10 Years of Africa Christian Action

By God’s grace, in 2001, ACA celebrated its 10th year of Christian Action – fighting for the right to life of pre-born babies, opposing the exploitative industry of pornography and campaigning for Biblical principles in all areas of life.

Salt and Light

Since 1991 Africa Christian Action has been mobilising and equipping Christians in Southern Africa to make a positive difference in society.

†	ACA organised the first anti-pornography and pro-life demonstrations in South Africa.
†	ACA published the first South African book against pornography, Finding Freedom From the Pornography Plague,in 1991. This was in such demand that it quickly sold out and we had to revise and reprint repeatedly.
†	ACA initiated the first nationwide campaign against pornography in South Africa. By God’s grace, since 1991, Christians have succeeded in persuading over 9 000 stores to no longer stock pornography.
†	Our campaign to persuade Republican Press to close down the largest volume South African pornography magazine – Scope – was also successful.
†	ACA has organised numerous Life Chains every year since 1992.
†	In 1995, ACA produced Fight for Life – a pro-life handbook for Southern Africa. This was the first pro-life book to be published in S.A. and it was enthusiastically received country wide.
†	Since 1999, ACA has initiated and co-ordinated Sanctity Life Sunday, the National Day of Repentance and the Parliamentary Imprecatory Prayer Proclamation Against Abortion.
†	Over the last 10 years, ACA has produced scores of pro-family, pro-life and pro-moral tracts, leaflets and projects; conducted over a thousand pro-life meetings and rallies; presented many hundreds of radio programmes; co-operated with other pro-life and pro-family groups in conducting hundreds of outreaches, prayer vigils, marches and demonstrations outside escort agencies, abortion clinics, gay film festivals, pornography stores and Parliament.
†	ACA waged an intensive and ultimately successful campaign against the planned legalisation of abortion in Namibia. Despite having had a pro-abortion government in power in Namibia for over 10 years, Christians have succeeded in keeping abortion illegal in Namibia.
†	In Zambia, ACA, and its affiliate Zambia United Christian Action, succeeded in reversing the legalisation of abortion.
†	Other highlights were: the campaigns against Telkom’s 087 dial-a-porn, the debate and demonstration against blasphemy at Wits University (when they planned to screen the banned, blasphemous and pornographic film The Last Temptation of Christ) and at the Nico Malan Theatre, when the blasphemous Jesus Christ Superstar play was shown there.
†	Perhaps one of the most important contributions ACA has made to the campaign for social justice and for righteousness in South Africa, has been producing and publishing Make a Difference! A Christian Action Handbook for Southern Africa. This comprehensive manual is actually several books in one and provides everything necessary for a Christian to understand the issues and to get practically involved in doing something positive – for Reformation and Revival.

"Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and raise up the age old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings." Isaiah 58:12

How it all Began

My missionary travels since 1982 had alerted me to the moral decadence and abortion holocaust which we in South Africa were soon to be targeted by. On overseas speaking tours I also learned of the positive work done by Dr. Jerry Kirk’s National Coalition Against Pornography, Dr. Paul Lindstrom’s Christian Liberty Academy, Missionaries to the Pre-born, the American Family Association and others.

In 1988, Frontline Fellowship mobilised a successful country-wide letter campaign to the Minister of Home Affairs and the Publications Control Board to protest their plans to allow the blasphemous and pornographic "Last Temptation of Christ" film into South Africa.

In 1990, as Director of United Christian Action, I made a stand for the right to life of pre-born babies to be included in the National Conference of Churches’ Rustenburg Declaration. (This was shouted down by angry delegates who were also incensed by my proposals that the exploitative pornography industry be opposed as well.) Thankfully, many of those same church leaders who rejected these concerns at Rustenberg in 1990 have recently joined the fight against pornography and abortion.

Then, as the National Party government began to discuss legalising abortion and pornography we realised that the time had come to launch Christian Action groups. As overseas pornographers, Penthouse and Playboy, established offices in South Africa and began publishing their degenerate magazines here, I presented the vision for ACA at a United Christian Action workshop in February 1991.

"Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." Ephesians 5:11

ACA (or Salt Shakers) was formally launched at a Frontline Fellowship rally in Claremont on 4th April and at a Conference for Christian Action in Cape Town on 13th April 1991. The initial vision was based on the Biblical book of Nehemiah.

"See the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and we will no longer be in disgrace." Nehemiah 2:17

Project Nehemiah

This Project Nehemiah involved: Intercession, Information, Involvement, Investment and Implementation. This was put into practise by our local prayer, strategy and action groups.

This vision involved:

†	Every member of ACA helping to gather information, for our research files, and each one helping to disseminate the resultant articles and leaflets published;
†	A network of intercessors mobilising other intercessors and prayer fellowships – at home, work, school and church.
†	Informed members informing others on the issues and inspiring them to get practically involved.
†	Sacrificial giving to invest in making a positive difference.
†	Grassroots mobilisation to inform, inspire and involve mothers and fathers, students and teachers, pastors and congregations to each do their part in implementation – rebuilding the moral, pro-life, pro-family, Biblical walls of our society.

"I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it . . ." Ezekiel 22:30

Through seminars, camps, workshops, books, newsletters and tapes and through hundreds of actions, projects, prayer vigils and outreaches, ACA has been able to train many hundreds of active Christians in how to make a difference for Christ in their community. A key part of Nehemiah’s strategy was the trumpet.

"The work is extensive and spread out . . . wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us."
Neh 4:19-20

The ACA newsletter, Salt Shaker, has served the role of a trumpet to call Christians to battle by focusing on different parts of the wall under attack. On other occasions we have used our weekly radio programmes "Salt and Light" and "The Christian Voice", or e-mail or fax lists of activists to mobilise prayer and action.

On numerous occasions ACA helped mobilise tens of thousands of Christians in marches to Parliament to protest plans to make S.A. a Secular State, to exclude God and His Law from the Constitution, to close down Christian radio stations, legalise abortion, pornography and homosexual "partnerships" and other vital issues.

As the great German Reformer, Martin Luther, declared:

"If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition, every portion of the truth of God except precisely that point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, then I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battlefront besides is merely flight and disgrace – if he flinches at that point."

On the one hand we can look at the shocking moral freefall of South Africa with the disgrace of legalised pornography, the explosion of crime and violence, and the abortion holocaust. On the other hand we can consider how much worse the situation would be had we not made a strong stand against abortion, pornography, homosexuality, secular humanist education, degenerate entertainment and blasphemy. Where would South Africa be today if groups like ACA had not been educating and fighting for the last 10 years?

However, we should also understand that these evils are the inevitable results of rejecting God and His Law. As with the nations of the European Union, our nation is in rebellion to God and we need to return to our Lord Jesus Christ in repentance.

"If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

Rather than curse the darkness, it is more constructive to light a candle – and this is what ACA has been seeking to do for the last 10 years. And by God’s grace it is what we hope to do in the next 10 years – to be salt and light in a dark and decaying society. Shining the light of God’s Word into dark places and seeking to preserve what is good in our society, healing wounds and applying Biblical principles to all areas of life.

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world . . . in the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven." Matthew 5:13-16

Time to Get More Involved

If you have never been involved in positive Christian Action before, or if you used to be but got distracted or discouraged – please join us in prayer and action to fight for the right to life of pre-born babies and for Biblical righteousness and justice in society. Write to us for the Christian Action Starter Pack and the Make a Difference! A Christian Action Handbook for Southern Africa. Then try and recruit others to join with you in a Christian Action Group. Even two or three are enough to get started.

We need to start more prayer, strategy and action groups that will seek to love God and our neighbour – in a positive and practical way.

Together we can make a difference!

Dr. Peter Hammond

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