Kealys visit CCFm in South Africa

Fish Hoek is a city near Cape Town

Pastor John Thomas introduced David to his congregation as the man God used for radio in South Africa. The vision of this partner is providing a soup kitchen for the homeless and with a radio station reaching into Masiphumelele, an urbanized township (we would say squatters camp) in Fish Hoek, South Africa, which 20,000 inhabitants call home.

HCJB World Radio’s presidents letter in June 2002 shares the meeting of David and Pastor John Thomas of South Africa. 

In 1992 two strangers “just happened” to get on a hotel elevator in Florida. One was a pastor desperate to find radio equipment to establish the first private FM station in South Africa before his temporary permit expired. The other one was a missionary from HCJB World Radio who pioneered “radio planting” in Eastern Europe. Within two weeks, Pastor John Thomas was back home in South Africa with all the equipment he needed to put the new station on the air. And David Kealy, the HCJB World Radio missionary, was delighted about this divinely choreographed encounter and pleased to have been able to help.

Little did we realize that a chance meeting in a Florida elevator would eventually open doors to a whole network of stations (RAN) reaching multiple unreached people groups halfway around the world.

During the evening service at Fish Hoek Baptist Church near Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday February 24, 2002, two men entered the rear of the church and took a seat. Pastor John Thomas recognized one of them as being a notorious outlaw who had been featured on recent television news programs. Mogamat Benjamin had been convicted of multiple murders, but is now released on parole. He came to the church with his friend who he had met in prison, Allan Rehbock, because he had been listening to the first live broadcast of the service that aired the churches radio station, Cape Community FM. He was listening and was touched by the sermon about the woman at the well. btw this is the very first private FM community radio station in South Africa.

When David asked what touched him, he said “if God could forgive her, He could forgive anyone, even me!” John then led him to faith in Jesus Christ.

Pastor Thomas has served on the Board of Reach Beyond. Pray for him as he assumes the Chairmanship of the Board in 2022.