In 1976, political upheaval in Zambia forced hard-driving Angus Buchan (born 1947, Rhodesia) to sell-up his farm for a pittance and relocate with his family to South Africa. Angusā funds were so low that he couldnāt afford a farm with a house on it, but with typical determination he settled on a piece of land in KwaZulu Natal and set about raising crops and livestock.
In 1977, Angus startled those who knew him with his sudden conversion to Christianity, and in 1979 he and his wife Jill committed their lives fully to Christ during a service at Greytown Methodist Church.In his best-selling autobiography,Ā Faith Like Potatoes, published in 1998, Angus recounts how he learned to trust that God was at work building something substantial even if he couldn't see it, much in the way a potato grows underground, out of sight. In 2006 the book was made into a film, which went on to become a huge success in South Africa and worldwide.
In 1980, the Lord gave Angus and Jill a clear vision very simply and clearly through His Word:
- The Great Commission - Mark 16:15
- Caring for Orphans and Widows - James 1:27
- Equipping Saints for the Work of Ministry - Matthew 28:20.
This was the inspiration for Shalom Ministries, which has grown from an evangelistic outreach in Angusā own community to an Africa-wide concern. Without any formal higher education or theological training, Angus followed Godās call and conducted his first preaching campaign in 1990 in Ladysmith, KwaZulu Natal. In the years since, Angusā reputation has grown to the extent that he now fills stadiums across the African continent.Since 1995, Shalom Ministries has administered a home for AIDS orphans and a farm-school in Angusā home district of Greytown.