The 1994 Miracle

On Monday September 17th, Michael Cassidy came to speak at our chapel about, what he referred to as, the1994 Miracle. He explained the origins of African Enterprise, his role within the organization, and its influence upon South Africa. He began by saying, “Good morning, beloved ones,” and continued with a prayer before beginning his powerful story.

His tale began in the early 1900s with the interface between races, which caused tensions between the whites and blacks. He discussed the Great Trek and the Boer War. He then brought to attention the first and second land acts, when blacks were eventually granted thirteen percent of the land, resulting in a mix of races. This intermarriage created insecurity among the English who feared of being overrun by the blacks and therefore established the apartheid.

The apartheid was a segregation policy that was based upon Baptist ideals that God made skin colors separate for a reason and thus separation must be enforced, and political power ideals that no two races can equally share similar things. The apartheid era brought about a violent battle for equality as blacks fought to achieve justice. It was not until 1986 that a beacon of hope began to shine through the mess of discrimination. Mr. Cassidy explained that it was then that the South African Christian Association (SACA) concluded that the apartheid was a sin, shocking many because of previous religious support. This marked the fall of the apartheid and a time whites became extremely fearful as they dreaded the expected revenge to come. However, a peaceful response was on the horizon and this is where African Enterprise and Michael Cassidy stepped in.

Mr. Cassidy shared of three main ways that AE assisted the transition towards the free, rainbow nation of South Africa. The first method was a twenty four-seven prayer support. This constant prayer established a foundation for which AE could mend relationships. The next effort was establishing dialogue weekends, which opened the doors for leaders to openly share their autobiography, geographical location, and vision of a new South Africa. This was a time of confession and forgiveness because knowing individuals stories offered a perspective that was needed to understand the depth of damage that had been caused. The final area that AE helped to lead was a Jesus Peace Rally, where an unexpected twenty-five thousand people showed. Because of AE’s contributions to calmly ending the apartheid, the dreadfully anticipated 1994 elections were peaceful. The work of God was powerfully evident that day, which is why it was granted the title, “The 1994 Miracle.”

Mr. Cassidy’s story was more than just a historical tale of peace; it was a message of how God utilized the efforts of AE to impact the future of South Africa. The small time that I spent with Mr. Cassidy opened my eyes to the incredible role that African Enterprise had during the apartheid era and revealed to me the incredible caring and passionate man Mr. Cassidy is to all he interacts with. I was blessed to gain more knowledge about the campus that I get the opportunity to study in and live on. I was impacted by his message and blessed to hear how the mighty hand of God has worked in the history of South Africa. I pray today that you may know how mighty our merciful God is.
All my love,
Gennavieve