Commuters take the hope train

The 45-minute daily train commute from Uitenhage to Port Elizabeth may feel like a waste of time to some, but for those travelling in the second coach it has delivered an unexpected opportunity for spiritual upliftment.

Rather than sitting in a corner or whiling away the time on their cellphones, a group of individuals has formed a small, informal church community on the train, with several people preaching about issues like health, wealth and family on the 7am daily commute.

One of the preachers, Sange Ngqaba, of KwaNobuhle, said that when she first started taking the train in 2010, there had already been a service in place.

She said this “church” belonged to all who wanted to hear the word of God.

“I’m a preacher at my own church and so this isn’t new to me.”

Ngqaba said her goal was to share scripture with anyone who was receptive and to bring cheer to people who were not in the best place in life.
“We have people from all age groups here so when we preach, we try to give uplifting messages – messages of hope that leave people feeling better than when they got on the train,” she said.

Municipal worker and father-of-four Zamoxolo Ndongeni is a preacher at Hope Ministries International.

He says that since he began preaching on the train in 2012, he has mostly been well received by commuters.

“People have come to see me outside the train and told me how my message resonated and touched them, so I believe what I’m doing benefits people.”

Ndongeni said he read the Bible before deciding what to preach on.

“The service also creates a sense of community, because no one wants to be alone. If you feel like that for too long, it can feel as if the world is rejecting you,” he said.

While the service starts in Uitenhage, the train makes several stops before reaching the Port Elizabeth station. In between, commuters join in the singing and can make prayer requests.

Kwazakhele’s Simphiwe Bongwana, who is also a preacher, said rather than conduct sermons he tried spreading messages of hope as he could sometimes see people looking despondent.

Bongwana said that getting up to preach was not easy, but he prayed about finding the right words.

Commuter and KwaNobuhle resident Lwazi Xinwa said the service was a good way to start his day, because it left him feeling energised and ready to take on the day when he arrived at work.

“This is an opportunity to connect with the word. You don’t always get to go to church on Sundays because of circumstances and this is an opportunity to reconnect with your spiritual side,” he said.

Ntombizandile Hasi said the services made her happy. “Whatever stress I have goes away the minute I step on the train, because I know I’m going to receive the word of God,” she said.