Julle Mense

Land in South Africa today remains a critical issue for which people have fought for, been moved from, legislated for, and even gone to prison for. Land is intricately tied up to not only economic stability but also identity and belonging. What is significant is just how much of that land the church owns - more than 180 000 hectares. How could churches begin to use this land to start the healing process in this country and to start bridging the divides across a vastly unequal society? In this episode, Alphonso and John sit down with Caroline Powell and discuss the role which churches, historically have played and continue to play in perpetuating spatial injustice. Why we seem to be so hesitant to get involved in changing the spatial inequalities we experience And what it could look like to move forward as communities of greater justice, hope, and inclusion. SHOW NOTES: 1. Common Good Land Justice Resources - https://www.commongood.org.za/resources/land-unequal-spaces/ 2. Warehouse Annual Celebration: The Church & Spatial Justice - Caroline Powell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb8-nIMoAMQ 3. Reclaim the City - https://www.facebook.com/ReclaimCT/ 4. YIMBY - Yes In My Backyard - https://yimbyaction.org/2021/ 5. YIGBY - Yes in God's Backyard - https://yigby.org/ 6. The Homeless Action Coalition - https://homelessactioncoalition.org/ 7. Ndifuna Ukwazi - https://www.facebook.com/NdifunaUkwazi 8. Development Action Group - https://www.dag.org.za/ 9. The Social Justice Coalition - https://sjc.org.za/ 10. If you wish to get in contact with Caroline you can do so via email at caroline@warehouse.co.za 11. Audio produced by Exilic Music - http://www.exilic.co.za/

Continuing our intermittent Stories of Hope series, Alphonso and John sat down with Brandon Weber from Hope Africa Collective to talk about their work in youth development and community transformation. Listen in as they discuss the holistic, multidimensional nature of poverty; the role which our history and our context play in the narratives we believe about ourselves and each other, and how these narratives continue to entrench and perpetuate poverty. The effects of perpetual stress disorder on the self-perception of value among young people. The role of the church in extending the rule and the reign of God to restore all that has been distorted in society. What would it mean to create a pipeline of value with churches and NGOs working together to serve the marginalised and change the structures of inequality in our country? SHOWNOTES: 1. Find out more about the work of the Hope Africa Collective here: https://hopeafrica.com/ 2. Donate to the work of Hope Africa Collective https://hopeafrica.com/give/ 3. Get involved and volunteer with Hope Africa Collective here https://hopeafrica.com/get-involved/ 4. Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za 5. The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a one-off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

Big changes happening at Julle Mense! Listen in as Julle Mense gets Rebooted - no spoilers you got to listen in to find out. SHOWNOTES: 1. Check out Hope City East City here: https://east.hopecity.co.za/ 2. Isiphambano Experiential Learning including Story of the Church Pilgrimage and Story Telling Across the Line Events here https://www.isiphambano.com/training-avenues/experiential-learning 3. Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za 4. The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a one-off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

In this episode (part 2 of 2) David and John sit down with Rev. Tsakani Sibanda to discuss what reading the Bible in proximity to the poor might look like. In this episode, they explore the relationship of proximity, community, and power in how we read Scripture. What might we miss in Scripture when we fail to recognise our own locatedness, especially when that is out of community with the poor and the marginalised. This episode asks questions of theological training distances from praxis and located in places of privilege. Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a one-off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

In this episode (part 2 of 3) David and John sit down with Rev. Tsakani Sibanda to discuss what reading the Bible in proximity to the poor might look like. Immediately it begins with a discussion that challenges our concept of proximity as an event rather than a way of living. The team explores the relationship of proximity, community and power in how we read Scripture. What might we miss in Scripture when we fail to recognise our own locatedness, especially when that is out of community with the poor and the marginalised. This episode asks questions of theological training distances from praxis and located in places of privilege. Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once-off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

In this episode, David and John with special guest Jeremy Koeries, explore the importance of reading Scripture in Community and why that is significant for the pursuit of justice. What impact might reading the Bible in community have on the theology and practice of a South African church still largely divided along racial and economic lines? How might embracing the value of reading in community affect not only what is taught in our churches but also who does the teaching? How critical is learning to read the Bible in community for the mission of the gospel and the faithfulness of our churches in SA? Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once-off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

How do we remember those who had a significant impact on the history of our country whilst not necessarily celebrating them? Is it right to simply erase and rename those once celebrated for deeds now condemned? And what do we do with the complexity which history repeatedly throws up wherein our heroes are simultaneously our villains? What do we do when those heroes are also Christians? In this episode, part two of a two-part mini-series, we discuss, as a type of case study, the current controversy around the name of George Whitefield College (our alma mater), in Cape Town and the calls to rename the college. We explore who George Whitefield. We examine the legacy of George Whitefield, as both slave owner and evangelist. And explore why some are now calling for his name to be removed from the college. Is it possible to practice a form of benevolent slavery, which also brings the gospel to unreached peoples? Are we in danger of imposing moderns standards on previous generations instead of recognizing them simply as men of their time? How will history judge us and our gospel witness? Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once-off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

How do we remember those who had a significant impact on the history of our country whilst not necessarily celebrating them? Is it right to simply erase and rename those once celebrated for deeds now condemned? And what do we do with the complexity which history repeatedly throws up wherein our heroes are simultaneously our villains? What do we do when those heroes are also Christians? In this part episode part one of a two-part mini-series, we discuss the legacy of Fees Must Fall and Rhodes Must Fall and the impact that had on both church and community. We discuss the accusation that removing statues is an attempt to erase or rewrite history and how do we reconcile the reality that most of our Christian heroes also have an incredibly dark side from Luther's antisemitism to Whitefield's support of slavery. Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once-off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

The work of justice includes both critique and energizing hope to imagine a different way of living in this world. A new way of being shaped by the character of God and the values of his kingdom. The story of New Hope is just one of those stories of hope. In this episode, David sits down with Richard, Rudy, and Michael from New Hope to talk about the realities of being homeless in a pandemic and how one church was able to open its doors to become an accommodation microsite to a small group of men. This episode is a story of faith, inclusion, and dignity which will both inspire and deeply challenge you to consider what the Kingdom of God embodied among the most vulnerable of our city might look like. Find out more about the work of New Hope SA here https://www.newhopesa.org/ Make a donation to this important work here https://www.newhopesa.org/donate Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once-off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

The claim that white farmers are being disproportionately murdered and tortured in racially and politically motivated attacks designed to intimidate white farmers and drive them from their lands has over the last few years become increasingly vocal and attracted larger and larger numbers of followers. In this episode, David and John examine the claim that there is a genocide against white farmers happening in South Africa. Are farm attacks politically motivated? Has the talk of land expropriation without compensation led to a rise in farm attacks and murders? Are farm murders more brutal and violent than other similar events in South Africa? What are the factors behind farm attacks? How do we as Christians respond to the reality of attacks on farms and the fear that exists within the farming community? What tools does our theology offer to speak to both the reality and the myths surrounding farm murders? How should we as Christians and as church communities respond to the violence in South Africa? Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once-off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

Romans 13 with its command to submit to authorities has historically been used to justify all kinds of injustices and oppression, in both South African and globally. In this episode, David and John sit down with Ph.D. student and pastor Bradley Trout to discuss the interpretation of this passage in its original historical context, as well as its history of interpretation. What is the extent of submission to authorities? When is disobedience allowed? How do we correctly interpret and apply this passage in the context of institutionalised injustices like slavery, colonialism, or apartheid? How might we reconcile this fairly positive picture of the state with the far more negative picture of the state as a demonic beast in Revelation 13? Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once-off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

In this episode, David and John sit down with the multi-talented visual artist, hip-hop performer, and pastor Ntokeko Mjijwa to talk about Justice and the Arts. What role have the arts historically played in the fight against injustice and oppression? How have the arts been used adversely to promote injustice and entrench false or harmful narratives? How might the church in use the arts to speak against injustice and promote justice? How might the church use art to promote cross-centered justice? Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once-off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

Racial trauma is the accumulative effects of racism on an individual’s mental and physical health. In this episode, David and John sit down with psychologist Helen Malgas to discuss racial trauma, what it is, and how it affects us. Can even processes of speaking out or reconciliation contribute to continued racial trauma? How has the church in the past contributed to racial trauma and how might churches today be continuing to contribute to racial trauma? What might it look like for the church to be a community of hope and of healing for those suffering from racial trauma? Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

Many of those who choose to speak up against racism and against injustice in the church, particularly black brothers and sisters, face the very real possibility that they may lose jobs, funding, career opportunities, and reputations. Isisekelo is an organization that was founded in order to ease some of those very real tangible repercussions faced by those who choose to align with and live out a more holistic gospel that speaks out against injustice and racism. In this episode, David and John sit down with two of the founders of Isisikelo Chido Warambwa and Tristan Pringle to talk about the obstacles to building new tables, how current church models of finance can perpetuate injustice and how Isisekelo seeks to overcome some of those obstacles. Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

The brutal murders of George Floyd ("I Can't Breathe)in the States and Tshegofatso Pule, in South Africa earlier this month was a testimony to the awful reality that, in our world, some lives matter more than others. In this episode, David and John reflect theologically on the Black Lives Matter (#BLM) movement and in particular its significance for South African today. A narrow gospel focussed only on individual salvation has little to say to the realities of racism and gender-based violence, David and John argue instead for a recovery of a robust doctrine of the Imago Dei (Image of God). Finally, they explore the role of the church in the fight against racism and gender-based violence? Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

The work of anti-racism and for justice can be incredibly exhausting and even at times lonely. We have all seen or heard stories of those most passionate for justice, shipwrecking their faith, their marriages & families or even their own lives. In this episode David and John sit down with Tyler Burns, Vice President of the The Witness and co-host of Pass the Mic, to discuss the challenges & dangers to those involved in Christian anti-racism work and how we stay in the fight for justice long-term. Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

In this episode David and John sat down with Heidi Segal from Outliers to talk about the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on education, the proposed phased reopening of schools, the realities of long-term structural inequalities in education and how the work of Outliers is positioned to address some of these challenges. The discussion also touched on how we understand the gospel and the role of the church in addressing both the present crisis as well as the prevailing crisis of structural inequality. To find out more about the work of Outliers check out their website http://www.outliers.org.za/ Follow them on social media: https://www.facebook.com/outliersedulab/ MAKE A DONATION to their vital work here: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/charity/profile/outliers/ Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

In this episode David sat down with Jemar Tisby, President of The Witness, a Black Christian Collective, host of the Footnotes Podcast and co-host of the hugely influential Pass the Mic podcast, to discuss his new book "The Color of Compromise: The Truth about The American Church's Complicity in Racism." They also discussed the importance of truth-telling for reconciliation, the importance of the black church, why racism is not merely an individual issue and problematic nature of American evangelicalism Check out the The Witness: A Black Christian Collective here https://thewitnessbcc.com/ Listen to Footnotes and https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/footnotes-with-jemar-tisby/id1460240056 Pass the Mic wherever you subscribe to podcasts https://thewitnessbcc.com/pass-the-mic/ Get hold of The Color of Compromise here https://www.amazon.com/Color-Compromise-American-Churchs-Complicity-ebook/dp/B07BB6R827 Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

Part 4 of our series "Not all Viruses are Equal" reflecting on the impact which COVID-19 could have on communities which are already suffering under the impact of long term structural inequality and the legacy of spatial apartheid. As well as reflecting on the role which the church could play, both during the present crisis, as well in the longer term crisis of the prevailing legacy of structural inequality around issues such as housing, sanitation and spatial apartheid. In this episode David and John are joined by Danielle Moosajie, director of Arise, an NGO involved in family strengthening and adoption support. We discuss the effects of lockdown on families in our most vulnerable communities as it relates to emotional health, existing trauma, family violence and abuse, educational challenges and food security. Find out more about the essential work which Arise does here: https://arisefamily.org/ Donate to their essential work in stengthening families in some of our most vulnerable and unequal communities in Cape Town https://arisefamily.org/donate/ Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano

Part 3 of our series "Not all Viruses are Equal" reflecting on the impact which COVID-19 could have on communities which are already suffering under the impact of long term structural inequality and the legacy of spatial apartheid. As well as reflecting on the role which the church could play, both during the present crisis, as well in the longer term crisis of the prevailing legacy of structural inequality around issues such as housing, sanitation and spatial apartheid. In this episode David and John are joined by Pastor Peter Makapela from Christ Church Strand, in Nomzamo as a pastor speaks about the impact of COVID-19 on his particular community. We discuss the reality of lockdown on communities already in crisis. How do you self-isolate in already crowded housing? How do you santize without water or adequate sanitation? How do you self-isolate without food? How do you practice social distancing when community is essential for survival? We discuss the close connection of COVID-19 to the issue of the landless black majority and how this crisis highlights once again the need for a more equitable distribution of land in South Africa. If you wish to assist Christ Church Strand in caring for their community via food, water, sanitation and other essential needs you can contact Pastor Peter Makapela via email - pmakapela@gmail.com Audio produced by Exilic Music www.exilic.co.za The work of Isiphambano, including Julle Mense, is advanced through the generous donations and support of those who resonate with a vision of a reconciled and just South Africa. Please consider becoming a partner in this ministry by financial giving either through a once off gift or regular monthly giving. Donate by following this link www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/isiphambano