Our team

Evangelist, Mission Leader, Trainer and Author

John Lawson was  born in Maryhill, Glasgow, Scotland in 1966, aged three the family emigrated to Durban, South Africa.

His Father Lex was a well-respected police officer and his mum Josephine worked in a well known up market store. At the age of 10, John's world was turned upside down. His mother and brother Alex had to return quickly to the UK as his Grandfather was diagnosed with terminal cancer and only had weeks to live. while his mum and brother were away, his Dad picked him up at the end of term and locked him inside their apartment he said " don’t be scared if it gets dark son, just go to bed as I have to work late" His father left and never came back. After being locked in for four days without food, some family friends broke down the door and took John to their house. His father had 'run off' with his mistress which was a shock to everyone. Aged 10, John was put on a plane to the UK and so began the third chapter of his life.

His Grandad died, soon followed by his Grandmother. Penniless and homeless, Josephine, John and Alex were forced to take a council flat on the notorious Drumchapel housing estate just outside Glasgow. It was known at the time as the worst housing estate in Europe and this is where John encountered violence for the first time. With his soft accent and polite demeanour John attracted the attention of bullies and soon discovered an ability to take a punch and feel no pain.

A few years later the family moved to Birkenhead Merseyside where unbeknown to his mother, John got involved in burglary, theft and violence. Leaving school at 18 he had no real qualifications to speak of but he was good with his fists. Married and divorced by 22, he became a single dad to a young son and yearned for more in life.  He soon became a bouncer, joined a biker gang, joined his gangster uncles in Soho running the biggest brothel in London. Married for the second time, moved back to Scotland had two more sons before he became a bodyguard (even working for a short time with The Rolling Stones) and finally became embroiled in full time crime as an enforcer for gangsters. Sentenced to five years in prison for extortion he divorced for the second time and lost his home and money before his life was dramatically changed in prison where he heard The Gospel message for the first time.

Today John lives in East Sussex with his wife Carolyn and her two children. His kids are all grown up now and visit as often as they can. John works in a full-time voluntary capacity and he spends much of the year travelling to some of the toughest prisons on the planet to share his story

Frans Cronjé

is a film producer, director, writer and actor who has made 5 feature films, published 5 books of which he wrote two. His first feature film “Faith like Potatoes” has been a blockbuster all around the world with over 4 million DVDs sold. He has been the lead actor in 3 feature films and played smaller parts in 3 other films. Frans started his own production company, Global Creative Studios in 2002 and has built his brand Frans Cronje Films during the same time. Before that he played professional cricket for 11 years in South Africa and England. He coached the Natal Dolphins for 2 years and played provincial rugby for Free State for 3 years. He started cycling in 2009 and represented South Africa at the Amateur World Championships in 2012 and 2013.

Frans Cronje on "Passion":

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On a recent business trip to Germany I was speaking at a school about my film career when I learnt that the German word for "passion" is "leidenschaft". I found this very intriguing as the German word is much more descriptive than the English. Leidenschaft's direct translation into English would mean something like "sufferingship". In other words, being willing to suffer and die for what you believe. In Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ we clearly see that Jesus had leidenschaft for people. He loved us so much that He was willing to die for us.

I have always described myself as a man of passion, but since my German visit, I have new-found respect for the true meaning of the word.

My calling, purpose, passion (leidenschaft) and profession is to tell stories with a life-changing message that can reach every family in the world. Jesus changed my life completely in June 1996 and I therefore have a passion to include aspects of God's love in the stories that I tell.

Frans Is based in CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA