· Over 37 religious and faith-based organisations took part in the mass prayer event, one of Africa’s biggest interfaith gatherings.
· Organisers say they had to limit church numbers to match the venue’s capacity at FNB Stadium.
More than 100,000 worshippers gathered at FNB Stadium for this year’s National Day of Prayer, making it one of the largest religious gatherings in Africa.
The event, which started in 2017, has grown rapidly in size and influence. This year marked the fifth edition of the prayer meeting, which brings together South Africans from all backgrounds to pray for peace, healing and unity.
According to foundation spokesperson Benny Boshielo, the event originally began with 37 religious and faith-based organisations.
“We have over 20 more organisations wanting to join,” said Boshielo. “In the beginning, we had around 70,000 to 80,000 people. Now, more than 100,000 people want to attend.”
Because of the overwhelming demand, organisers had to ask participating churches to reduce the number of attendees they bring.
“We had to find a way to scale down, based on what the stadium can handle,” said Boshielo.
The National Day of Prayer is now recognised as one of the continent’s most significant interfaith events, drawing people from different spiritual, cultural and racial backgrounds.
Addressing the crowd, spiritual leader Lekganyane said: “May peace be upon you. We stand here today at a critical time, facing both known and unknown challenges. But in moments like these, we are called not to despair, but to continue our mission.”
Pictured above: Worshippers gather at FNB Stadium for the National Day of Prayer
Image source: Supplied
