SOUTH AFRICA – Thankfully no one was injured in a massive fire, which burnt down Durban Christian Centre in Mayville, KwaZulu Natal on the evening of 8th June. Three days later, the sky was lit up by 12 Clay Paky Mythos, all pointed towards a star, as the congregation met together for a service held in their parking lot.
One of the largest churches in Durban, the 5 500 seat auditorium known as the Jesus Dome, was a house of prayer for all nations and a place where miracles happened.
Having regularly lit events in this venue, lighting designer Michael Broderick along with his friend in the industry, Brandon Bunyan of Black Coffee, came up with an idea to use the Mythos fixtures in an act of compassion for the church’s loss.
“When we told DWR’s Duncan Riley about our idea, he insisted that the globes in the Mythos be 100% new and that the lights be freshly serviced,” said Brandon. “He then sent for his Durban branch crusade Captain, Nick Barnes, to put the action into place. Nick also set up the fixtures.”
It was a beautiful moment when the lighting fixtures were switched on. “We got stiff necks from looking up with our mouths open,” said Brandon. For the pastors of the church, it was a light that shone brightly in the smog filled sky. It was a beacon of hope.
“We stand united in our faith to rise triumphantly from the ashes and to see the Jesus Dome rebuilt,” a message from the church read on their website. Until such time a tent will be used for Sunday services.