Pray the News
Call to action for churches to make a dif­fer­ence in Nel­son Man­dela Bay
The Herald - 10 November 

Article
The following is the full article published in the weekly Church in the Community Column:

"The cit­izens of Nel­son Man­dela Bay are facing a myriad chal­lenges due to a toxic com­bin­a­tion of a lack of clear polit­ical lead­er­ship, muni­cipal dys­func­tion/col­lapse of ser­vice deliv­ery, global geo­pol­it­ical shifts, cli­mate change, and the upend­ing of the world trade order through the tar­iffs imposed by US Pres­id­ent Don­ald Trump. In response, mul­tina­tion­als are pla­cing their busi­ness in coun­tries where they can be most com­pet­it­ive. The res­ult is a grow­ing cohort of hungry people without work or hope. This is par­tic­u­larly true of the youth which the Insti­tute of Race Rela­tions recently described as “a tick­ing time bomb”.
Bib­lical teach­ings have inspired com­munity change by pro­mot­ing com­pas­sion, justice and ser­vice. Isaiah 61:1 emphas­ises bring­ing hope and res­tor­a­tion, a mis­sion believ­ers con­tinue today.
Scrip­ture-inspired mis­sions foster spir­itual, social and eco­nomic growth that reflects God’s love in prac­tical ways. Our mis­sion field is our metro. But no single church, denom­in­a­tion or organ­isa­tion can solve the metro’s prob­lems on its own. But we can make a dif­fer­ence in our own neigh­bour­hood and within our church and broader com­munity.

The church lead­er­ship of Nel­son Man­dela Bay has iden­ti­fied three pri­or­ity areas in which Chris­ti­ans can make a dif­fer­ence:
Hun­ger: A 2022 study found 13.4% of res­id­ents were mod­er­ately food insec­ure and 77.4% were severely food insec­ure. Dur­ing Covid-19, the churches ral­lied to provide food to the needy. We need to rekindle and refine the model. But we should ensure we provide a “hand up” rather than a “handout”, except where the need is urgent.
Work: In the second quarter of 2025, Nel­son Man­dela Bay’s offi­cial unem­ploy­ment rate rose to 26.4%, from 22.3% in the first quarter, while the expan­ded (real) unem­ploy­ment rate jumped from 27% to 35%. The stat­ist­ics do not tell the whole story. We all know people without work, par­tic­u­larly the young.
A large part of the prob­lem is that the edu­ca­tion sys­tem has failed them — they are not pre­pared for the mod­ern world of work. Sup­port pro­grammes such as Work 4 a Liv­ing, Farm­ing God’s Way and the Nel­son Man­dela Bay Busi­ness Cham­ber’s skills devel­op­ment desk estab­lished in part­ner­ship with Hara­m­bee.
Make your build­ings avail­able for after school home­work and ment­or­ing ses­sions, adult edu­ca­tion and start-up small busi­nesses. There will be people in your con­greg­a­tion who are happy to tutor, mentor and share their skills.
Crime: Encour­age a cul­ture of respect for human dig­nity, human rights and the rule of law through teach­ings and com­munity pro­grammes.
Improve the secur­ity in your church, work in part­ner­ship with law enforce­ment and private secur­ity com­pan­ies. Offer sup­port and hope to vic­tims of crime. Provide coun­selling and guid­ance to people strug­gling with sub­stance abuse or other issues that can lead to crime. Oppose cor­rup­tion, and encour­age account­ab­il­ity and repent­ance among offend­ers. Provide sup­port for those who have served their sen­tences so that they do not go back to a life of crime. There are many other areas which need inter­ven­tion, but suc­cess comes from pur­su­ing a focused approach.

The church lives out Christ’s love through act­ive cit­izen­ship — seek­ing justice, serving neigh­bours, and help­ing to restore broken sys­tems. It includes pray­ing for lead­ers, par­ti­cip­at­ing hon­estly in pub­lic life, caring for the vul­ner­able, pro­tect­ing cre­ation, build­ing bridges across divi­sions, and edu­cat­ing con­greg­ants about the power of their vote and the respons­ib­il­ity that goes with it. Our faith calls us to act with hope and integ­rity so that God’s King­dom takes vis­ible shape in the city we share. The task is too big to allow for duplic­a­tion and wasted energy and resources. Share what you are doing through the Trans­form­a­tion Chris­tian Net­work web­site and com­munity. Pray for guid­ance, for strength, for resources, for project cham­pi­ons, and for the mira­cu­lous revival of the for­tunes of Nel­son Man­dela Bay."

The Article was compiled and endorsed by the Nelson Mandela Bay Church Leaders Network 

More Background
The Nelson Mandela Bay Church Leaders Network (NMBCLN), supported by the Transformation Christian Network (TCN), plays a central coordinating role in mobilizing churches across the metropolitan area—which includes Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), Kariega (Uitenhage), and Despatch—to tackle systemic challenges like those outlined in the article. Established in 2003, TCN acts as a volunteer-driven network linking over 700 churches and leaders from diverse denominations to foster unity, prayer, and practical action for spiritual, social, and economic transformation. Drawing from biblical principles such as Nehemiah's rebuilding of Jerusalem and John 17:21 (emphasizing unity), the network views the church as a catalyst for community renewal, operating apolitically but engaging in active citizenship through partnerships with civil society, businesses, and government. This includes monthly leadership meetings, weekly prayer sessions, and resource-sharing via platforms like the TCN website and the "Church in the Community" column in The Herald. The NMBCLN, which endorses the article, focuses on collaborative efforts rather than isolated church actions, aligning with the article's call for focused interventions in hunger, work, and crime while avoiding duplication through shared platforms like TCN's toolbox of resources.

Prayer Guidelines
1: For Wisdom in Formalizing Strategies
Pray for the church leaders and members in Nelson Mandela Bay to receive God's wisdom as they formalize strategies to address community challenges like hunger, unemployment, and crime. Ask the Lord to guide their planning processes, ensuring that all strategies align with His will and promote unity among denominations. 
James 1:5: "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

2: For Emerging Strategies
Pray for the church's emerging strategies to be established and refined for maximum impact in neighborhoods and wards. Focus on interceding for collaborative efforts through networks like the Transformation Christian Network, so that plans may succeed through godly counsel and avoid failure due to isolation. Pray specifically for protection against external disruptions, like political instability, ensuring strategies are formalized with faith and foresight.
Proverbs 16:3: "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans."

3: For Implementation  
Pray for boldness, resources, and perseverance as the church implements strategies such as skills programs, food initiatives, and anti-crime partnerships. Ask God to equip congregants with the necessary tools, volunteers, and partnerships (e.g., local business chambers) to turn these plans into action, providing "hand-ups" to those in need. 
Philippians 1:6: "I am confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

4: For Faithfulness and Obedience 
Pray that the church will implement strategies with integrity, love, and active citizenship, reflecting Christ's compassion in practical ways across Nelson Mandela Bay. Pray against procrastination or division, asking for a spirit of obedience to execute plans like mentoring sessions or community gardens effectively. 
Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

5: For Discerning and Assessing Effectiveness 
Pray for discernment as the church assesses the effectiveness of its strategies, evaluating outcomes in hunger relief, job creation, and crime reduction with humility and honesty. Ask God to reveal areas needing adjustment, celebrating successes while addressing shortcomings, to ensure ongoing revival and transformation. 
Corinthians 13:5: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.

A Prayer
Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we humbly seek Your divine wisdom for the church leaders and members in Nelson Mandela Bay as they formalize strategies to combat hunger, unemployment, and crime, granting them clarity from Your Holy Spirit to create unified, scripture-based plans inspired by Nehemiah's vision, as James 1:5 promises generous wisdom to those who ask. We commit these strategies to You for establishment and refinement through collaborative networks like the Transformation Christian Network, protecting them from disruptions and ensuring success through godly counsel, as in Proverbs 16:3 and 15:22. Empower Your church with boldness, resources, and perseverance to implement these plans—via skills programs, food initiatives, anti-crime efforts, and partnerships, providing miraculous provision and unity amid challenges, confident in Philippians 1:6 that You will complete the good work, and wise living as urged in Ephesians 5:15-17. Instill faithfulness and obedience in execution, reflecting Christ's love with integrity, trusting in Proverbs 3:5-6 to make paths straight and Jeremiah 29:11's plans for hope and prosperity, especially for youth and sustainable change. Grant discernment to assess effectiveness, evaluating outcomes humbly to refine efforts for revival, as 2 Corinthians 13:5 calls for self-examination and 1 Thessalonians 5:21 to test and hold to the good, all for Your glory and Nelson Mandela Bay's restoration. Amen.

Listen to the prayer here

Compiled by Gap Ministries
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