Our Founders
Christian Family Life Ministry Africa has a rich history, beginning in the USA and then to Lesotho, Africa and now to the rest of Africa. Let us follow this journey through the lives of three couples:
Christian Family Life (CFL) – Don and Sally Meredith founded Christian Family Life in 1971 and have made it their life-calling to share the biblical faith love principles for marriage. It is their passion to see Christian marriages transformed as couples learn these faith love principles, apply these principles to their marriages and then actively help other married couples experience the same. Their heart desire is to see marriages moving from performance to faith!
Both Don and Sally have held significant leadership and teaching positions with Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) where they began to share these faith principles with couples worldwide. The USA based ministry, Christian Family Life (CFL), is currently being propelled by God to many countries throughout the world.
The Merediths have led many church plants where Don has served as a teaching elder and they were instrumental in helping develop the Fellowship Church model, launching Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, which has launched over 300 additional church plants. Sally is the author of Ruth: The Story is in the Names and most recently, Overcoming Woundedness: Lessons from the Life of Joseph. Don and Joe Gibbs founded Joe Gibbs Racing and labored together nurturing the team into a championship NASCAR powerhouse.
The Merediths have celebrated over 50 years of marriage, have four adult children, 11 grandchildren and presently reside in Charlotte, NC, USA.
Christian Family Life Ministry (CFLM) – Wes and Beth Gestring served with Cru for 17 years in Lesotho, Africa. Their first 3 years was in a ministry of evangelism and discipleship among students at the National University of Lesotho. During that time they realized that many students did not have biblical role models for being husbands and wives in marriage due to the absence of fathers in many situations and being raised by relatives other than their mothers in some cases. They believed God was leading them to help strengthen Basotho Christian marriages through sound, biblical marriage principles. Thus, in 1994 God providentially led them to meet Don and Sally Meredith and to then bring the Becoming One marriage enrichment bible study to Lesotho.
In 1995 the Christian Family Life Ministry (CFLM) was launched in Lesotho with Becoming One being used in various churches and home groups. Husbands and wives who were impacted by the biblical teaching of Becoming One and also seeing the need for such sound teaching in marriages then also began to lead Becoming One marriage enrichment groups in their churches and spheres of influence. In 1998 Becoming One was translated into Sesotho, Ho Ba Bonngoeng.
In 2008 Wes and Beth moved to Mafikeng, South Africa to serve with the IMB (International Mission Board) on the university campus there and continued using Becoming One as a pre-marital bible study for young university graduates.
The Gestrings have celebrated over 34 years of marriage, have three adult children and presently reside in Mafikeng, South Africa.
Christian Family Life Ministry Africa (CFLM AFRICA) – Nelson and Rosemary Matsie served together at an International, Interdenominational church in Lesotho. Nelson served as chairperson of the Church Council of Elders and Deacons (Management Committee as it was known then) and also served on the Board of Advisors for Life Ministry Lesotho, now known as Cru. Rosemary was involved with the Sunday School and Hospital Christian Fellowship (HCF). In 1996 they were introduced to the Becoming One Marriage Enrichment Bible Study through Christian Family Life Ministry (CFLM). They have since led Becoming One to couples from various countries including Lesotho, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria. They have seen Becoming One help many couples experience the benefits of God’s Word in their marriage, as He designed it.
In 2003, they moved to Pretoria South Africa where they have continued leading Becoming One and enjoy the privilege of studying and sharing God’s principles for marriage. In Pretoria Nelson also served for several years as a Deacon and Rosemary in the Sunday school of their local church. God, in his Sovereignty, has brought them through times of uncertainty and trials that many couples often go through in their marriages. This has led them to their conviction that obedience to God’s Word in all aspects of married life is an imperative to oneness. Nelson’s career as an engineer spans from the manufacturing industry to financial institute ending in running a Skills Development Business, while Rosemary worked in the medical field as a professional nurse. On their retirement, they felt led to continue with Gods’ work (Mathew 28:18-20). Therefore, their deep desire is to share Becoming One with the rest of the African continent.
The Matsies have celebrated over 41 years of marriage, have been blessed with three adult children, and three grandchildren.
