Pretoria - As the sun set on Sunday and clouds began to gather above Gauteng, it gave a fitting conclusion to the three-day Good Friday celebration held by the Grace Bible Church at Orlando Stadium over the long-weekend.

Later in the evening, the heavens opened, with the downpour continuing into Monday and ushering in the spiritual revival which began inside the majestic football stadium in the heart of Soweto.

From Friday to Sunday, Orlando Stadium was packed to the rafters to mark the return of the event, last held in 2019 at the same venue.

Following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa, Grace Bible Church was forced to cancel the event to curb the spread of infections.

Orlando Stadium was packed to the rafters for the three-day Good Friday Celebration hosted by Grace Bible Church. Picture: Grace Bible Church

Many other spiritual gatherings have not resumed since, while some are yet to reach their pre-Covid-levels.

Grace Bible Church, which is celebrating it’s 40th year, has its main campus and headquarters in Pimville, Soweto, and it has branches in many parts of the country.

The two newest branches are in Centurion and Ruimsig.

The vision of the church is to reach 1 000 branches in the life of its presiding Bishop Mosa Sono, a respected and influential religious leader who founded the megachurch four decades ago.

He leads it to this day, alongside the Bishop’s Council with his wife MaBishop Gege Sono.

Gospel singer Ntokozo Mbambo takes the audience through a musical journey during the Grace Bible Church’s Good Friday Celebration at Orlando Stadium. Picture: Grace Bible Church

The weekend crowd consisted of members of the church from across the country, who were bused in to Soweto. They were joined by Gauteng locals who responded to the call made by the church over the past two months.

The message was to fill up Orlando Stadium ahead of the grand opening on Friday.

Amid a performance by the Grace Bible Church music group, the event opened with a procession on the field – the home of Orlando Pirates football club – to mark the anniversary of the church, before Sono delivered the opening sermon.

Sitting in the VIP lounge was Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who expressed a word of appreciation for being able to have fellowship with members of Grace Bible Church.

Bishop Bernard Nwaka delivers a powerful sermon at Orlando Stadium during the Good Friday Celebration hosted by Grace Bible Church. Picture: Grace Bible Church

Mashatile acknowledged and thanked the church for the role that it played in praying for the leadership of the country. He was accompanied by his wife Humile and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi.

In his address, Mashatile said he would this week be visiting various parts of the country to attend to the needs of the people. He said he had been mandated to do so by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Also in attendance was IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa.

Saturday was a dedicated youth-led service, during which “Ama 2000” beautifully portrayed the great miracles performed by Jesus; including His crucifixion; His healing of the woman with the issue of blood; and the apostle Peter’s denial of Jesus.

Grace Bible Church founder and Presiding Bishop Mosa Sono and his wife MaBishop Gege Sono arrive at Orlando Stadium for Day 1 of the Good Friday Celebration. Picture: Grace Bible Church

The highlight of Saturday included music performances by Dr Tumi, Notokozo Mbambo, Oncemore Six, Nqubeko Mbatha, Mangaliso and Pastor Lungi Ndala.

Pastor Shekinah Nwaka-Phiri also made a special appearance, as she led the worship on Sunday.

She was followed by her father, Bishop Bernard Nwaka from Zambia, who delivered a powerful sermon.

Other preachers during the weekend included Bishop Dr Ezekiel Mathole of the Grace Bible Church, and Bishop Freddy Edwards. There were also pastors and leaders from the Grace Bible Church who took to the stage.

Ushers, safety officers, parking attendants and other volunteers from the church ensured peace and order for the duration of the event.

Speaking to the Pretoria News at the end of the event, Sono said: “We were blessed with good weather, and people came out in large numbers to hear from the Word of God. The message was well delivered, resulting in many souls being saved. The event was a great success, especially after an absence of three years (due to Covid-19).

He said there were many highlights during the three days.

“First, the altar calls and people giving their lives to God; it shows how Jesus remains our hope. The youth service on Saturday was a highlight because it debunks the myth that youth are not participating in church matters. They took control, and ran the service excellently.

“We are encouraged by how the people of the church are supporting the vision by volunteering in large numbers to serve, starting from the parking attendants to participating in the programme. The volunteers comprise young and old, which shows how people who are united in the vision and purpose of serving God can achieve great things.”

The 2023 Grace Bible Church’s Good Friday celebration was held under the theme, “Christ Our Hope”.

Pretoria News