“Why don’t we go to church like other people?”
To Mzo Mhlongo, his children’s question felt like an indictment. Recalling his own Catholic upbringing, he committed to finding a church for his family. When a man at a car wash invited him to his church, Mzo decided to visit. A sermon on sin seemed targeted directly at him. “It felt real,” said Mzo. That day he placed his faith in Christ.
At home, desiring to learn more about the Bible, the family turned on the radio and discovered Dennis Nkosi’s biblical programming on the Zulu-language station VUMA.
Dennis, the pastor of Crossroads Community of Christ Church, records popular programs that air on five radio stations reaching more than 700,000 people weekly.
“He’s a fantastic speaker,” said Darin Ishler, an ABWE missionary who has served with his wife, Kathy, in Durban, South Africa, since 2011. An important part of their ministry involves discipling and supporting local pastors, including Dennis and several others who also have radio programs.
While in the U.S., streaming content has somewhat supplanted the radio, in South Africa, the radio is a daily staple. It’s a powerful tool for sharing the Bible with an audience hungry for truth—like Mzo’s family.
Moved by Dennis’ teachings, Mzo called him and said, “I want to understand and teach the Bible like you do!”
Dennis invited him to join a Bible study based on ABWE’s resource “The Story of Hope,” which builds a biblical worldview through a chronological survey of Scripture. Mzo shared what he learned with the men’s group at his church. The men were impressed. The pastor was not.
“Nearly every church in South Africa mixes in ancestor worship and paganism,” explained Kathy. Prosperity gospel teachings are also prominent. With pastors making money selling “holy water” and other artifacts, their profits are threatened by sound doctrinal teaching.
Mzo and his family joined Dennis’ church. He was later challenged to join Dennis in planting a new church, Sound Doctrine Fellowship, with help from the Ishlers. The church started with barely a dozen members; today, it has grown to 70 and still grows. All those attending heard about the church through the radio.
Darin explains that many South Africans are hungry for sound biblical teaching, despite the opposition it brings. Sharing the truth of Scripture has earned Dennis death threats, slashed tires, and worse. Still, those listening to his radio programs beg him to start churches in their communities.
Supporting these endeavors forms the heart of the Ishlers’ ministry. Darin explains, “The bulk of our time is spent equipping young men and women to be leaders.” They train pastors, church planters, elders, Bible teachers, and lay leaders by tirelessly leading Bible studies, teaching classes, and mentoring men and women one-on-one in their home.
BY: STEPHEN R. CLARK
