Besides Vis Pillay's family and church, it was also a great shock to all of us at CFT to learn of his murder.

Brother Vis Pillay (born 18 December 1945) had been a faithful member of the CFT Advisory Board for many years and was very active in assisting where he could.

On the fateful night of 12 December 2001 he and his wife were shot in their home by 4 intruders. After the 4 young men had taken what little money they could get they then demanded the two granddaughters of the Pillays (aged 8 and 12). Vis strongly objected and stood up. At this point the murderers shot both Maggie (Vis's wife) and Vis, at point blank range. Vis died instantly with a bullet to the heart and Maggie escaped with her life when the bullet went into her stomach without injuring any other vital organs.

Vis Pillay was known for his close and humble walk with the Lord and he will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him.

Our heartfelt sympathies go to his wife, his 3 children and rest of his family.

At the funeral Rev E. Stegen preached on the importance of having "Christ as our life" (Phil 1:21).
Rev G. De Nysschen (also a CFT Advisory Board member) preached on Rev 14: 12 - 13. He used the opportunity to make strong statements about the consequences of excluding God. "We have sown to the wind and have reaped the whirlwind," he said. Rev De Nysschen added that "no home is safe because we have embarked on a course where we don't want to know him," in our schools, parliament and constitution. On the subject of pornography (and referring to the intervention of Vis on behalf of his granddaughters) he said: "we have gorged ourselves on filth and then ask why the rape statistics are skyrocketing." On the death penalty he stated: "we have shifted the death penalty from the guilty to the innocent."

To all of us at CFT we acknowledge the enormous contribution made by Vis Pillay throughout the last decade and pray that God would raise up many like him.