Our History

Our history starts in the early hours of a Saturday morning on a deserted beach in August 2006, when our founder, Louw O’Connell, tried to murder a man whom he believed was a serial rapist. In the process of that sin, he had a near-death experience; and in that darkness, he heard the voice of truth calling him; and he surrendered his life to the lordship of Jesus Christ and repented of his sins, choosing Jesus Christ above all those things in the world that had previously captivated him.

He went home a different man and immediately manifested fruits of repentance. His life was no longer consumed with gathering the dust of the earth, or having carnal and sinful pleasures; but his new desire was to win souls for Jesus, and to be holy in body and spirit.

He went home a different man and immediately manifested fruits of repentance. His life was no longer consumed with gathering the dust of the earth, or having carnal and sinful pleasures; but his new desire was to win souls for Jesus, and to be holy in body and spirit.

He turned from the pursuit of earthly treasures and honours; and instead, he began pursuing heavenly treasures and honours.

He turned from the pursuit of earthly treasures and honours; and instead, he began pursuing heavenly treasures and honours.

By God’s leading, a few weeks later, he started going down to the Main Street of town on Saturday nights by himself – to preach to the sinners who were there

After a few weeks, he started to be known by those who stayed around there.

The people, to whom he would preach asked him where they could meet him; because he walked around and wasn’t always at one place; so at some weekends, certain people who waited for him had missed him.
Every Saturday night, a small crowd would come in to the street corner and listen to him preach to them, and pray for them. God would bring prisoners of sin to these services; and they would be set free.The people that are moving around in the Main Street of Port Elizabeth on Saturday nights are usually drunks and drug addicts, prostitutes,

Nigerians and homeless people; but in this hard ground through the blessing of Jesus, he saw fruits from his labours; and the small crowd got bigger and bigger, as time went on.

While doing this, Louw still worked a full-time job; and he also studied for a BCOM degree through Unisa.

After a year of meeting there at the weekends in December 2007, just after completing his degree and being accepted to do an MBA at 24 years of age, Louw resigned his job, and counted the things that were gain to him (money and power) as a lossHe forsook the race of gathering the treasures of this world, which are but dust and rust (Phil. 3:7-8) and he committed himself to the gathering of souls for the rest of his life – knowing that he who wins souls is wise

While doing this, Louw still worked a full-time job; and he also studied for a BCOM degree through Unisa.

After a year of meeting there at the weekends in December 2007, just after completing his degree and being accepted to do an MBA at 24 years of age, Louw resigned his job, and counted the things that were gain to him (money and power) as a lossHe forsook the race of gathering the treasures of this world, which are but dust and rust (Phil. 3:7-8) and he committed himself to the gathering of souls for the rest of his life – knowing that he who wins souls is wise

(Prov. 11:30); and that no man who gives up things for Jesus is ever the loser (Mat. 19:29).

With no material support, he believed in the provision of the Lord; and he committed himself to the full-time service of the Lord Jesus Christ, laying aside every weight and the sin that hindered him (Heb. 12:1).

In February 2008, Louw registered Christian Soldiers as a PBO.

The first ‘congregation’ of Christian Soldiers carried on meeting in this doorway at the weekends; and the people who were regular attenders were divided into groups. During the week, he would go to the different houses and holes that the people lived in, and pray for them, teaching them the truths of the bible.

Early in 2008, one of the regular people who attended the Saturday meetings disappeared. Louw then went to look for him. He was taken to the man’s family home by Errol King, a man who also had come to faith through their meetings and knew this missing sheep’s whereabouts.

Together, they went to look for the man in Helenvale at his family home. When they got to Helenvale, Louw saw large numbers of people in the streets and asked his escort: ‘Why don’t we come and have church services here? There are lots of people here, far more than those who wander around in the town at night?’ Errol told him: ‘You are mad; they will shoot you here’.

Undeterred by this comment, Louw decided to go to this area and preach to these vast swathes of people that congregate on the streets. He started by parking his car at the Gelvandale petrol station and walking by himself into the gangland of Helenvale and preaching to the people there. The drunks and drug addicts were the poor creatures he went hunting – with the arrows of God’s word. He would go to the houses and shacks, where the people smoked their drugs, and pull these souls out of the fires of sin, and lead them to Jesus. Before long, he also had a small group of people there, who had repented; and many were delivered from terrible sins. These souls committed themselves to take up the cross and follow Jesus (Mat. 16:24). Soon after this, those that were changed started meeting at a house in Helenvale, which was full after a short time. In April 2008, they rented an unused classroom at a school in Helenvale and started having services there on Thursdays and Sundays. They would meet at houses and do street evangelism on other days. Here, the war effort started taking shape; and a system was developed, which is still used today, for taking ground in enemy-held territory.
Later in 2008, Louw, and those who had come to faith through the ministry of Christian Soldiers started going to St Alban’s prison and holding church services for the inmates, a ministry, which continued for many years and saw much fruit. This was the start of Christian Soldiers prison ministry, which continues today.By late 2008, the classroom was full; and they moved to a small hall in the school grounds and used the classroom, in which they had started for teaching children. When the adults would meet at their venue, the children would meet in a separate venue, and be taught age-relevant bible lessons. Here, Christian Soldiers children’s ministry started.

The children’s teachers were converts who had been gathered during the street preaching. The children had 4 teachers, so that they could alternate between attending the adult’s services and teaching the children. The children’s teachers were a man and a lady team on Thursdays, and a man and his wife’s team Sundays.

Later in 2008, Louw, and those who had come to faith through the ministry of Christian Soldiers started going to St Alban’s prison and holding church services for the inmates, a ministry, which continued for many years and saw much fruit. This was the start of Christian Soldiers prison ministry, which continues today.By late 2008, the classroom was full; and they moved to a small hall in the school grounds and used the classroom, in which they had started for teaching children. When the adults would meet at their venue, the children would meet in a separate venue, and be taught age-relevant bible lessons. Here, Christian Soldiers children’s ministry started.

The children’s teachers were converts who had been gathered during the street preaching. The children had 4 teachers, so that they could alternate between attending the adult’s services and teaching the children. The children’s teachers were a man and a lady team on Thursdays, and a man and his wife’s team Sundays.

After this, outposts were also opened in Greenfields location, Bethelsdorp and Schauderville with leaders placed over each area to continue with the work. This was the start of Christian Soldiers church-planting ministry.
Christian Soldiers also started having open-air services with a PA system in various areas, by blocking off a street, or in open fields, and in populated areas to reach more people.
In 2013, after watching the destruction of the lives of the children who attended their services, as they became teenagers, and seeing the instruments, which Satan used to destroy these lives; a program was developed called the Young Ladies’ Survival Guide for the girls who attended their services. The girls were more often the victims than the boys; and they were more at risk; and they were also the ones left with the babies. Christian Soldiers started teaching this program at various schools in Port Elizabeth and the surrounding towns; and this started Christian Soldier’s school ministry. The school teachers saw the same problems of rampant teenage pregnancy, drug use and immoral behaviour in their learners; so they welcomed the program. In 2015, Christian soldiers developed another program for the boys and men, who were being used as instruments to wreck and ruin the areas they lived in and the homes they came from. This program was called the Young Men’s Guide to Godliness. This course is also being taught in schools in Port Elizabeth and the surrounding areas. In 2015, Christian Soldiers expanded to Cape Town; and through the mercy of Jesus, they had their programs adopted in many schools in different areas of the Cape flats, including schools in Mitchell’s Plain, Hanover Park, Retreat, Heideveld, Parkwood and Bonteheuwel, among others. As always, those in Cape Town who wandered the streets were preached to; and further outposts were established in the Western Cape with gangsters and drug addicts repenting. For the future, Christian Soldiers are determined to see whole areas come under subjection to Jesus Christ, forsaking their sins, switching off their TV’s, and taking out their bibles, pouring out their alcohol; and instead being filled with the Spirit of God; and instead of sitting in comfort and carnality – getting up and waging war against sin – and whatever else is an enemy to Christ Jesus and His kingdom. We are in a war against our ancient enemy; and by the grace of Jesus we will fight it until death – when we will be transferred to eternal life. Those who fight in this war under the banner of Christian Soldiers are expected to live by the Creed of a Christian Soldier, and our Standing Orders.   Please review our activities off our menu bar above or access any of our Library articles, sermons and books posted.

SURVIVAL GUIDES

Christian survival guides for young people teaching them how to stay pure, stay safe and follow Jesus through the temptations and trials of the world to heaven…

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