Written by: Eric Clover
Article source: JOY! Magazine
What started as a quiet act of witness along the Comrades Marathon route in 2007 has grown into a powerful ministry of presence, worship, and prayer. At Hillcrest Presbyterian Family Church in KwaZulu-Natal, members have turned a controversial scheduling change into an annual opportunity to lift high the Name of Jesus – right in the middle of South Africa’s most iconic race.
Way back in 2007 – yes, 18 years ago – an article titled “King of Kings” by Tim Tucker was featured in JOY! Magazine. It told the story of how a church on Old Main Road in Hillcrest responded positively to the news that the Comrades Marathon would be moved to the Sunday closest to mid-June, instead of the traditional Saturday in late May. Being a church on the route, this change meant Sunday services would no longer be possible.
A bold but peaceful response
Initially, the half dozen churches along the Hillcrest route considered various responses, ranging from formal objections to placards, withholding water access, and other more adversarial actions. But one eye-catching and peaceful response was the creation of vivid tear-drop banners proclaiming JESUS IS KING. These were erected along a stretch of the route in Gillitts, forming a visible avenue through which the runners would pass. There were no adverse reactions. In fact, early-morning spectators were curious and very supportive.
From protest to proclamation
This was one community’s decision not to react negatively to sport on a Sunday, but rather to affirm Christ’s lordship through a bold, visible statement of faith. After ten years of erecting banners, the church worship team decided to raise the bar. In 2017, they added a worship trailer in front of the church – a tradition that continues today (excluding the 2020 and 2021 covid years when the race was cancelled).
Worship that lifts tired spirits
The move to include live worship has grown each year. This year’s sponsored trailer was a 26-wheeler, and besides our church’s two worship teams, two other local churches also participated. The commitment of the musicians was inspiring. Each of the four bands played approximately 17 songs during their set – each song around four minutes – with combined practice time totalling around 120 hours. The encouragement of live praise to weary runners needs to be seen and heard to be fully appreciated.
So where to from here?
In addition to banners, worship and barista coffee for supporters, a 30-second prayer station was introduced this year. Manned by members of our church, and clearly signposted in the 500 m leading up to the station, this simple ministry offered quick but sincere prayers to any runner who wanted to stop. Over 50 runners made use of it, and the initiative will definitely continue next year.
A vision for the future
The heart behind this ministry is simply to glorify God and serve others. May this testimony encourage more churches along the route to consider similar acts of outreach. Imagine the joy of seeing worship teams, prayer stations, and banners proclaiming JESUS IS KING all along the course. What a race that would be.
God has truly blessed this journey of obedience and witness. From banners to worship to prayer, what began as a simple message of faith has grown into a beacon of hope for thousands along the Comrades route. May more churches rise up to shine His light – even if just for 30 seconds at a time.
This article is featured in the August issue of JOY! Magazine. Read a digital version of this magazine here: joygifts.co.za
Click here to KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE weekly newsletter.
> Please support Christian media and journalism in South Africa. Help us to spread the Word of God and take a stand for the truth by making a donation to our ministry. We appreciate your support. Click here to take hands with JOY! Magazine.
Date published: 27/07/2025
ERIC CLOVER – JOY! reader and a member of Hillcrest Presbyterian Family Church. Email ericandjean.clover@gmail.com.
DISCLAIMER
JOY! News is a Christian news portal that shares pre-published articles by writers around the world. Each article is sourced and linked to the origin, and each article is credited with the author’s name. Although we do publish many articles that have been written in-house by JOY! journalists, we do not exclusively create our own content. Any views or opinions presented on this website are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company.
