New York, NY (Top40 Charts) For most of us, South Africa lives only in the imagination. Stories of the distant land are vague sketches of craggy cliffs at the Cape of Good Hope, or a multicolored flag representing Mandela's work to end the stain of apartheid. We might see a friend's vacation pictures of giraffes in Kruger
National Park or a dramatic view of the ocean from atop the Cape Fold Mountains.
The distance, and the exotic heartbeat of the land itself, makes it all the more remarkable - extraordinary, even - that a band of musicians and worshipers from Redding, California might have the slightest ripple of impact in a place over 10,000 miles away. But through the years,
Bethel Music has seen more than enough remarkable things happen to know that if God is in something, we should expect the extraordinary.
Two simultaneous events lie at the origin of the story. Bethel's album We Will Not Be Shaken, successful worldwide, was finding a particular connection in South Africa. In fact, the album was certified Gold in that country. Just as that unexpected interest in
Bethel Music grew, the Bethel team felt a particular call to worship with the people there. A convergence was in the works, and plans were laid to get Bethel across the ocean.
A multi-city tour was scheduled for late March in locales like Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town. Prior to the tour, it was essential that places on a map became people - hearts and souls - so Bethel launched the #praywithsouthafrica campaign. A day of prayer prompted an unprecedented response from the broad Bethel community (over 12,650 likes on just one social media platform) and further evidence that the tour would be anything but ordinary.
A blog series and widespread social media efforts expanded the prayer campaign worldwide, and the impact was already felt prior to Bethel's visit. One South African noted, "We live in such a beautiful nation with so much potential, so culturally rich, and people who have so much to offer! Thank you for speaking life... We need to change our mouths to declare life over our nation, despite the challenges we see and experience."
With that covering of prayer, the
Bethel Music team set out for a 50-hour trip toward their first sold-out date in Johannesburg on March 25. Immediately, the group felt a sense of welcome and belonging. Beautiful diversity heightened the profound reality of unity witnessed at every stop. In Pretoria, 7,000 worshiped in the middle of a field under a starry sky. By Cape Town, the country felt like family. Physical and spiritual healing highlighted the movement of God that pushed back fear and stirred hearts toward hope. Families and communities were restored with such power that another stop - Port
Elizabeth - was added to the tour. That night, unexplained intermittent power outages could not quench the spirit in the venue as a united people worshiped with just their voices.
Attendees across the country knew they had witnessed far more than a concert. Their own words suggest they saw the seeds of a movement:
Thank you Lord Jesus that we can be part of this new SOUND coming out of Africa! I heard that sound last night in Cape Town. Like a baby's cry at birth, as thousands of voices worshipped the King of kings. It will grow stronger. It will grow louder into a mighty gushing sound of a human river voice, as one, joined in UNITY-- The voice of South Africa. -Santie
We saw the Lord show up in a mighty way and heard the shout of freedom at your concert in Durban. We saw people being set free. You have encouraged us and reminded us to be bold! -Gill
God said to me while worshiping with you in Pretoria that even though all the experts and naysayers say it will take at least 20-50 years for the scars of apartheid to heal in our people's hearts, He says that He will change the heart of this country in one year! That's a promise. He is faithful and I believe it. I saw South Africa being flooded with light and a huge heavenly gate opening over the rest of the continent, and the light burst through to the rest of Africa. A golden light. Christ as King over Africa. -Sean
Fear was banished, hearts were healed and hope restored. What a privilege to see such great artists at work and being led by the Holy Spirit. Thank you to all the Bethel artists who inspired and shared God's heart with us last night. This is amazing grace. We stand in awe of God's glory. -Jacoline
Bethel Music's Jeremy Riddle captured the ongoing impact with a word of encouragement for the people of South Africa: "From the bottom of our hearts, we feel something so significant for your nation. Whenever God is doing something special, the enemy always has a competing agenda. And I just want to encourage you to not partner with fear. Every time the Lord shows up in a significant way, it always accompanies this: Fear not, do not be afraid. Be strong, be of great courage. And I just want to shout our freedom, I want us to step into the victory that Jesus purchased for us."
Through it all, what shone the brightest in that faraway land was not a worship team from California. It was the majesty of God. An attendee named Lizel put it best: "There was no sense of the crowd being star struck or the band putting on a show. It was all pure, honest worship. Continue with spreading the Good News. God is FOR South Africa!"
