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Prison Ministry

Kanaan Ministries has been actively involved in Malmesbury prison for many years and is represented full-time by Liza, a volunteer, who spent three years training before she applied what she learned from Kanaan Ministries in the prison.

Liza's Story

Liza was born in Paarl, Western Cape, and married William Anthony in 1974. They have 2 daughters and 3 grandchildren.

After school her first job was as a waitress and later on she worked in an electric blanket factory. In 1994 she was born-again and felt the call of God on her life to do something for the Lord. The following year God called her into full-time ministry. She resigned her job and started visiting people – encouraging them, praying for the sick and also visiting sick people in hospitals.

During 2000, a person came to their home cell meeting who had a criminal investigation case pending against him. Nine months later this person was convicted and sent to Malmesbury Correctional Services. William and Liza supported him during this time and often visited him in prison.

One day as they were leaving the prison, she looked at the other prisoners and saw that they were actually amazing men. She sensed the Lord speaking to her to start a ministry with these men. She began with the one man that they supported from their home cell group together with another man. This small group quickly grew as more and more men joined the group.

Liza uses a discipleship model where she starts by showing the Soul Care videos / DVD’s and then prays with each individual person after every session. This is followed by one-on-one counselling dealing with their personal issues, tattoos, etc.

Many men have gone through the teaching material and received personal counselling. The men have progressed to a stage where they are able to act as counsellors themselves to help other prisoners who are not necessary part of the course. Their lives bear testimony to the completed work of our Lord Jesus Christ in restoring their broken hearts and lives to such an extent that the wardens also asked for the Soul Care material.

In 2005 the first of the prisoners from Liza’s group were released from prison. As a small measure of recognition, the Ministry hands out certificates to those who successfully completes the course.

Today Liza teaches and trains three days per week. She also leads certain Sunday services allocated to her according to the program worked out by Correctional Services. Liza and William are now also involved at Brandvlei Maximum Prison where she has started the same ministry.

Every week she contacts the families of the men that she is ministering to so that she can give feedback to them of the progress of their loved ones.

Liza has had to face many obstacles as she walked in obedience to the call of God on her life. In the beginning she had to make use of public transport to get to the prison – leaving at 5:30am and only getting back home at 17h00.

She was encouraged to get her driver’s licence and trust God to give her her own vehicle. So, in faith, she got her license and her very own car. She is currently driving her second vehicle – a Mercedes Benz! – The maintenance and insurance is covered by the donors of the vehicle. People whose lives have been touched by Kanaan Ministries and that are financially able to sow into the Prison Ministry are encouraged to support us financially in being able to arrange end-of-the-year parties, small gifts, etc.

The Role of Kanaan Ministries

Kanaan Ministries continues to donate manuals and videos/DVD’s for each new group that is founded. Amanda and Roly also ministers there regularly on open Sunday meetings and teach the inmates and the wardens spiritual warfare and understanding their role in the community as fathers and leaders.

How you can help us

When the inmate is released out of prison, they need to be supplied with clothing, shoes, a bed, linen, etc. as well as a month’s supply of groceries and a small amount of money.

Liza and William tries to give each released inmate a welcome-home party – this also needs to be budgeted for. She follows up on them on a regular basis and it costs phone calls and travelling to keep up the contact that is so crucial once the inmate is released.

They also need to be assisted in finding a job and we appeal to anyone who can help us in this area to please contact us.

In Conclusion

Many inmates, who had received life sentences, were so transformed that the wardens requested court hearings for them and more than twenty have already been released back into the community, restored to their families and is serving the Body of Christ in tremendous victory and testimony to the completed work of the Cross and the Blood of the Lamb!

God has blessed Liza and William with wisdom, health and strength in all areas of life to be able to persevere and to be used powerfully by God in the lives of so many broken people – to God be the Glory!

If you feel in any way led to contribute to the needs of the men who are being rehabilitated after serving their time then you can contact Liza directly to determine whether you can help her in any way.

Liza Anthony
Tel: +27 (0)21 862 5337