Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We were greatly saddened with the news of our precious pastor Steve. He was truly the best Pastor I had growing up. He was always there for me and my family whenever we needed him or his prayers. I have only good memories of him n will miss him dearly. I still remember the day after I got married, he was praying for us before we could leave town and he had tears in his eyes as he hugged me with so much love. That was really touching and I will never forget him. 

Our thoughts and prayers are with Sister Jenny, his daughter, sons, daughter in laws and son in law, and all his grandchildren that our Lord will be the ultimate comforter during this time.

We also have all the members of Spoken Word fellowship Newcastle in our prayers because he really meant a lot to every single one of them including my granny, sister Champa, my mum and my dad. 

I can’t imagine what you are truly going through right now but I do believe with all my heart that when we get to heaven he will be standing at the gate waiting to welcome  each one of us.

God bless u all, take care, and keep safe. 

Till we meet again 

Shalom. 

From Shemida Chetty

Tribute from Bro Mose Sumair and family

I’ve known Pastor Steve Francis from 1981 till his departure on the 24th of July 2021. To me he typed out the Lord Jesus Christ in his life and his ministry. As the Lord was loved by many and misunderstood by few so was our pastor. Not only was he a loving and dedicated pastor to his church but also a husband to the widows and a father to the fatherless. He gave fatherly advice to all that came to him for help. He had a heart of gold to the lowest of the lowest. He was a friend to the sinner and he loved the poor, the deprived, the rejected and the condemned and also to them that were unlovable. He loved them all with unconditional Love. He was a true shepherd, a respected man within and without. He was a faithful servant to his Master, a man that studied the bible and the message. 

Bro Steve believed, loved and lived the word with all his heart. He was truly a living epistle known and read by all men. 

He will be remembered forever by all as a wonderful servant of God. We will miss him dearly. 

God bless you, 

From brother Mose

Good Day

Bro Steve was a down-to-earth person and his worthiness shone brightly. He was a humble and a selfless person who puts the needs of others ahead of his own needs, and is always prepared to help someone even at cost to himself.

I say all of this because I grew up in the church and even though I stopped going to church bro Steve was still there for my family when we needed him the most. In the last months of my brother Malcolm’s life I could not believe how bro Steve changed my brother’s life, every time I phoned Malcolm to check if he was okay and needed anything he would tell me he was okay bro Steve visits him and brings stuff for him. Malcolm would talk to me about the word and tell me how pastor and him spoke about the message and all the books he gave him to read I could hear Malcolm’s smile over the phone as he spoke, bro Steve brought joy into my brother’s life. I was so grateful that bro Steve was there for my brother and brought him back to the Lord.

My dad use to tell us how bro Steve started the church and that he was one of the first in the church with about 4 other members, and that was because of a friend of his Bro Barren who introduced him to Bro Steve that my dad got know bro Steve and be a part of the fellowship and from that day my dad loved bro Steve until my dad passed on.

My dad always said brother Steve can never leave this world before him because he does not want anyone else burying him, only bro Steve must bury him. I remember my dad telling Bro Steve that and pastor laughed and said my brother I can’t wait to leave this world and if it is my time before you I will meet you on the other side and my dad said no bro you are going to bury me first and as we all know he did bury my dad.

And like my dad I always thought that Bro Steve would be around to bury my entire family because he was the only one we could turn to when we had a tragedy in the family. Bro Steve did not disown my family he has always been there for us no matter what. Every time I saw bro Steve we spoke and he did not judge me but he also knew my heart and how I felt.

I am deeply thankful and blessed to have known such a wonderful, amazing, special and unique man of God.

There are many things I can talk about or tell you about Bro Steve with my dad, my mom us kids but it will be to long so I decide to just choose the above that has happened most recently.

Thank you.

Hazel Gunkel

My name is Eugene Braun.    Pastor at Edmonton Living Word Assembly in Edmonton Alberta.

Hearing of our loss yet heavens gain of a man that we highly respected and have been blessed by his gift merits a time of passing our gratitude to the family and church and friends of Bro Steven.   Please pass along our warmest gratitude and condolences to the family and friends.     Â

His ministry will be missed.

Bro Eugene.

Although it hurts me for what the Francis family must be going through, I would like to respectfully share the memories I have from our beloved Brother.

I met Brother Francis about 20 years ago in Tucson Arizona at one of the special gatherings, and as a child myself (only 10 years old at the moment) it surprised me that I was able to understand what was being preached, I always enjoyed the way he shared the word of God and how he was used for his honor and glory.

Time passed (5 years later) and here comes this troubled young woman trying to fit, with the ”Pastor’s daughter” stereotype wrapped around her shoulders, being a pastor’s kid in general, there are lots of expectations coming from everywhere, you really need to be the best that you can so that you can support the ministry, the church and be a good example and blessing and sure I was far from being that, I was able to meet many ministers and preachers from around the world, and when I heard brother Francis was visiting Mexico I got very excited as I was one of the few people that was going to be able to understand him because of the language barrier, and as I stated before I had met countless ministers in the past, but none ever had a conversation with me, asked about my projects, nor my music, no one had ever taken the time to advise me in the love of God as Brother Steve did.

I remember my parents asking me not to bother Bro Steve, and him saying -Not at all- that he had kids back home, that one of them played the piano like myself and was into singing, for the very first time I felt heard, I thank the Lord for his life because it was there when I accepted Jesus as my savior.

I wish I had a Picture to send, but unfortunately all the pictures I had taken went to a scrapbook I gifted to him from all the memories in Mexico, which cause me a little bit of trouble as many thought he would not like that (Hope he was able to save it) years went by and I remember my dad received a call from him and asking about all of us, remembering our names and how we were doing, and he happily said we were doing fine.

This memory may not be the one you were expecting, but will rest forever in my heart and I will always be thankful for that kind preacher that took 5 minutes out of his time to ask how I was doing and who guided me in a prayer to invite Jesus into my heart when I needed it the most.

God called home another faithful saint. He will also embrace you with His love as you grieve for the loss of a loved one, I will keep you all in my prayers.

Sis. Genesis Morin
Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico

Although I did not know Pastor Steve personally, but I can confidentially say I knew him through his preaching and teachings of the word which gave me an in-depth knowledge of the Bible.

The testimony of his life and how he became a believer and continued to walk closely with God really touched me.

Pastor Steve you will be sadly missed. Heaven has gained a precious soul.

Mama’s cousin Shrieen

On behalf of the believers of Spoken Word Ministry; Kenville Durban we want to extend our prayers and condolences to Sister Jenny and the family.

God bless

LOUIS GOVINDRAJ

Pastor

We greet you in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We thank God for the life lived by Pastor S Francis and the stand he had for the word of God. He was a faithful gallant soldier of the gospel of Jesus Christ, a man of a graceful nature and wisdom who always displayed and lived the life of Christ to those he came in contact with.

Pastor S Francis indeed upheld the banner of Malachi 4 through his ministry and his life and he stood firm on the word of God and the Message of the Hour.

We are blessed to have to grow up as children and young people under his ministry and throughout our married life still holding on to the truth that he taught us as a young couple 21 and half years when he officiated our wedding ceremony.

Pastor S Francis was a man of great faith, patience, kindness, brotherly love, compassion, humility, true leadership, faithfulness and a very humble man of God who lived his life with such gracefulness and always led by example.

Our loss is only for a season for we know that the heavens have gained a faithful servant who served the Lord with courage, a man of great faith, a vigilant and gallant soldier of God.

Our beloved Pastor S Francis has stepped into his theophany body and he is rejoicing with our loved on in eternity and resting in the bosom of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

2 Corinthians 5 vs 1

“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of god, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens”  

Till we meet again Pastor S Francis

Zamankwali Nkomo

Pastor Steve, you dedicated me as a baby, baptized me as a teenager, married me as a young adult. You coached our cricket team and coached me in life. I believe in heroes because I was always surrounded by them. 

Rest in power.

Shailum and Tashnika 

Good day Saints of God.

Let me firstly convey my deepest and sincerest condolences to my Sister Jenny and the children. Right now words cannot comfort you but the love of God most certainly will. Remember, God is the GIFT of love.

I know and met Brother Steve in 1981, when I was a young man working at the School of Industries, Newcastle. He led me to the Lord, through the opening of the Word, and baptized me in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in August 1983, at the Ncandu River in Newcatle.

To my three children, he will always be remembered as…Uncle Brother Steve.

To me Brother Steve, will always be remembered as my friend, brother and pastor.

Truly a legacy gone home, but a legend left behind.

We love and miss you Brother Steve.

Brother Nithie & children