard.She also does Bible studies in the Patensie Prison.An American missionary couple supports her in terms of travel expenses to the prison.I told her if she want to become involved, she had to generate her own financial support. She is more than willing to do that.Another believer Pat Jenniker will also assist in the TEE Programme at St Albans. Then I met with a pastoral couple from Utenhage, Mongezi and Nwabisa Makhanya, the Sunday afternoon. They will also work in St Albans doing the TEE Programme in Xhosa. I gave them all application forms to complete. Hope that their applications get processed soon. So brother Phil, it seems to me that Port Elizabeth will run smooth soon. Richard don`t have to travel that much to Port Elizabeth.

Just to mention, Richard spent too much time on a taxi in terms of travelling. It is very time consuming for him. My personal suggest is that Richard needs to concentrate on the King Williams Town, East London, Mdantsane and Stutterheim Prisons.I want to make contact with a local church in terms of office space for the TEE Coordination or set him up at his home with a computer and land line. I am trusting the Lord for a computer for him soon.Just got one for our TEE Office at Pollsmoor with no cost. God is good.Richard travels everywhere with the taxi and he has to use his personal cell phone (mobile phone) to contact people which is very costly.A landline will be much helpful.

As you are aware that the Word of God is not so welcome in government places, like in other countries, but I personally experience in our country that we are well excepted because the TEE Programme/Studies is relevant and helpful but further more of eternal value. The TEE Programme is a method being used in our Correctional Facilities to reach more people for Christ.I need to look at the way forward in terms of the TEE Programme in all Correctional Facilities in our country. The question came to my mind: Do we only maintain a ministry with a few prisoners involved or do we make use of the opportunities to take the TEE Programme into more prisons? I read one the reports of our beloved the Dr. Butler, in which he mentioned that his dream was to reach at that stage all 150.000 prisoners in our country with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the TEE Programme.The one sad challenge is that the churches in our country did not learn how to give so that remain a challenge but we do believe that God will supply even locally in HIS time. So my brothers and sister who supports this ministry, we are excited to continue to let the Word of God being spread in our prisons with the TEE Programme. It took myself and my wife seventeen years before the local churches supported us. Almost like, seeing is believing,they first wanted to see if you are capable of sustaining a ministry. We are positive, therefore I want to give my support to the Eastern Cape region in terms of recruiting people for prison ministry and become self supported.

Richard mentioned to me about the Church of Christ in New Brighten - Port Elizabeth, who consider to call him as the fulltime pastor. I spoke to him today and he said that the call were put on hold until 2010. He experience a great challenges at his local church at the moment in terms of church politics and a split. They need to work through that challenge, therefore he needs allot of prayer. There is a court case in terms of both groups claim the building.

On our way to East London, we drove via Port Alfred to meet with brother Nethi. Wow what a positive brother in Christ. An ex offender who are willing to travel every Saturday to Grahams Town to be part of the TEE Programme. He is so excited that he phone me twice since I`am back in Cape Town.

In East London, Phil, you won`t believe, Correctional Services got 67 Correctional Officials from all over the Eastern Cape Region together for a Restorative Justice Seminar.Our 2007 arrangements and your hard work did not work out but God blessed us with a wonderful team of Correctional Officials, who were very excited. Richard also made good friends and contact with most of them in terms of the TEE Programme at their respective prisons. I also met with the Regional Head of Development and Care Mrs. Claudette van Zyl. She received me in a high spirit and will let me inform me soon regarding the accreditation of the TEE Programme for 2009, but we can continue as in the past. Praise the Lord.

We do have John Tom at the Middledrift Prison. I also had the privilege to meet Maxwell in Port Elizabeth. He is also very excited for the Tee Programme in Graaf Reinette and Kirkwood Prisons.

There are 40 prisons in the Easter Cape. This is not impossible for God to open doors for us with the Gospel through the TEE Programme. We need your prayers all the time.

I also did a Restorative Justice Seminar with the Southern Cape Region (7 prisons) Praise the Lord 62 Correctional Officials attended. They also want the TEE Programme in their prisons. So I need to go there soon to recruit people through our churches. My trip were very exciting and bless. I am positive regarding the future with reference to the TEE Programme.

The Dr Butler Seminary will grow from strength to strength.

Pollsmor`s news soon. Just to mentioned that we had our first Certificate Ceremony last week. Waiting for the photo`s. I will send the report with the photos soon. We do have seven TEE teachers at the Medium B prison and Jenny do have four teachers at the female prison.

Thank you for your financial support, love and care. You are the reason why our prison doors is open for the Gospel. Also thank you to the Butler Family for their love and care. My commitment to Dr. Butler will be honoured at all times.

Praise the Lord.
Reverend Jonathan Clayton