SANDILE & ABBY MKHWANAZI
Sandile and his wife, Abby have been married since 2009 and have two daughters and two son’s Naomi, Grace, Judah and Lethu.
Sandile and Abby Mkhwanazi are elders and lead pastors in Grace-Love-Truth Ministries. They are also co-founder and The Isaiah House, an outreach division of Grace-Love-Truth Ministries. Sandile was born In Durban, South Africa in 1983 and grew up in rural Zululand in northern Kwa- Zulu Natal Mtubatuba.
Sandile is trained as a mechanic and worked at Mercedes Benz for 7 years. When he left there, he gained experience in business and marketing at Baltimore Aircoil company where he sold, serviced and maintained industrial sized cooling units. He worked there for 2 years before leaving to go into full time ministry in August 2010. He and his wife began ministering to orphaned and vulnerable children in Molweni, a semi-rural community near their home in Kloof, Durban with a heart to spread the gospel and see those living in material poverty and spiritual hopelessness transformed by the love of Jesus.
Sandile and his wife, Abby have been married since 2009 and have two daughters, Naomi Abelo (Born Dec 2011) and Grace Nolwandle (born Jan 2014).
Sandile grew up in a non-Christian home in a family and community rife with African witchcraft and spiritual darkness. He was “born again” in an Anglican church in Kloof when he was in his late teens. He remained in fellowship there for several years and served on leadership as a transformation team leader; bridging the gap between cultures, age, socio-economic status, education, etc. He left this church in 2010 when he moved into full time ministry and now pastors and fellowships in a small, relational house church format with fellow believers. At present Sandile is also the senior pastor of Grace-Love- Truth Kloof Fellowship.
Sandile has ministered in churches of various denominations within South Africa, and in Kenya. He also ministers to American University students who come across on mission trips. He has an gift of being able to communicate and relate to people of all cultures, ages, races, and denominations and to bring people into conversations about Jesus and his love and grace for us.
Abby was born and raised in Michigan in the USA to a Christian family. She received a Bachelors degree in Social Work from Ashland University in May of 2005 and upon completion of that departed for South Africa on a missions trip for the first time. She fell in love with the country and the people after her 5 week trip and decided to come back again 8 months later. She spent all of March, April, and May in 2006 working in the communities in the Valley surrounding Kloof and Hillcrest areas. When she returned to the States she started a Masters Degree in Clinical, Pastoral Counseling, at Ashland Theological Seminary. While studying she worked at a local Community Mental Health Center diagnosing, counseling and case managing mostly children (and some adults) with behavioral and emotional disorders. She also worked for the University in the Religious life Department planning, coordinating, and scheduling student mission strips. She was on student leadership at The Well,- a campus ministry, whilst in undergrad and while working on her Masters degree she ran small groups for university students. She was also involved in a family orientated church plant that began as a house church in the local community. During the two years of her Masters degree she traveled and ministered in Amsterdam, and returned to South Africa twice. Abby completed her Masters degree in December of 2008 and passed her board exam to become a licensed professional counselor. She is also a licensed social worker. She moved to South Africa in January of 2009 to join her fiancé, Sandile and to continue as a counselor with OrphanAid. Among other things, she counseled kids, teens, and adults many of whom had been raped and or abused and who would otherwise not been able to access help. Abby and Sandile wee married in September 2009 and in August of 2010 they went into full time ministry together working in Lower Molweni. They founded the Isaiah House which has grown exponentially since then. They have two daughters, Naomi Abelo born Dec 2011, and Grace Nolwandle, born Jan 2014. Abby has also worked as a counselor at Focus On The Family.
Sandile and Abby are accountable to a group of other mature Christians from various church backgrounds as well as the team which they are part of. They also have links to and work with local churches in the area.
Sandile and Abby have a passion for...
- Jesus and his kingdom
- Intact and thriving family units
- Breaking down cultural norms in place of kingdom norms
- Challenging traditional African beliefs and the view of Christianity amongst Africans
- Sharing the message of Jesus' grace
- Raising and training local African leaders in their communities
- The empowering of the Holy Spirit.
- Authentic Christian Community and Church
- Empowering others in their freedom in Christ
- Transforming a “poverty mindset” to one of richness and hope in Christ
Sandile and Abby are currently 100% support based for the ministry that they do. It is Sandile’s hope and prayer that one day they will be free of financial support and able to support others in ministry, particularly local Africans in pastoral roles. Sandile has partnered with a friend in business and they are seeking out work and trusting in Gods favor for their company to eventually be able to sustain his family and ministry.
Although Sandile and Abby initially started by working with orphans and vulnerable children, The Isaiah House has grown and evolved and is now a fully functioning “church”. Although their vision for The Isaiah House is comprehensive and holistic, the core of it is to establish people in Gods grace and for lives to be transformed in every way by coming to know Christ. The Isaiah House currently holds regular church meetings, prayer meetings, pastoral training, evangelism, discipleship courses, youth group, kids club, counseling, small business enterprises, youth educational support, youth sport, and various other training. Sandile’s ultimate vision is to plant small, relational, sustainable house churches throughout disadvantaged African communities and to see these lives and individuals transforming their wider communities throughout South Africa.
Sandile also is the senior pastor of Grace-Love- Truth Kloof Fellowship.