Psalms 2:8
"Ask of me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance and the uttermost parts of the world for your possessions."

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Our History

The History of William Carey School of World Mission is linked to the history of the Faith Revival Church. Established in July 1982 by Leslie James, within a short space of time, FRC became the largest Indian Church in South Africa. At this time the founder's vision was strictly local, his world was limited to Phoenix, Durban, South Africa. The New Cottage Assembly and Pearl Temple in Inanda were examples of projects or local mission stations. These came under the "mission wing" of the church. 

Since the vision was strictly local, between 1981 and 1986, Phoenix and the surrounding areas were intensively evangelised. Instead of the usual anniversary celebrations called: "Mission Vision 84" was conducted from 8th to 15th July 1984. This crusade has made a indelible impression on the lives of men and women. Michael Kolisang and Sam Shabalala from Christ for the Nations, together with M. L. Badenhorst who was the moderator of the Full Gospel Church ministered to the capacity crowds that attended these meetings.

The first mission endeavor across the border was into Swaziland in December 1986. Two busloads of people were taken on a short-term mission into this land. The Faith Revival Church members teamed up with Pastor Zakes Khumalo in this effort. "Pastor James was interested in the discipleship and training of his congregation. From the beginning, he placed emphasis on the personal spiritual growth of the people and the training of leaders."

"I encouraged the formation of cell groups.", said the founder. "The factor I emphasized most was growth. Cells had to divide and thus multiply. Within a short space of time, we had 150 cell groups operational. I personally trained cell leaders on Friday nights." In addition to the training of cell leaders, others were encouraged to attend the Bethesda Bible College. "When the church was barely two years old, I encouraged seven members to enroll full time at the Bible College. But each year more and more men and women enrolled and we were thus able to organize a large workforce to comb our local area."

However, the demand for more training led to further arrangements being made to accommodate the membership. "There was a tremendous hunger amongst the people to a deeper knowledge of God's Word, there was a strong desire to be witnesses for the Lord. I therefore began Bible studies once a week. 

On our first night, more than 500 candidates enrolled. I enlisted the help of lecturers from the Bethesda Bible College to teach in their specialist area." After being exposed to the plight of the Turks in Frankfurt, Germany in July 1986, Pastor James announced to the church that, "he no longer had a local vision but a world vision." "This set in motion a chain of events which led to my decision to leave a thriving church with a tremendous workforce and a congregation of over 8,000.", said the founder. This decision closed the chapter on Faith Revival Church and the Full Gospel Denomination.

A new chapter began in March 1987; according to the founder, the new church began "without the usual comforts and accessories or paraphernalia that characterized a local church, but with a strong nucleus of believers." Though the name Faith Revival was still used till 1995, it was only in 1996 that a new name was adopted, i.e. Global Mission Centre. Whereas the Faith Revival Church had strictly a local vision, Global Mission now has a world vision.

The founder saw the church as an equipping centre. He believes that disciples should be trained and equipped so that they can carry the good news to others outside the church wall and city boundaries. However, "most of the students who attended Bible School wanted to remain at the home church. But it was my prayer that they would go into the rest of South Africa and plant churches. "January 1989 was a historic moment in our land when 14 young people took the gospel and headed for their motherland."

A few years later we discovered that Operation World (1978), a handbook for intercessors worldwide, contained a request for the South African Indian Church to take the gospel back to the motherland. "The prayer request in Operation World is as follows: "Pray also for the Indian Christian to gain a vision for the evangelisation of India, Mauritius, etc. Pray for the calling and equipping of believers for both pastoral and missionary work.

Over one-fifth of Christian converts out of Hinduism in the world live in South Africa. Pray that there may be a growth of concern for the evangelisation of needy India, Mauritius, etc." "At that time we were changing course, we had no idea that it was in response to the prayer of God's people worldwide," said the founder. The Sunday Tribune (24 Jan 1989) titled a front page article on this event, "Angels of Mercy." The occasion was historic because, "14 missionaries of Indian origin, i.e. those whose forefathers were brought to South Africa as indentured labourers, set off for India."

A Word From The Founder

On November 11th, 1793, the French Revolutionists tore down the cross from Notre Dame Cathedral. They demolished it on the street and publicly proclaimed their Apostasy from Christianity. On that same day, a young man named William Carey landed in Calcutta, India, to do a work for God. This work remains, even to this day, long after the effects of the French Revolution have been forgotten. He had a vision for the lost and was prepared to lay down his life for the cause. He was convinced that without Christ, mankind is lost. Nothing short of laying all on the altar of sacrifice is going to see the Realization of the Great Commission in our generation. The likes of William Carey, Hudson Taylor, David Livingstone, Jim Elliot, and a host of others, who gave their lives for this cause, knew full well, that the urgency of the hour demanded total commitment. I challenge you people of God, rise up, get armed, and be determined to win this war. Christian soldiers live to fight, love to fight, and will go anywhere, provided it is forward. The rallying cry of the Student Haystack Prayer Meeting in 1805 still echoes down the corridors of history: "We Can Do It If We Will"

Our Vision

To recruit, equip, and release leaders for holistic Christian service.

To have a diverse student body from both the poor and rich nations of the world, and to train them in the context of contemporary society.

To be a mission resource base and a mission network centre.

To promote holistic missions of servant leadership, community service, and transformation.

Our Goal

Our goal is to train a minimum of 1,000 missionaries per year. With both our physical and spiritual foundation, this can become a reality. Join us in expanding the Kingdom of God.

Students receive holistic training, with a focus on:
- Intensive training in a Biblical basis.
- Development of Christian character and understanding of holistic missions.
- Christian values of integrity, truthfulness, accountability, stewardship, perseverance, discipline, prayer, servant-hood, humility, and holiness.
- Leadership and participation in a "mission team", whether in a sending church or as an individual.
- Academic Excellence.

The Truth about Mission

Never before has mission enjoyed the exposure and momentum it receives today. Mission is taking place in all 6 continents, in both rich and poor nations. The areas formally considered mission fields are now training and sending missionaries. The key word in many churches today is "mission". Despite all the excitement of South African and other churches around the globe, most are clueless as to what mission is really about. What is even more distressing is the fact that many claim to be involved in "missions", but on close investigation there appears to be no mission activity or even awareness. Churches have "mission committees", "mission dinners", and 'mission trips" to popular destinations like Mozambique, India, and North and Central Africa.

These "mission trips" end up being glorified holidays for those who have never left their hometowns before! "Mission work" has become the tool of selfish churches where the local congregation becomes the ultimate beneficiary of the "mission funds." In essence, mission has become a concept so vague and general that many churches consider their daily activities to be mission, even though it is not remotely related. This is a crisis!

The world "mission" unfortunately still makes you imagine Bible-carrying "dare devils" who venture into deep, almost unreachable jungles or mountainous regions, where naked savage tribes live. These carriers of the Gospel come back to civilization to tell us about their grueling experiences and strange cultures. Although this imagery of mission is based on truth, it is not a total reflection of what mission is. Many are terrified at the prospect of becoming involved in mission since it seems life threatening and ridiculously radical; an activity which involves only the super spiritual and the downright righteous. This serious misconception causes the mission work force to suffer great losses.

So what then is Mission?

The origin of mission is found in the triune God, from whose nature and purpose the church receives the commission, impulse, and power to engage in mission. Contrary to popular belief, mission is multidimensional or "holistic". It includes evangelism, social action, and fellowship. Mission takes place where the church, in total obedience to God, testifies in word and in action with reference to salvation, liberation, reconciliation and righteousness. Thus, is mission more than preaching or telling people about God - it encompasses the whole life, body and soul. It should meet both physical and spiritual needs. Referred to as the "cutting edge" of the Christian movement, the activist streak in the life of the church, mission refuses to accept the world as it is. It's about moving with Christ.

Since mission belongs to the basic structure of the church, it demands obedience from the entire body of Christ, not only the pastor or missionaries. Each part of the body of Christ has a specific, relevant function. If not, the body becomes weak. There needs to be realization of the dire need of every Christians involvement. The spiritual and physical degradation of the world is the burden of the Lord. This burden should not be reduced to simple slogans, mottos, or catchwords, such as, "The Great Commission in this Generation" or "Reach the Lost." How often do we see these slogans hanging on church walls serving as decoration?! The burden of the Lord should not hang on our church walls, but hang heavily on our hearts, so that we can answer the call of God with the passion of Paul, who experienced "great sorrow and increasing anguish" for the sake of those around him (Romans 9:2). Even with scientific breakthroughs and advancements there are serious problems in the world today, such as poverty, violence, and AIDS. The Christians of the world can make a difference wherever they live. The answer is holistic mission! Mission should be the churches response to a suffering world. If we do not participate, we are in outright disobedience to the High Call of God Almighty!

Psalms 2:8
"Ask of me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance and the uttermost parts of the world for your possessions."

From Vision to Reality

Vision for ministry is a reflection of what God wants to accomplish through us to build His Kingdom. As we reflect over the past 25 years, we are conscious of how our steps have been ordered. We have witnessed how God has organized our circumstances to tailor make our vision. We have been compelled to work out this vision for our lives daily. His vision has a redemptive purpose and give us a dream to serve lost souls. On 12th September 1980 we received a letter from Pastor A. Daanapaul, Prayer House, Palavayal, Redhills Post, Madras 600052, expressing his gratitude for financial support rendered for the past year. As we continued to communicate with him, we experienced tremendous joy in just being a part of his ministry.

Little did we realize that the Lord was exposing us to the area of missions. Our involvement at this stage was personal and financial. Later it was Suzzette Huttingh the coordination for intercession on Reinhard Bonnke Evangelistic Team, who prophesied that our local church would be a mission sending church. At that time we were strictly involved in local evangelism; our world was Phoenix, Durban and South Africa. However, in July 1986 the founder's perception of God's will for his life changed. While journeying back from the U.S.A via Frankfurt, Germany, he was reminiscing about the blessings he enjoyed, both at home and abroad, when he heard a voice say, "What about those that never heard?" For 3 consecutive nights the Lord wrestled with him. All he could see was a multitude of outstretched hands. The Lord then collapsed the walls of his local vision and lengthened his cords and extended his tent, for the multitudes needed to hear the Good News.

In December 1987 a visit to one of the Mozambiquan refugee camps in Gazankulu brought him face to face with someone who never heard the Good News. When presented with the Gospel, one old women asked, "When did this Jesus come?" He replied, "Almost 2000 years ago. "She asked, "What took you so long? Why didn't you come with the good news earlier? If you had, my children and grandchildren, who were torn apart by wild animals in the Kruger National Park, would still be alive today." These words haunted him. For the first time he understood the concept of lostness. Then, in September 1988, he was exposed to the lostness of the multitudes in India and Nepal. The question he now asked himself was: "How do I translate the vision into reality?" The answer to his question lay in obedience to the Lord of the Harvest. We had to continually obey the prompting and prodding of the Holy Spirit.

31/12/1980 we had to leave our businesses. March 1987 we had to leave the denomination. March 1995 we had to leave our home in Reservoir Hills, Durban. We had to leave our church in Phoenix. The vision did not come down as a blue print from heaven, but has unfolded slowly, a step at a time. It had been implemented through frail hands, but today it speaks for itself. It was David O. Blander who prophesied in September 1986: "Your enemies have risen up against you in this hour, but I, the Lord your God, have delivered you from them. That vision which I have given you, I will bring it to pass, only remember to give me the glory."

When we left our businesses and moved forward, we experienced explosive church growth. When we left the denomination, we moved from local evangelism to global evangelism. When we left our home and moved to the mission school, we received the double portion. When we left our church in Phoenix we experienced God as the "More than enough". Each time the Lord challenged us to move in a new direction we had to obey the heavenly vision and run with it. Each time it boggled our minds and demanded faith, but the Holy Spirit led us forward as we obeyed. The last 25 years are testimony to the fulfillment of that vision which God gave to His servant for world evangelism. This vision to lengthen and strengthen had led the ministry to develop a truly international character. Thus far the ministry has stretched across the following countries: India, Lesotho, Angola, Nepal, Namibia, Rwanda, Thailand, Uganda, Mozambique, Taiwan, Kenya, Swaziland, Malaysia, Zambia, South Africa, Singapore, Malawi, England, Indonesia, Botswana, U.S.A, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Dubai, UAE, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Congo, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria.

Although the Lord has allowed us ample latitude and creativity to implement the vision, the total provision for this ministry has come from the Lord Jesus Christ. He has continually caused the right people to cross our path at the right time. Provision has come from far and wide. Special mention must be made of Pastor Robert Smith, who believed in our vision at the very inception of the work, and Rev. Sam Munsamy, who gave generously to make the William Carey property freehold. He continues to invest in land, buildings and running expenses because he has caught the vision for world evangelisation. The year 2000 marked the 10th anniversary of the William Carey School of World Mission. The past 25 years in the ministry have not been easy. But have been wrought with trials, suffering, hardship and pressure, but we have counted the cost. We understand that to capture our fellow men for Christ, we need the Baptism of Fire.

In Luke 3:16-17, John the Baptist said, "He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit fire". Commitment to the vision implies trouble, hardship and tests. Watchman Nee said, "The first sign of an apostle is one who is still standing when everyone else has fallen down from the pressure, discouragement, or hopelessness of a situation." World Evangelization is warfare, it is spiritual warfare between the Saints and Satan. 2 to 3 Billion people outside of the Gospel message requires that we stay focused on the vision. Not on our pain or glory. Vision is not an exercise in self promotion or self aggrandizement, but vision's absolute goal is to glorify God. It cannot be implemented without the help and support of other members of the body. Over the past 25 years many people have been instrumental in promoting the vision through their labors of love and faithful contribution. All the heroes of Faith in Hebrew 11 were men and women of vision. They patiently endured extreme hardship and deprivation but remained faithful to their God given visions to the very end.

Proverbs 29:18 - "Where there is no vision the people perish." Multitudes are perishing because there is no vision for their salvation. We all need to catch God's vision for the Church in this new millennium.

John 3:17 - "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved."

When we reflect on our history, what do we see? We see what God is doing in this ministry. God had a vision for this church. He imparted this vision to His chosen leader. That vision was tested and tried by fire. But today it speaks for itself. Habakkuk 2:3 - "For the vision is yet for the appointed time. It hasten towards the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay." The fact that the vision has come to pass and today speaks for itself is because of the Lord and the Lord alone.

Our Team

The below lecturers, administrative staff, and maintenance and support staff have served intermittently over the past 24 years. Our gratefulness to the Lord for them cannot be measured. Through these outstanding, persevering, and faithful women and men the vision to teach and train grew over the years.

We need your help.

 Jesus moves to transform lives. 


We offer missionary and pastoral training. Volunteers are required to fill very important roles in the admin of the school. Missionary students are invited to apply.

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(032) 532-0128
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Durban, South Africa
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