The Story So Far by Frank Christie, Founder and Chairman of Thembalitsha and Pastor at Every Nation Church, Somerset West
I was drafted into the police force under the apartheid government and through this I was first exposed to the plight of the South African people. During this time though, serving God was the last thing on my mind! I was a back-slidden Christian but being exposed to so much poverty definitely made an impact on me.
Some time after I remember seeing a film about some of the poor of Mexico who lived on a garbage dump. A group of Christians had started an outreach programme for them had brought about radical change in their lives. God really spoke to me through this. I was so moved and felt God was calling me to do something similar.
But it was not until later, when I was back on track with God and attending seminary, that I had my ministry confirmed. I had not told anyone about my increased burden for the poor but an assistant pastor announced that God had revealed to him that someone on staff had been called to minister to the poor and this person had been wrestling with God over this. He went on to say that the Lord said that the person was to come out right there and then and acknowledge it! It was impossible at this stage not to avoid what the Lord was saying.
I spent a year in Canada researching social welfare and community development before returning to South Africa in October 1995 to set up the Thembalitsha Foundation in Cape Town with the support of His People Christian Ministries. The following year was spent building relationships among the informal settlements and townships and in 1997, myself and wife Kate pioneered the Thembalitsha Foundation. Thembalitsha was officially founded and registered as a non-profit organization. The foundation was then registered under the Department of Welfare in 1999.
From a small office in our living room we have grown to 7 different projects in the Western Cape.
Being involved in this ministry is not for the faint-hearted. It is not at all glamorous and requires a great deal of sacrifice. We wouldnt have been able to do this without support from our dedicated staff, our fantastic volunteers, or, of course, God!
Our Team
We are proud of the people we have involved in the management, governance and running of Thembalitsha and believe that their calibre and level of commitment are a key reason why Thembalitsha is successful.
Board Members
Frank Christie – Executive Chairman and Founder
Executive Chairman and Founder of Thembalitsha Foundation, Senior Pastor Every Nation Somerset West, holds a Masters Degree in Business Leadership.
Grant Abernathy – Managing Director
MBA Stellenbosch University and graduate of UCT, Grant played rugby for Western Province and South African Universities in the 1970’s. He has worked in upper management for companies such as Johnson and Johnson and Foschini and was involved in the initial set-up of the company Total Sports.
Anthony Geard – Treasurer
Studied at the University of Cape Town, completing a B. Bus.Sc. (Honours) degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting. Qualified as a Chartered Accountant. Works for Investec Securities as an investment analyst in Johannesburg, London and Cape Town.
