Urgent: Help Kathorus Bible Church & Village Mercy Recover from Violent Armed Robbery

Over $10,000 in critical equipment and personal belongings were stolen. The premises are left without electricity, and the thieves stole the keys, leaving the church completely vulnerable to further attacks. We need funds to increase security and restore the damages.

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*Ryan and I were not there at the time of the robbery and are safe*

At 2:00 AM, on May 28th, Kathorus Bible Church and Village Mercy—a Christian addiction recovery ministry near Johannesburg—was attacked.

Five armed, masked thieves scaled the walls and broke in using a crowbar. They stormed the residence in total darkness, waking the residents at gunpoint. The pastoral intern, Thabani, was dragged from bed with guns to his head.

“I lifted my hands immediately,” he said. “I thought, ‘I’m meeting my Savior today.’”

The residents were tied up. The attackers demanded money, electronics, and information about the church’s equipment. They dismantled the church’s sound system and sawed off the solar power system. Blood was left behind in Thabani’s room, likely from thieves fighting among themselves. After about two hours, they vanished into the night.

By the time police arrived five hours later, everything of value was gone. The police will not be able to restore the lost items:

“I had difficulty sleeping,” Thabani shared later. “The door is still broken. I keep playing the memories from when they came in.”

Yet even after all of that, both Thabani and Xolani (the house manager who was beaten) have chosen forgiveness.

“I want to tell them about Christ and the hope they can have in Him,” said Thabani.

“They should no longer steal, but work with their hands and be a blessing to others,” Xolani added.

Here's How You Can Help:

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Please give what you can. Thank you for standing with Kathorus Bible Church and Village Mercy.