Forty Stories, Forty Years is a powerful and deeply personal account of lives transformed by the presence of Jesus Christ through the ministry of New Zion Church, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Penned by Russell Toohey, this collection of real-life testimonies honours the church’s legacy under the leadership of Hilton and Rhoda Toohey (from 1984), Russell and Nina Toohey (from 1998), and Sherwin and Meryl Haines (since 2015).

From a small community in a coloured township swept up in the Charismatic Renewal, to a vibrant multi-cultural congregation that bridged apartheid-era divides, New Zion’s story is interwoven with South Africa’s political, spiritual, and cultural transformation. This book offers a rare lens into the nation’s pre- and post-democracy journey—told through the voices of believers (mostly of colour) and their radical encounters with faith, hope, and healing.

Each of the forty stories is a testament to God’s redemptive power—men set free from addiction and violence, women breaking cycles of abuse and mental illness, young people stepping into leadership, and broken families being restored. It’s a mosaic of miracles unfolding across decades of ministry and movement.

“Read these God-stories and be instructed, inspired and changed.” — Russell Toohey

All proceeds go toward funding new church buildings in under-resourced communities, creating safe spaces of worship, outreach, and transformation.