Diakonia Durban Good Friday Easter Service 2008

"Diakonia", a Greek word meaning “service”, is a shared ministry to serve God in suffering people, in the poorest, in those most in need.

Theme: "Who is my Neighbour?"

Human Rights Day and Good Friday combine in Easter Service

In a long-standing tradition established by Diakonia Council of Churches in 1985, the Good Friday Service 2008 will be held at the Durban Exhibition Centre on 21 March commencing at 06h15.

It is a remarkable day as this date also coincides with Human Rights Day, and in keeping with the theme, the guest preacher, Fr Albert Nolan OP, will be preaching on "Who is my Neighbour?".

Over the years the Good Friday Services have become a landmark event in the life of the city and our member churches, with many thousands of people attending and joining in the procession which follows through the streets of Durban and ends at the front steps of the City Hall, with a flowering of the cross.

A gallery of images from the 2007 Good Friday Service.

Diakonia Good Friday Service

ICC: Good Friday 6 April from 6:15am

The 22nd Annual Diakonia Council of Churches’ Good Friday Service will be held on Good Friday, Friday 6 April 2007 at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) at 6:15am and the guest preacher is Bishop Rt Revd Rubin Phillip speaking on the theme: We Overcome Through the Cross.

Singing starts at 5:15am at the International Convention Centre. Bishop Rt Revd Rubin Phillip will preach the sermon at the service which starts at 6:15am. Thereafter the congregation will process through the streets of Durban in silence. The service will conclude at approximately 8.15am on the steps of the City Hall with the flowering of the Cross, an act of commitment by all present to work for the eradication of poverty.


The Diakonia Council of Churches – which celebrated 30 years of service to Church and Community last March – is focusing on the churches’ response to serious poverty-related issues in this region. A year ago, Diakonia published The Oikos Journey: a carefully-researched resource document which is a theological reflection on the economic crisis in South Africa bringing together the voices of the poor with analysis of the systems that keep the poor in their place. It looks at the economic injustices in society and to try and find ways of helping the churches to get to grips with these. To this end, they will continue with their focus on Poverty as the theme for Diakonia’s Good Friday service again this year.


Entry to the Good Friday Service is free and all are most welcome to participate in this significant, multi-lingual Christian Easter event. For more information – contact the Diakonia Council of Churches on 031 310 3500.