Background

In the late 1950′s, Al and Jean Zimmerman were recruited by Al Hamilton and answered God’s call to go and
preach the gospel in Cape Town, South Africa. Although this sounds simple enough, it was a bold new step for the family to leave a successful located ministry in Coldwater, Michigan, pull up stakes and depart for an unknown foreign country in Africa. Their son, Steve was 12 at the time and remembers well the mental panic of leaving school, friends and security in Coldwater.

During the next 30 years, Al & Jean served the African people in whatever way they could in order to spread God’s Word among those who so desperately needed Him. There were many heartaches, disappointments and frustrations along the way. But there were also untold numbers of Africans who accepted Jesus as their Savior and strove to live for Christ. Al & Jean have since retired and now reside in the Seattle, Washington area in the United States and continue to promote the work in South Africa.

Replacements were needed in the mission work and Peter and Fran Laughren (Fran is the daughter of the Hamiltons) came to the area under Outreach International. Later, God called Steve (the son of Al and Jean) and his wife, Pat, into His service. For nearly 20 years, Steve had been working in commerce, enjoying the benefits of an executive lifestyle, but also teaching and preaching among the Africans who knew him since he was a teenager. But the Lord had different plans and led them into full time service.

The South African Christian Mission is dedicated to serve the African people, mainly the Xhosa-speaking tribe. In 1962, the Cape Bible Seminary was formed particularly to teach, train and equip those who committed themselves to studying God’s word. Seven men began the very first classes in the living room of the Zimmerman home. Now, only four are left but they are still serving Christ and preaching the gospel. Since that time, the school has changed methods slightly but is still committed to training men and women to become Christian leaders in their churches. The enrollment in 1995 was 150+ and has been growing every year since. The seminary is unique as it travels to the students in a modern variation of the circuit rider concept.

Besides the activities of the school, they are called to preach and teach in isolated churches and individual Christians within 1200 kms of Cape Town (about 800 miles). Pat teaches classes to the women regarding their role in the church and she also conducts children’s classes, which are always well attended. Steve’s duties include: teaching, preaching and serving to meet whatever the needs of the people are. During the 1988 floods, they took a vanload of food, blankets and old clothes, all donated by the churches in America to the Christians in dire need all along the banks of the Orange River. To this day, whenever they go into this region, the services and classes are always packed with people who want to see the church that cares for them.

The objective is to turn over the Lord’s work to the Africans themselves within the next 25 years and so work themselves out of a job! Through the turmoil, tensions and violence of the past years they have continued the work, and are preparing to turn the work over into the hands of the dedicated Christian men and women so that they, in turn, can continue to effectively preach Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, to the lost.