ENGAGE - autumn 2012

AUTUMN

2012

KATE MIDDLETON

AN OASIS IN THE DESERT

ADRIAN PLASS

The link between the Duchess of Cambridge and trafficked women in India

50o heat and one operating table: mission work in Chad

Seeing the funny side of church worship

THE FREE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FROM BMS WORLD MISSION NEWS / COMMENT / MISSION OPPORTUNITIES / ARTS / INTERVIEWS

HIGHLIGHTS

Engage

Andrew Dubock

WELCOME Fashion, fellas, farming, Facebook, food, France, film, Fiona Castle, a reflection on failure and one very funny author – there’s something to suit everyone’s tastes in this issue of Engage magazine.

With nine out of every ten lads leaving the Church before adulthood, Steve Legg asks what can be done to keep men in our congregations.

There are interviews with the much-loved Christian author, poet and speaker Adrian Plass and with one of the stars of the recent Fast Girls movie, actress Lashana Lynch.

We received fantastic feedback on the magazine’s new look – thanks to all of you who got in touch and keep your views coming. We’ve responded to some comments about difficult-to-read text by improving legibility, in consultation with a group of readers.

We hope it enriches your experience. Blessings

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MALE MERGE Men are walking out of church – but how can they still connect with Christ?

THE BIG INTERVIEW: ADRIAN PLASS The million-selling ‘sacred diarist’ tells us that Christians should laugh at themselves more often.

16 DUST, DROUGHT & SPECIAL DELIVERIES

Discover how BMS workers at a Chad hospital are keeping their cool and transforming thousands of people’s lives.

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FR RICHARD ROHR: THE MYSTERY OF GOD BMS World Mission PO Box 49, 129 Broadway, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 8XA

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The influential Christian speaker and author shares his views on suffering, silence and the ‘unknowing’.

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A PASSION FOR FASHION Loved by Kate Middleton and Hollywood celebrities, luxury fashion label Beulah London is also restoring trafficked women – in Jesus’ name.

Tel: 01235 517700 Email (general): mail@bmsworldmission.org Email (editorial): magazine@bmsworldmission.org Website: www.bmsworldmission.org General director: David Kerrigan Managing editor: Jan Webb Editor: Andrew Dubock Regular contributors: Sally Buchan, Fiona Castle OBE, Nabil K Costa, Andrew Dubock, David Kerrigan, Katherine Mannion, Aidan Melville, Bekah Swanson, Jan Webb Guest columnist: Juliet Kilpin Design editors: Malky Currie and Pepperfish.co.uk Printed by: Halcyon Print Management, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 9BD The views and opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of BMS World Mission.

Baptist Missionary Society Registered as a charity in England and Wales (number 233782) and in Scotland (number SC037767) © Copyright 2012 BMS World Mission ISSN 1756-2481 Printed on material from sustainable forests

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FAST GIRLS AND FAITH Actress Lashana Lynch reveals the gruelling training regime for her latest film, her desire to get back into singing and why she always makes time for family.

Sign up to receive Engage magazine for free four times a year at bmsworldmission.org/engage

BMS NEWS /news–blogs

A SONG OF

The Eurovision Song Contest was hosted this year in Azerbaijan. But beneath the surface, the country is still denying its residents their basic rights.

In fact, for years, human rights groups have been calling on the country to stop preventing freedom of speech and to stop stifling people’s civil liberties.

As well as this, the construction of the new concert hall for the song contest caused many residents to be evicted from their houses in the capital, Baku, in freezing winter temperatures.

BMS is currently working in partnership with the European Baptist Federation to continue the campaign for religious freedom in Azerbaijan.

HOPE

IN THE VALLEY IN PAKISTAN’S SWAT VALLEY, BMS’ RESPONSE TO TERRIBLE FLOODS HAS HELPED TO CHANGE ATTITUDES TOWARDS BOTH LOCAL CHRISTIANS AND THE TALIBAN.

T

he Swat valley is an area traditionally portrayed as strongly pro-Taliban, despite the fact that the Pakistani army drove them out in early 2010. Only a few months after that devastating floods destroyed not only the residents’ homes, but their faith; they believed God had done it because “they had not looked after and listened to the Taliban.”

MPs BACK DISABILITY CALLS BMS’ global campaign, Undefeated, which celebrates the faith and excellence of Paralympic atheletes, was officially launched at the Houses of Parliament.

The event was attended by a range of people including MPs, disability campaigners and representatives from several other Christian charities.

Gary Streeter MP, Chair of

© Abdul Majeed Goraya/IRIN

© Zeljko Joksimovic

FREEDOM

Christians in Parliament, called the Undefeated video “fantastic” and said that it was “exactly the kind of thing the Church needs to be involved in.”

Undefeated can help churches of all denominations across the UK call for justice for disabled people around the world. Find out more at bmsworldmission.org/undefeated

Supported by BMS, Operation Mercy helped to provide food and shelter for those most severely affected by the flooding. Poorly-constructed houses that had previously provided no shelter from the harsh and ever-changing conditions outside were replaced with sturdy brick ones and willing volunteers stepped up to help clear the debris in the surrounding area.

This was the first time the BMS partner organisation had entered this potentially dangerous area and Brian, a BMS worker, says that they were “quite nervous going in” but they were “welcomed with open arms.”

One resident stated: “I told the people that you will certainly come to give us blankets. You are Christian.”

The residents of the Swat valley have had their lives changed immensely through BMS donations, totalling £216,000 for the purpose of relief and reconstruction.

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GLOBAL NEWS /news–blogs

CHINA: CRACKDOWN ON HOUSE CHURCHES UP TO 60 MILLION CHRISTIANS AFFECTED BY NEW GOVERNMENT CAMPAIGN AIMED AT BANNING UNOFFICIAL CONGREGATIONS.

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KENYA: FARMERS ADAPTING Farmers in Kenya have been experiencing the consequences of climate change – higher temperatures, intense rainfall, stronger winds and longer dry seasons.

The effects were disrupting weather patterns, making it difficult for farmers to predict the seasons.

But a Christian charity has come on board, helping farmers to adapt to climate change through the use of traditional observational practices and modern forms of weather forecasting.

For one farmer, Lucy Muriyuki, it is liberating to know when to plant or harvest. She has received training on how to interpret data from the Meteorological Department and recommendations on how best to grow maize, cow peas, mung beans and sorghum. (ENI)

© Rachel Kibui/IRIN

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hina’s government is carrying out a threephase campaign to eliminate Protestant house churches, according to the Christian human rights organisation China Aid Association (CAA).

A document released last September called for local authorities to investigate house churches nationwide and create reports on each of them.

In phase two, for the following two to three years, authorities would strongly encourage unregistered churches to affiliate with the government-approved Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM).

In phase three, to be completed within ten years, churches refusing to comply would be shut down.

Officials would also ban the words ‘house church’ and all reports on house churches from websites and other media and replace the term with ‘house gatherings’ – a term that would refer to a group meeting on premises affiliated with the TSPM. A recent survey conducted in several provinces by the CAA’s source revealed that over 95 per cent of house church leaders said they already felt the impact of these investigations.The total membership of house churches is estimated at 40 million but may be over 60 million. Because they are not officially registered, they cannot independently own property and therefore often meet in private houses.

Registration requires churches to become part of the TSPM, which may involve interference in the church’s affairs by government officials. It is thought that there are around 36 million Christians in TSPM churches. (Compass Direct)

NIGER:

ARAB WORLD:

WORST FOR MOTHERS

CHRISTIAN KIDS TV GROWTH

Niger now holds the dubious honour of ousting Afghanistan as the worst place in the world to be a mother.

This is according to Save the Children’s annual index which compares conditions for mothers in 165 countries and looks at statistics covering female and child health and nutrition, education and economic status.

Niger’s current food crisis has placed it at the bottom of the list, with the vicious circle of chronic malnutrition having devastating effects on both mothers and children. (MNN)

© Wazala

A total of 9.25 million children in the Arab world are now watching children’s TV programmes broadcast by BMS partner, SAT-7, according to recent research.

The world’s first and only Arabic Christian TV channel for children and teens, SAT-7 KIDS, was launched in December 2007 with the aim of providing a fun and safe environment for children whilst imparting Christian truth and positive values.

The survey involved parents in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. The largest proportion of viewers under the age of 15 is in Iraq (4.1 million) and Saudi Arabia (1.8 million). The research also shows that whole families watch SAT-7 KIDS together. (SAT-7)

NEPAL: NO NEW CONSTITUTION Most Nepalis face an uncertain future as the Constituent Assembly (CA) failed to produce a new constitution by the deadline of 28 May. Political parties could not come to an agreement on issues of federalism, particularly the number of states and ethnicity, including the names and boundaries of these states.

As a result the CA was disbanded and a caretaker government is in place until new elections take place on 22 November.

This was to have been the first constitution since Nepal was declared a secular state by its parliament in 2006, following a decade-long civil war between Maoists and government forces. (MNN, ENI)

GREECE: CHURCHES FACE DISASTER

© DFID/Narendra Shrestha

A senior Greek Protestant has warned that minority denominations “face disaster” due to the country’s worsening economic crises.

“Heavy taxation, high unemployment and all our other difficulties are fast-forwarding us to collapse,” said Dimitrios Boukis, general secretary of the Greek Evangelical Church, which has 29 congregations.

These churches are fully dependent on their members for support and are already short of pastors. Church incomes have fallen by 40 per cent in the last year. (ENI)

Get more exciting stories every week online at

bmsworldmission.org

AUTUMN 2012 | ENGAGE

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David Kerrigan

POSTCARD FROM © Michael Foley

General Director, BMS

Kabul This week they laid off quite a few of the armed guards from the construction company next door. They have kept on the guy who is deaf and sleeps a lot – an AK-47 laid across his lap at the ready.

Our daughter performed in Kabul Dance Studio’s production of The Secret Garden and continues with violin and French. The dog is still trying to find a way of getting into the chickens’ enclosure so he can have a second breakfast. There was a small earthquake but we did not have time to get out of the building.

This year in the garden we will have almonds, mulberries, peaches, plums and blackcurrants as well as vegetables.

The apricots failed because heavy rain destroyed the blossom in the spring.

We’ve had the ceiling fixed in the kitchen where it fell in but we still need to arrange for a fresh layer of mud and straw on top of the roof before the rains start again in winter. It’s sunny every day at the moment though.

With best wishes

A BMS family in Afghanistan

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CLASHING

SYMBOLS? HIGH IN THE PERUVIAN ANDES, YOU’LL FIND HOMES WITH TWO BULLS ON THE ROOF. Local folklore talks of a snake-like god coming out of a lake and taking the form of a bull who would till the soil enabling seed to be sown. And so the bulls represent fertility and wealth.

The same traditions speak of the earth as the goddess Pachamama. In order to honour, or appease, Pachamama sometimes a bull has cuts made into its side. As the blood flows, pepper is placed into the bull’s nose, which tears off into the distance, scattering its blood onto Pachamama as it goes.

Where Christians own the home you’ll find a cross alongside the bulls. The big question is whether this is an unacceptable syncretism or a way of allowing Christian faith to sit alongside local culture.

Before we rush to judgement, remember that Christmas trees will be found in most churches in December with an angel or star on the top. I don’t see such trees in my New Testament!

And we buy eggs at Easter and talk about eggs as the symbol of new birth (maybe just to the children where something a bit fanciful seems more acceptable!)

Western missions have a long history of dismissing local customs and religion and so Christianity became viewed as a Western religion. African religions were dismissed as ‘primitive’ whereas African theologians today would speak of them as ‘primal’ – incomplete but capable of fulfilment in Christ.

Leading communion at the BMS Latin America retreat in Peru, I spoke the words ‘the blood of Christ, poured out for you’.

Personally, I’d be slow to condemn but quick to point them to Jesus, the one true God. Then over time, the bulls would go.

David Kerrigan is General Director of BMS World Mission

OVERSEAS PARTNER

Zeljko Mraz

CHRIST WITH US FROM FOUNDING AN OUTREACH CHARITY DURING THE DAYS OF COMMUNISM IN EASTERN EUROPE TO HELPING HUNDREDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE COME TO CHRIST, ZELJKO MRAZ HAS OPENED NEW DOORS FOR CHRISTIANS IN CROATIA.

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n 1995 BMS supported partner worker Zeljko Mraz was elected as General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Croatia.

Zeljko’s passion for the gospel to impact his country has been evident throughout his Christian life.

Amid the fall of the Communist regime of Eastern Europe, he founded ‘Gethsemane’, a charity dedicated to supporting those persecuted by war through the organisation of Christian camps, radio shows and evangelistic meetings. “During this time of political fighting and war we were not interested in politics,” says Zeljko, “we were interested in spreading the gospel and helping people.”

Zeljko’s attitude of serving others has only grown stronger throughout his time with the Baptist Union of Croatia. “Our mission statement is that we would like to make Christ present with us, in

our churches, in our families, in our union and in our country.”

This mission has been fulfilled through his role as the chairman of ‘Srednja Škola Cakovec’, the first Christian high school in Croatia. “We would like to bring and nurture young people on a unique basis,” says the editor of the high school’s newsletter. “A basis that ensures humanity, life in accordance with moral principles, a life full of love, peace, forgiveness, honesty and truth.”

Through Zeljko’s work with the Baptist Union, hundreds of youth have been enrolled in this high school and thousands of lives have been positively impacted. His attitude to his work is best expressed when he says: “Only with the Holy Spirit in our lives will we be able to be a caring community, a people who witness God’s love for everyone.”

DO YOU WORRY ABOUT WHAT CHARITIES ACTUALLY DO WITH YOUR MONEY? Supporters have trusted BMS with their money for centuries. And today, our honesty, clarity and accountability have been officially recognised by the Fundraising Standards Board.

Your amazing generosity transforms the lives of people you’ll probably never meet. Thank you.

bmsworldmission.org/ fundraisingpromise

AUTUMN 2012 | ENGAGE

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WHEN THERE’S FOOTBALL, CARS AND BEER TO ENJOY, WHY SHOULD CHAPS CARE ABOUT CHRIST? STEVE LEGG BELIEVES MEN REALLY ARE ASKING LIFE’S BIG QUESTIONS – BUT TRADITIONAL CHURCH MAY NOT BE THE ANSWER

B

eing a real bloke in the 21st century is difficult. We suffer with man flu, own a pair of lucky underpants and many of us cried when England were knocked out of Euro 2012.

My dad knows how to tinker around under a car bonnet and change a wheel on the car. I don’t. I call out the RAC. I’m a disaster at DIY. Some men use moisturiser and eat fancy sandwiches with rocket in them. We’re all different.

But being a Christian bloke is even harder. It seems to me that church these days is mainly geared for a particular type of person. I used to say women but my wife assures me it’s not her cup of tea either.

Whoever it’s aimed at, men don’t come and that’s a tragedy; because most men don’t want anything to do with the Church.

I think part of the problem is that we run meetings in buildings with embroidered banners and nice flower arrangements. Many men just don’t feel comfortable in that sort of environment with lots of singing, sitting down for ages and listening to long talks in a building that looks like something out of a Laura Ashley showroom. They feel uncomfortable with hugging, holding hands or sitting in circles

WHY DO MEN YOU KNOW NOT GO TO CHURCH? Email magazine@ bmsworldmission.org or tweet @bmsworldmission and we’ll choose five responses at random to win a copy of Steve Legg’s latest book, Paper thongs and other misadventures, published by Canaan Press.

discussing their feelings in a church context.

We also seem to have turned Jesus into a wimp with a beard. You know the sort of thing: gentle Jesus meek and mild, long flowing hair, blue eyes and wearing a M&S white negligee

MEN ARE LOOKING FOR A STRONG, MOTIVATING MESSAGE THAT RELATES TO THEIR EVERYDAY LIFE. and sandals. He’d be nice enough to present Songs of Praise alongside Aled Jones, but he wouldn’t turn the world upside-down.

Statistically we’re told that the Church is made up of 70 per cent women and 30 per cent men, with 90 per cent of boys leaving the Church by the time they hit their late teens. I guess church didn’t quite match up to their spirit of adventure and turned out to be less Bruce Willis and more Bruce Forsyth. Men are looking for a challenge; they need the gauntlet to be laid down in front of them with a strong, motivating message that relates to their everyday life.

Jesus was a powerful, amazing, revolutionary bloke – and the first thing he did when he started his public ministry was to choose a bunch of lads. They weren’t professional, wellspoken good boys; they were a bunch of working class, down-to-earth blokes who constantly put their foot in it. But he chose them to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Some 150 years ago, the Industrial Revolution meant many men went off to find work in

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mills, mines and factories leaving mainly women, older people and children in church so ministers adapted services to suit these new congregations and the Church began to change.

Add in a bit of Victorian respectability, send the men away again to a couple of world wars and Bob’s your uncle – but Church is no longer a place geared up to meet his needs.

The wars are over and men are back but they’ve found a Church that they don’t feel at home in. They just don’t do it that way, so they choose to opt out altogether. It’s like going shopping with my wife – I just don’t want to do it.

To get men back and involved we need to change the way we run church. Men often struggle in a classroom environment so that’s why Jesus didn’t sit them behind desks or hand out study guides.

They did stuff together and learned along the way. He taught Peter how to step out in faith by getting out of a boat and walking on water – not by listening to a CD series, hearing a sermon or watching a documentary on God TV. That should be a valuable lesson for starters.

Guys don’t often follow programmes well –

THE SEED FELL ON GOOD SOIL: CONNECTING WITH MEN IN UGANDA The majority of families in Gulu, northern Uganda rely solely on the land for all of their requirements. When crops fail, animals die and there’s illness, people fall into the spiral of poverty.

Our new vision is ‘Farming God’s Way’.

Already successful in Zimbabwe, it’s a way of farming based on Christian principles that is practical and directly relevant to daily life.

Baptist churches here are dominated by male leaders yet many churches have more women in them than men. Farming God’s Way therefore helps men see a relevance to faith and how it can be part of everyday life.

It makes church more accessible. It enables men to take their household responsibilities more seriously. It helps them understand that farming is an honourable occupation that gives them a good living and restores hope and dignity.

This could be really transformational for men and their families.

Alex Vickers is a BMS agriculturalist in Uganda. He’s married to Jackie and they have two daughters.

they react better when they follow other men – mentors, fathers, coaches, great leaders. Think The A-Team, The Great Escape and Oceans 11, 12 and 13!

When it comes to reaching men for Christ, well, men love doing stuff together – team sports, fishing, pub quizzes, paintballing, DIY projects, curry nights, bowling. Clay-pigeon shooting and going out for a beer. If we build genuine relationships with men through active events we’ll put ourselves in a position to introduce them to a God who never sits still and who is relational to the core.

But I don’t think it’s about trying to create a masculinity that’s more to do with John Rambo than Jesus Christ, because we’re all different and that’s where some churches and men’s groups get it wrong. They forget that, although Jesus sat round fires with fishermen, he cried with them too.

The thing we do have in common is that all men crave warmth, honesty, openness and authenticity. Most are genuinely interested in spirituality, meaning and purposes and are asking deep questions. They want to know how to become better dads and husbands.

As a magazine, Sorted surveyed hundreds of Christian men and asked them what subjects they’d most like to see tackled in church. Family issues were top, followed by money, anger, sexual purity, addictions, pornography and gambling.

It shows men are looking for answers to important questions – but this doesn’t have to be on a Sunday at 11.00am in a cold building with a tall steeple.

It can be conversations whilst doing sports, walking together or over a pint in a pub. Men like to discuss, argue, challenge, disagree and be given the opportunity to ask questions – but this needs to be done in an environment with other guys that they feel comfortable with. It’s just a case of connecting with men where they are at and showing that Christianity is worth following, has real answers to tough questions – and isn’t just for girls.

Steve Legg is the founding editor of Sorted Magazine (sorted-magazine.com): a new lifestyle magazine for men. He’s authored 13 books and created the kids cartoon, It’s a Boy! Steve is married to Rebekah and they have six children.

• Go to page 26 to read a review of David Murrow’s book, Why men hate going to church.

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JOIN THE

Fiona Castle

CONVERSATION Find us on facebook BMS World Mission What kind of issues in our community should the Church be more involved with?

Like · Comment · Share Tony Ho-Yen Striking the balance between the needs of our community and to be involved with people outside our community, not just for evangelistic statistics...

BMS World Mission How does our understanding of science shape our understanding of faith?

Like · Comment · Share Gareth Shepherd Science helps us to appreciate the beauty and diversity of nature/life – that informs my faith and understanding of the beauty and diversity within God. Tendai J Mbaserah Science engages the mind, while faith the heart. Love the Lord your God with all your mind and heart...

Keep the faith, be strong in Jesus.

BMS World Mission We officially launched our new look Engage magazine at the Baptist Assembly in Wales today.

Like · Comment · Share David Hart It looks fantastic, well done on producing such a high quality magazine. It raises the bar for mission agency magazines.

John Stanley I really like the format and the content. It kept me reading from cover to cover. However, what’s with the pale grey text? Black would be better for readers with less than 100% vision.

YOUR TWEETS Richard Shorter

Enjoyed family service using Undefeated materials/DVD from @BMSWorldMission with the good folk at crag am baptist.

Carwyn Hill

Huge thanks to @TPGWilliams @Anne_w_strike and @BMSWorldMission for the incredible trip to Haiti. Privilege to spend week with GB Paralympian.

Ineke Clewer

Loving the new look #Engage magazine from @BMSWorldMission :) Actually read it and FAB to see my friends the Henleys on the inside cover!

Join the conversation at facebook.com/BMSWorldMission

Speaker and writer

A CONCERN FOR CARERS UNDERSTANDING THOSE WHOSE LIVES ARE ‘ON HOLD’

I

was privileged at the start of the summer to be invited to the House of Commons for the launch of Undefeated, a brilliant BMS project that raises the awareness of the plight of a billion people worldwide who are disabled, many of whom have no access to support or medication. Go to bmsworldmission.org/ undefeated to discover more – it is vital we do what we can to help.

However, I also want us to remember the carers of those who live with disabilities, so often unnoticed and unappreciated.

I spoke to a friend on the phone one day, whose husband was dying of cancer. I asked after him – and then I asked my friend how she was feeling. She burst into tears and responded that, through all the time she was caring for her husband, not one person had ever asked her how she was coping.

My story was similar. I never even thought about it at the time because I was totally dedicated to making my husband’s last days as comfortable as possible.

From that moment, my concern was for carers.

I had walked a mile in their shoes and suddenly understood that their lives were ‘on hold’ as they cared for their loved ones.

There are parents of children who are disabled from birth. They know that, should their children outlive them, they have to make provision for them.

There are war heroes who have permanent injuries and psychological damage. As people are living longer, many suffer from dementia and need to be cared for by their offspring. The list is endless.

And what about disabled people in developing countries? They may have been orphaned through conflict, Aids or famine and therefore have no one to care for them.

Let us never be complacent or take for granted all the blessings we have in the West. Let us reach out with love and compassion to those whose needs are greatest.

NOT ONE PERSON HAD EVER ASKED HER HOW SHE WAS COPING.

Fiona Castle OBE is an international Christian speaker and writer. Her late husband Roy was an entertainer and TV presenter.

twitter.com/BMSWorldMission and @bmsworldmission

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ADRIAN

PLASS

IF HONESTY AND MAKING PEOPLE LAUGH ARE A MINISTRY, ADRIAN PLASS IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST MINISTERS. Ever since The sacred diary of Adrian Plass aged 37 3/4 came out in 1987, Adrian has been gently, amusingly and, some would say, bravely giving Christians permission to laugh at themselves and love God more honestly.

He talks to Engage magazine about motivations for mission, the ingenuity of the Holy Spirit and whether raising hands in worship can be funny.

Q

You’re an author, a poet, a speaker, some would say a comedian.

Do you have a profound need to communicate?

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A

You do what you’re rewarded by, don’t you? I never had a mission. I had a book that was very successful. I never had a call to do it. I was ill 25 years ago and I started writing as a therapy and because I was pretty loony, I wrote the truth. When the truth creeps into the Church you know you’ve got trouble. And people laughed. There’s probably nothing else on earth like the sound of people laughing at things you say. It’s just a wonderful feeling, so the more you do it the more you want to do it. I’m afraid I can’t claim any profound motivation for it but if, on the way, God can use that, then I’m very pleased indeed. But that’s his business, not mine. I like earning money from what I do.

It’s a nice thing. I like hearing people laugh and I love people. I am a people junkie.

© Authentic Media

THE BIG INTERVIEW

Q&A

The Seriously Funny Tour you’ve been doing with Jeff Lucas is ostensibly about Christians laughing, but it seems to be about being honest and ‘real’ in the Church too. Is that a problem in the Church as you see it?

It’s a problem with all institutions and organisations, that you subsume your individuality within the corporate identity of the place, and the danger of that is that you end up with a very diluted form of whatever it is you would like to be.

Because the Christian Church ideally is informal, as soon as it becomes formal and organised and tidy you lose the force of this Jesus-like wave of unexpectedness, raggedness, untidiness and wonder. Battling against that is really quite difficult because people don’t want it. They really would rather be comfortable.

pronouncements and mantras are gone? What will we have? And what you have is this inchoate, weird Jesus, who leads you into places that you don’t want to go and says things you don’t understand and never does the same thing twice. Laughter threatens people a bit I think. Until they do it. Then they think: “Ah, what the heck!”

WHEN THE TRUTH CREEPS INTO THE CHURCH YOU KNOW YOU’VE GOT TROUBLE.

It seems to be a disease of our culture generally, that people chase comfort over everything else.

Well, I don’t know that it’s a disease. I mean why shouldn’t people want to be comfortable?

I mean life is hard, life is difficult. I think the problem is that the spectrum of following Jesus runs from a gin and tonic in the bath to being cut to pieces by tribes in some jungle. There isn’t a Christianity, there isn’t a way to be. You might have to be very rude to somebody when you feel like being nice to them. And you might have to be very nice to someone when you feel you want to smack them in the ear. It’s that open, because the ingenuity of the Holy Spirit is beyond belief.

And once you’ve tasted a bit of that, I think comfort becomes very unattractive, actually. .

Laughter often comes from a place of pain and many jokes have a ‘victim’. Is that why the Church often seems terrified by comedy?

I think they’re a little bit worried about taking the lid off anything. When I started writing, the charismatic Church didn’t know what you could laugh at and what you couldn’t.

It was terrified. Raising your arms in the air: can you laugh at that? Is that sacred? Clearly not, but there were those fears around. I suspect that underneath it all there is a deep layer of unbelief. Laughter is really quite subversive, as are other extreme emotions, and I suspect there’s a fear that if you open up the laughter box you don’t know what you’ll find there. You don’t know what it will do to you. You don’t know if it’s alright. If you speak in normal language about Christian things: will it work out, will it be alright? Will it survive when all the bricks of formal

You’ve done some work overseas with a charity. Was that to try and make people understand that other people, overseas, are also important?

You’re assigning me these wonderful motives [laughs]. Thank you very much. But life isn’t like that. There are two ignoble things that operate. One is: I’m going to go abroad for nothing. The other is: I am a well-known Christian and I ought to do something like this.

But then, when you get involved and you actually see the kids suffering on the streets, suddenly the whole thing turns upside down and then you think: yes I’d better do something about this. The great secret in all of this is that most of us are not motivated very purely. And it doesn’t matter. If there’s an old lady down the street who needs visiting, don’t tear your motives apart, just do it. And then, when you do it, you’ll probably find you love it and you’ll get a lot from it. It was like that with our trips abroad. You come back with a passion that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. I feel very strongly and seriously about it now, but that wasn’t how it began. It probably was for my wife.

She’s genuinely nice. I have to role-play it most of the time.

Interview by Jonathan Langley, BMS World Mission features writer and a regular blogger for The Huffington Post.

Adrian Plass’ latest book War of the worlds, looking at spiritual warfare, maturity, prayer and the fear of true commitment, is published

by Authentic Media, priced at £8.99.

Listen to the interview in full at bmsworldmission.org/plass

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STUFF FOR

YOUR CHURCH

PUTTING CHURCH

FIRST

ALTAMURA, BARLETTA, SANTERAMO, REGGIO CALABRIA. NOT HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS BUT MISSION LOCATIONS FOR ANN AND DAVID MACFARLANE, BMS CHURCH LEADERS IN ITALY. DAVID LOOKS BACK OVER 20 YEARS. Our mission statement has always been RFA – ready for anything. We started off at a church in Altamura in Puglia and our first major challenge was the language. We discovered that when we arrived in the town and asked for directions to the church that people were not speaking in the language we had been studying for a year! They were speaking in Altamurian: a regional dialect. When we visited some of the older members for Bible study or pastoral visits we had to speak in Italian with someone translating into the local dialect. It was a problem that repeated itself elsewhere.

The main cultural change for us to confront was the spiritual life in the churches and the lack of enthusiasm to evangelise. Churches were slanted towards a social gospel and the challenge for us was to get them to go back in time and rediscover the spiritual and evangelistic fervour of their grandfathers and grandmothers.

One of the unexpected encouragements was the spiritual support we got from some Catholic priests and their people.

We went every Friday to a local ecumenical prayer meeting with a large group of young people who met for prayer and praise and study. We have always found many Catholic brothers and sisters in the places we have been. At present we have a great friendship with a monk (Vincenzo) here at Reggio.

From my point of view, after 20 years in Italy, I would say that a great number of churches are dying a slow death. The majority of growth that comes is through the evangelical families. The thing that keeps us going is looking back and seeing the growth of people who were converted and baptised.

I believe that church planting should always be the first item on the agenda of mission. To me that’s what the Acts of the Apostles was, and is, all about.

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TODAY’S GREAT COMMISSION Church planting is key to the big picture of BMS, says director for mission Peter Dunn.

Jesus’ challenge to “Go and make disciples” (Matthew 28: 18) led to his first followers spreading out and forming communities of fellow believers.

The outworking of the Great Commission was church planting. Roll on the clock about 2,000 years and church planting remains a priority of mission and integral to BMS’ strategy across the world.

The outworking of the church planting strategy varies according to the cultural context in which we are working. Even within one country the strategy will vary. So, for example, our church planters in West Bengal, India, will adopt differing approaches according to whether the setting is in a remote rural village or the bustling metropolis of Kolkata. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, nor indeed was there in New Testament times.

In another setting, high up in the Andes of Peru, an important aspect of our approach, again rooted in New Testament practice, is to focus on a significant trading centre such as Cusco and to reach out to the wider community from there.

Working through our own personnel, partners and indigenous church planting movements, it’s really exciting to see churches being planted across the world.

A HEART FOR FRANCE Obedient to God’s will and moved by the Spirit, David Judkins explains how he and his wife Claire-Lise are preparing to serve the Lord in France.

“I will never go into ministry”… famous last words! I uttered them to my minister while leading worship on a MasterSun break! “I will never marry a pastor,” said Claire-Lise as she finished her own theological training at the Institut Biblique de Genève.

God has a sense of humour, as we now consider together a future of church planting in France! For me, the call to full-time ‘equipping’ ministry came gradually after six years working in IT, and then for three years on staff at Andover Baptist Church.

“It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known…” (Romans 15: 20) Claire-Lise had a distinct call to mission at the age of 15 at a missionary congress in Germany. After a three-month placement in Ecuador, God clearly showed her that he wanted her to serve him in France. She worked as a missionary for France Mission before we met in 2005 and moved to the UK in 2006.

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES PASTORS ALBANIA Pastors are needed to work alongside Albanian church leaders and share their vision. A theological degree and experience of church work, as well as a willingness to learn the local language, are vital.

Church planters and pastoral trainers are also needed in Bangladesh, Guinea and Thailand.

DEVELOPMENT WORKERS & PROJECT MANAGERS AFGHANISTAN, BANGLADESH & TUNISIA Development workers and project managers are needed to help train, empower and build capacity in local partner projects. Requirements include qualifications and/or experience in planning and reporting in development work, and previous cross-cultural experience and insight.

TEACHER AFGHANISTAN A primary school teacher is needed for Afghanistan to teach the children of those serving there long-term. A formal teaching qualification is not essential, but preferable.

Over the last three years, as I’ve trained at Regent’s Park College, we became increasingly conscious of the spiritual gulf that divides the UK and France in spite of the geographical proximity.

• The French Evangelical Church is one-tenth the UK’s size.

• 90 per cent of France’s towns do not have an evangelical church.

• 72 per cent of French people have never read the Bible.

• T here are more occult practitioners than pastors (or registered doctors).

• There are more practising Muslims than Catholics.

The challenges are huge, but we have a great God!

DOCTORS & SURGEONS

As this burden increased on our hearts, we approached BMS and shared our vision to see churches in France planted in the power of the Holy Spirit and have been blessed by BMS’ response, love and support. We look forward to an exciting partnership in seeing God’s Kingdom grow in France.

Other medical roles exist in Afghanistan and Tunisia.

David, Claire-Lise, Joshua, Ben and Samuel Judkins are training at BMS’ International Mission Centre in Birmingham from September 2012

Teachers are also needed for China (English teaching), Albania and Nepal.

BANGLADESH & CHAD There is an urgent need for experienced doctors and surgeons at our partner hospitals. In Bangladesh we are seeking paediatric doctors, a senior obstetric and gynaecology doctor. In Chad, the focus is on recruiting midwives, surgeons and anaesthetists.

Is God calling you to support the work of local Christians in reaching those in greatest need?

Find out more about our mission opportunities at

bmsworldmission.org/opportunities

AUTUMN 2012 | ENGAGE

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WITH ITS DANGEROUSLY HIGH TEMPERATURES AND DESPERATELY LOW CHANCES OF SURVIVAL FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, CHRIS HALL DISCOVERS JUST HOW HARD MISSION IS IN CHAD – BUT HOW GOD IS AT WORK

H

ave you ever thought of going to Chad 2010 and were responsible for building a medical team and on holiday? Located in the centre of setting up the hospital before it was officially opened in sub-Saharan Africa, Chad is not the most January 2011. obvious choice for a relaxing break (it is landlocked, so there are no beaches for KEEPING YOUR COOL a start).

Long hours are the norm. The working day officially starts It is interesting to see how travel at 7.30am with a prayer meeting followed by a staff meeting. guides try to sell the country online. The World Travel Guide However, quite often, Mark and Andrea will receive a visit goes for the romantic – ‘A dusty swathe of land at the heart from one of the nurses at 6.00am asking a question or needing of Africa, Chad is a sun-baked country which, while rocked them to see a patient who has just arrived. Their day continues with conflict, offers up a striking backdrop of sub-Saharan with administrative tasks, a ward round and consultations. It scenery.’ The Traveller’s Handbook is more blunt: ‘One of can include complicated deliveries and emergency surgery the world’s poorest countries, with a per capita income of with a surgery once a week. “We often get back to the house US$200 a year, Chad has been hampered by civil war, poor at about 6.00pm having missed lunch, which can be combined infrastructure, few natural resources and natural droughts’. as a starter for the evening meal,” admits Andrea. Then, Mark For Mark and Andrea Hotchkin, Malc and Sue White and and Andrea are on call most nights. This means they often Rebecca North, Chad is now home. They all work at Guinebor return to the hospital for emergencies or follow-up care of II Hospital, a Christian hospital on the outskirts of the capital patients in the evening and through the night.

N’Djamena, which has been supported by BMS World Mission, It’s all worth it though: thousands of lives are being in partnership with the Cutting transformed. Since the hospital opened Edge Foundation, since 2010. they have seen a patient survive a huge Mark and Andrea, from pulmonary embolism, several women Population: 10.3 million Wakefield Baptist Church, with eclampsia (fits due to hypertension Life expectancy at birth: 49.6 years are BMS doctors at Guinebor in pregnancy) recover completely and Under-five mortality rate: 209 deaths/1,000 live births II. They arrived with their cases of cerebral malaria cured. A Human Development Index: 183 out of 189 countries children Ruth (16) and BMS relief grant allowed them to run (Source: UNDP Human Development Indicators, 2011) Rebecca (13) in September a feeding programme for the cases of

CHAD: QUICK FACTS

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GUINEBOR II: IN NUMBERS

34 BEDS 40 STAFF 500 SURGICAL OPERATIONS 550 BABIES DELIVERED 1,000 NEW OUTPATIENTS 10,898 PATIENTS SEEN IN TOTAL SINCE OPENING

since opening (including 30 caesarean sections)

EVERY MONTH

DURING 2011

The Baptist Insurance here and, for those that are, the cost Company is a project implication for the family can rule them partner for the out as viable options. This, at times, has Guinebor II Hospital been incredibly frustrating and upsetting. project.

However, it is especially at these times that I have appreciated the freedom we have to come before God, who is all powerful, merciful, our healer and love. This is another key difference to working here compared to the UK. Far from being discouraged, prayer is very much a part of everyday life here in the hospital.”

Andrea agrees: “Living in difficult conditions often means relying directly on God. We often have our prayers directly answered and are sustained by our faith when things get difficult.

However, to be here we need to be sure of our faith as we are surrounded by Muslims praying five times a day and with very different attitudes from ours, and it can really be a spiritual battlefield. Every Tuesday morning we pray for the patients as individuals, pausing between the beds on the wards and asking permission. Only rarely will someone refuse; most are happy we want to pray for them.”

WE HAVE SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO REACH PEOPLE WHO NEED GOD.

SHARING GOD’S LOVE

In June, Malc and Sue White from Bluntisham Baptist malnutrition they were seeing, especially amongst children – Church in Cambridgeshire joined the team. On completion of severe drought in the Sahel region has led to widespread food language training Malc will be responsible for the hospital’s insecurity, affecting an estimated 18 million people. finance and administration whilst Sue will be a nursing One of the major challenges they face is the extreme heat. mentor. Speaking before going out they were looking Temperatures can reach forward to what lay ahead – if a little 40 degrees Celsius in the apprehensively. “The prospect of operating theatre. This living in Chad seems daunting and leads to plastic and rubber challenging,” said Malc. “We are items like stethoscopes unsure what the roles will be like as it cracking and breaking, and is difficult to imagine life in a hospital glue drying out on books so in the desert, with the intense heat that they fall apart. “Being and dust. We hope that in some small close to the desert the dust way we can improve the lives of those is amazing and means a lot we come into contact with, showing of cleaning is needed,” says love and compassion by sharing God’s Andrea. “Adaptation was love for them.” hard at first but now we are Andrea is excited about having a almost used to just sitting larger team and the possibilities it and sweating without any provides: more community care, an effort, drinking many litres of X-ray service and physiotherapy are A matter of life and death: vital surgery at Guinebor || water a day and sleeping on likely to happen. They would also the veranda on camp beds.” like to provide care for both HIV and A gas-powered fridge has been supplied to store vaccines and tuberculosis, and offer leprosy surgery. “What excites me is some gel batteries help power the hospital’s air conditioning. being able to provide good quality, low-cost care to patients “In these conditions medicines can easily be spoilt and the who know nothing of the love of Jesus. We have such an fridge is essential for keeping things cool.” opportunity here to reach people who need him. We are able to provide care with a difference and we see with God’s help A SPIRITUAL BATTLEFIELD some great results with our simple methods.”

Rebecca North, from South Parade Baptist Church in Leeds, joined Mark and Andrea in September 2011 as a nursing mentor. She says she’s found it difficult adapting to the lack of Chris Hall is Writer/Editor at the Baptist Union of Great Britain and resources compared to those found in the UK. “Many tests and blogs about the Global Church (theglobalchurch.blogspot.co.uk) treatments that are routine in the UK are just not available

AUTUMN 2012 | ENGAGE

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STUFF FOR

YOUR CHURCH

‘‘PRAY IN THE SPIRIT ON ALL OCCASIONS WITH ALL KINDS OF PRAYERS AND REQUESTS… BE ALERT AND ALWAYS KEEP ON PRAYING FOR ALL THE LORD’S PEOPLE’’ (EPHESIANS 6: 18)

We would encourage you to photocopy this page, or to cut out the sections and use in your regular prayer times.

PLACES: Thailand Lonely Planet describes Thailand as ‘the closest thing to heaven on earth’. A diverse country, with glistening beaches, breathtaking countryside and bustling cities, it’s hard to imagine the desperate need for Jesus there. Thailand is the world capital for sex tourism, with thousands of men and women enslaved in prostitution. Christians are helping those working in the sex industry in Bangkok to break free. Further north, over 100,000 refugees have crossed over into Thailand from Burma, fleeing persecution and poverty. Many eke out an existence on the streets and rubbish dumps. Pray for Christians who are responding to this humanitarian crisis.

PRAY FOR: • The Church of Christ in Thailand, with whom BMS partners on the ground.

• NightLight, a BMS partner organisation working with women caught up in the sex trade.

• The work of Compasio, ministering to refugees on the border with Burma.

PROJECTS: Agricultural and legal work in Uganda Imagine for a moment that everything you had was taken away from you. No place to call home, no money, no skills – nothing. This is a sad reality for many in northern Uganda. Years after the Lords’ Resistance Army ravaged communities, people are returning to their villages and finding that they no longer possess the skills to farm the land. BMS supports projects that encourage sustainable farming and co-operation between farmers so that they can make enough to sell at market. We are also supporting legal work which helps people identify land that belongs to them and gives them the legal right to call it their own.

PRAY FOR: • All who have been affected by the conflicts and who are now rebuilding their lives.

• The ever-growing Church in Uganda, that it may grow in spiritual maturity.

• The work of the Ugandan Christian Lawyers’ Fraternity who are working with people with land rights issues.

PEOPLE: The BMS China team We thank God that, after nearly 60 years, BMS has been able to re-start work in China. Alex and Wai-Ming Martin and David and Jenny Mewes are the first BMS workers in the country since 1952 and they are working at the Weifang Vocational Nursing College teaching English to students and teachers. They have been in the country for about a year, and they are now in the process of setting up an internationally recognised English language testing system. They are also seeking opportunities to get involved with their new community.

Get regular prayer points and resources from BMS at bmsworldmission.org/prayer

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PRAY FOR: • Improved language skills – it is a complicated language with many sounds and written characters.

• Relationships with college staff – that they would work well together and that genuine friendships develop.

• Continued dependence on God for his provision and protection.

By Aidan Melville, sub-editor for the BMS Prayer Guide

‘AND THE GOSPEL MUST FIRST BE PREACHED TO ALL NATIONS.’ MARK 13: 10 These words resounded in my mind as I saw this gentleman on the edge of Lake Titicaca. I was walking down from seeing the temple to Pachamama (Mother Earth) thinking about the spiritual confusion that I found so apparent in Peru. My heart was aching from being out of breath but also for all those living there who did not know Jesus.

I realised those individual people needed to hear the gospel just as much as my neighbours back in England did; that when Jesus talks about preaching to all nations, that includes this man.

This photo shows the beautiful creation our Lord has made, but also another heart crying out for Jesus. Peru is just one of many countries where God is using BMS World Mission to transform lives.

Words and photo by Lizzie Hughes from the 2011-12 Peru Action Team.

Turn to the back page for more details about BMS’ gap year programme.

AUTUMN 2012 | ENGAGE

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93%

Info

VISUAL MISSION

ON THE DECLINE

Total attendance, English Christian churches1

42.9%

Male Female

41.1%

38.7%

36.6%

1980

1990

57.1%

58.9%

61.3%

63.4%

5.2 million2

4.5 million

3.5 million

3.1 million

2000

2010

17%

3.5%

FOLLOW THE LEADER: If a father becomes a Christian, in 93% of cases the rest of the family follow.

The chances of a family following a mother in converting to her Christian faith drop to 17% and only 3.5% for a child.3 Sources: 1 www.brin.ac.uk British religion in numbers 2 http://www.whychurch.org.uk/gendergap.php 3 http://www.whychurch.org.uk/gendergap.php based on USA figures

CHANGE A CHILD’S LIFE THIS CHRISTMAS WITH

CHILD’S LIFE GIFT TAGS Child’s life gift tags are gift tags with a difference.

£6 FOR 6 TAGS

(3 EACH

OF 2 DE

SIGNS)

£10 FOR 12 TAGS

Each gift tag includes a donation towards BMS children’s work, which means for every pack you buy you are providing: • Life-saving treatment for a malnourished child • Schooling for a child living in poverty

Order online at bmsworldmission.org/tags or call 01235 517617

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F

YOUR CHURCH

© Jesuino Souza

STUFF FOR

Failure The Word

I have failed! My stupid behaviour, my poor decision, my massive mistake, my broken promise, my missed opportunity… I feel awful, pit-of-the-stomach regret, heartache, loss.

Everyone fails at some point. But how do you view failure? To be sure, failure is often awful to experience. But failure does not have to end in failure. Failure can lead to growth, to change, to a better future. There is hope in failure.

Prayer Father, you already know all my successes and my failures. I now confess the wrong I have done, and I invite you into my pain and regret. I am sorry for letting you down, and for letting others down.

Help me to make good choices every day, but where I have failed, may I learn from my mistakes and be richer for it. Give me a crown of beauty instead of ashes. Help me praise you instead of despairing.

You have given me hope. You have given me life. Thank you for all you have done in my life, through success and failure. Amen

“If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down but the staying down.”

Mary Pickford (1893 – 1979)

Many times we see examples of people who went on to great things from a place of great failure.

Peter: reinstated Peter denied Jesus at a time of great need. But God’s plan was not cut short by Peter’s failure. Jesus personally reinstated Peter to his calling to build the Church.

Jesus: everlasting life Even Christ’s suffering and death, seen by many at the time as a failure, had a greater purpose: he “destroyed death and has brought life and immortality” (2 Tim 1: 10).

(John 18 & 21, Matt 16: 18)

David: deep insight King David, whom the Lord had appointed ruler because he was ‘a man after his own heart’ (1 Sam 13: 14), tragically failed by committing adultery and then arranging murder. But through his deep regret and repentance, David was able to capture such wonderful imagery and understanding of God’s forgiveness that we still use today (see Ps 51 & 103).

So for us too, failure is not a wasted opportunity but a reason to start again. “…We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Rom 5: 3-4) “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (Jn 12: 24)

Repentance of St Peter

by Bartolome Esteban Murillo

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Essay

MYSTERY: THE ART OF UNKNOWING

Photo © Alex Baker (www.studiojoslizen.com)

Catholic Franciscan priest, speaker and founder of the Centre for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico and author of over 20 books, the most recent of which deals with a stage of spiritual development he calls ‘the second half of life’.

A

&

CATHOLICISM’S FAILINGS, PROTESTANTISM’S ‘NEUROTIC NEED FOR CERTITUDE’ AND THE IMPORTANCE OF DARKNESS: ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL CHRISTIANS DISCUSSES MYSTERY. Today, Catholics seem to be much better at handling mystery than Protestants. Would you say that’s true?

Well, yes, because we’re still drawing upon the first 1,500 years [of Christianity]. And I know there is plenty of darkness in that period, too.

But there were two parallel streams in spirituality: the cataphatic tradition and the apophatic. Cataphatic meant knowing God through words, symbols, images. But it always had to be balanced by the apophatic, which was knowing God through absence, silence, darkness and mystery. Whatever the weaknesses of Catholicism were, and there were plenty, it still drew upon this appreciation for mystery. Which

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it was able to exemplify through the sacraments, through a well-celebrated eucharist.

The dark side of Catholicism is that very often the word ‘mystery’ is a cover up for mystification. And I think that’s what Protestantism rightly reacted against: that we used the word ‘mystery’ to justify almost everything and said, ‘oh it’s a mystery, don’t think about it.’

Protestantism brought in a necessary critical mind. But, yes, largely because of the sacraments and the images and the emphasis upon quality music not just loud music, the Catholic mind still has opened people up much more to the contemplative mind, which does open you up to mystery.

Why are some Protestant traditions so uncomfortable with the idea of mystery?

The first obvious answer is that, historically, Protestantism emerged around the same time as the invention of the printing press and also, in the next centuries, the Enlightenment.

What has marked Protestantism from the beginning is a beautiful but almost neurotic need for certitude, ending up in redefining biblical faith with little knowledge of the older tradition of darkness, of not knowing, of unknowing and silence. Everything was a theology of light, clarity, order, certitude. So much so that Protestantism came to think it had a right to certitude. Which,

when you think of it, is almost the exact opposite of biblical faith.

Faith got defined in a very Western, left-brain, verbal way that had almost no space for mystery.

Is the value of darkness and ‘unknowing’ the attaining of more certainty as we come out of it, or is it more about being transformed in and through these experiences?

True spiritual knowing has to be balanced by the non-need to know. Our word for that in most of the mystics would be darkness. You’re held so tightly by your deeper experience of God that there’s a non-need to have answers for everything. And that’s why most of our mystics – your own Julian of Norwich, who is one of my favourites – they use this language of darkness so consistently. John of the Cross would be the supreme example.

But they still understood that spiritual knowing is a convergence of knowing with not needing to know. That the two work together. And non-need to know among most Protestants and low level Catholics is interpreted as scepticism or unbelief or fuzzy thinking. And that shows that we’ve been much more influenced by the Enlightenment than we have by the gospel.

Other ways in which people seem to access mystery seem to be solitude, silence and suffering. Is a loss of personal control always essential to encountering the mystery of God directly?

I couldn’t have said it better. Silence and suffering: those are the only things that, against our will, take away our manipulating of the moment, our managing of the event. They leave us temporarily out of control. Now if God wants to take control in a good way, which I believe God always does, that’s God’s opening. That’s when grace can get at you in a much more ready way, basically because you’re out of the driver’s seat. And as long as you’re in the driver’s seat, God really has very little chance of guiding you.

We don’t realise that a lot of our glib religious clichés and even our misuse of Scripture quotes has been just another way to remain in the driver’s seat.

Many Christians’ desire for control may come from a positive motive of wanting

to get things right for God. What would you say to them?

I’m not trying to push my book [Falling upward], but in terms of that vocabulary, that’s much more a first half of life need and a legitimate first half of life need. I certainly had it as a young man. It seems that you need a certain ego structure – what I call in Falling Upward a certain ‘containment’ – and once you have your containment long enough that you can go deep in that contained place, then you don’t need the container anymore. That’s the second half of life.

My conviction is that all of our denominations only get a minority of their people to the second half of life. But I meet people from every denomination who are there. I have met second half of life Baptists who put Catholics to shame. But they have always been people who have suffered, who’ve been humbled by life somehow, so they’re not all in their heads anymore.

But I think you’re affirming an important thing. That a young 22-yearold boy newly arrived in college, he needs some certitudes. He needs some clarity. You just can’t dive into non-dual consciousness. It feels to them like fuzzy thinking. It feels like relativism.

It feels like a loss of all boundaries.

And for them it is. Because they haven’t found their boundaries yet. But I’m 69. I did all that, and it served me well. What my soul needs at my age isn’t more certitudes.

Catholic novelists like Graham Greene and Shusaku Endo seem to express this better than writers we’d think of as Evangelical. Is that because they leave

space in their narratives for mystery or because their works seem more comfortable with darkness, failure and weakness as things that can be used by God? Well, in many ways the two go together. That very patience with darkness also makes you very patient with morality. You realise by the second half of life that what looked like the moral person again and again in time showed itself to be well-disguised selfishness. And what looked like the immoral person – the prostitutes and the drunkards and tax collectors that Jesus talks about – again and again show themselves to often have levels of compassion, communion, humility, honesty…. So you’re much more patient with it and less sure of yourself about who’s right and who’s wrong. That does rearrange your understanding of what gets you to God. You realise that it isn’t obeying commandments. Which is what we all start out thinking. I did too. And yet, when you go back to Jesus, it’s pretty clear. And you wonder why you never saw it. Jesus really is not upset at sinners. He really isn’t. He’s only upset at people who don’t think they are sinners. Once you hear that, you go back and think: my gosh, that’s obvious.

And that’s a very different stance. But it takes all of us years to get there. You’re not there naturally.

In fact, the older I get, the more counter-intuitive I realise the gospel is.

This article first appeared in Mission Catalyst, issue 4, 2012.

Jonathan Langley is BMS World Mission’s features writer and a regular blogger for The Huffington Post

Mission Catalyst

is a magazine for Christian thought leaders. Challenging, informative and mission-centred, it is essential reading for the thinking Christian.

To subscribe or find out more, go to:

bmsworldmission.org/catalyst Join the debate at facebook.com/BMSMissionCatalyst

AUTUMN 2012 | ENGAGE

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Juliet Kilpin Urban Expression

A PRESENT

REALITY THE TROUBLE WITH MISSIONARIES IS THEY DON’T LEAVE HOME BEHIND ANY MORE!

R

eflecting on their years of living in community with the poor, Jenny and Justin Duckworth, founders of Urban Vision in New Zealand, ponder the impact of social media upon the ability of team members to enculturate to their new surroundings and build deep relationships with those they have come to serve.* Of course the provisions of new media have made the miles seem shorter in many ways and have facilitated instant communication and support like never before. But is there a danger that these gifts can prevent mission personnel from being truly free to connect with a new community, a new culture, a new congregation in as deep a way as both the hosts and the visitors need?

There is a discipline in choosing to be fully present with the people we have been called to, whether they are in a new country, a new street or a new office. How can we be sensitive and present to the needs of the family next door when our senses are bombarded with the yearnings of friends’ souls across the globe? To whom do we make ourselves most available? How do we prioritise our time? Of the many friends we are connected with, who are the ones we choose to be fully present with during this season of our life?

Did Jesus, in relinquishing his omnipresence for a season gain new freedom to be fully present to a minority? As we partner together in God’s mission what choices can we make this week to imitate Christ and be fully present and attentive to those he has called us to?

WHAT CHOICES CAN WE MAKE THIS WEEK TO IMITATE CHRIST?

*Read more in their book Against the tide, towards the Kingdom (Cascade Books, 2011)

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UNUSUAL ENCOUNTERS

1 2

My first visit to Afghanistan in 1997 included a meeting with the then Taliban Home Minister, complete with Kalashnikov propped up behind his desk. I didn’t argue. (David Kerrigan, BMS General Director)

Whilst trying to sleep, we heard this weird noise, like a balloon being deflated. It was an opossum killing a toad by puncturing its belly. (Daveen Wilson, Brazil)

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Climbing steps in the heat up to Swayambunath Temple, I stopped for a Sprite, which was grabbed suddenly by a monkey. Result: I got the Sprite back (plus 2 rabies shots).

(Ruth Clewett, Nepal)

Whilst in our local National Park, we had to stop in the road back to our campsite because a large male lion was stalking towards us. (Bethan Shrubsole, Uganda) My wife was robbed in downtown Kampala.

Unbeknownst to her, the entire episode was filmed and became headline news on TV. (Steve Sanderson, BMS Manager for Mission Partnerships)

Whilst walking in Nepal, we encountered a male rhino. As he clearly wanted to be undisturbed, we climbed a tree and sat there for 40 minutes.

(Margaret Gibbs, BMS Regional Team Leader for Asia)

My wife Jenny woke up one night in Uganda to find a bat under the mosquito net, having a snooze on her body.

(Graeme Riddell, BMS Team Leader for Mission Programmes)

To celebrate our wedding anniversary, we went to a lion conservation programme.

Visitors take young cubs on walks for them to experience life beyond their enclosures.

(Ruth Biddulph, Zimbabwe)

When riding an elephant into the river for a bath, I rolled off and was showered by the elephant instead!

(Rosie Clewett, Nepal)

Juliet Kilpin helps co-ordinate the urban mission agency Urban Expression (urbanexpression.org.uk). She also co-leads the Crucible Course, which equips people to follow Jesus on the margins (cruciblecourse.org.uk).

Both organisations are BMS partners.

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Out riding in the Matopo Hills, we rounded a corner and nearly trod on a black mamba – terrifying!

(Ruth Biddulph, Zimbabwe)

Arts © Theodore Wood/100 Women in Hedge Funds/Press Association Images

DRESSING

ROYALTY

and serving the King

© Beulah London

A passion for fashion, a heart for trafficked women and a strong Christian faith has led two women to working with BMS’ partner Freeset and dressing Kate Middleton.

Natasha Rufus Isaacs and Lavinia Brennan started luxury fashion label Beulah London after spending two months working in the slums of Delhi.

B

oth women had previously toyed with the idea of setting up fashion labels, but it was a trip to India in 2009 that opened their eyes to the harrowing plight of women who had come out of the sex trade and cemented their idea of starting an ethical fashion brand.

They began by praying about the idea and God supernaturally opened doors for their vision in India. They were quickly introduced to charities and factories that could work with their ethics and, most importantly, make a real difference by offering jobs, hope and restoration to the lives of women who had been damaged by their involvement in the sex trade.

With no fashion industry or business experience they launched themselves into the highly competitive world of luxury fashion and created Beulah London with the specific aim of employing these women and raising awareness and funds to support them.

The result: beautiful and elegant garments that have caught the eye of the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, Hollywood actress Jessica Alba and TV presenter Cat Deeley, amongst others.

Both Natasha and Lavinia agree that “God does not call the equipped; he equips the called,” and Lavinia says: “We have surrounded ourselves by experts who advise and help us and we have an incredible prayer team who pray for the business.”

Beulah London’s main dress collections have been produced through a project in Delhi by women who have all escaped from prostitution and each Beulah London purchase

Above: The Duchess of Cambridge wearing a Beulah London dress to a charity dinner Left: Natasha and Lavinia with embroidery workers in Delhi

comes with a canvas bag that has been produced at Freeset – a BMS partner project in Kolkata for victims of the sex trade.

One woman who works at Freeset is Ashoka*. “Sometimes I remember I was in ‘the line’ [of prostitutes],” she says, “but now I come to work with my head held high – with no shame.

Jesus has taken me far from my old life.”

Lavinia says: “Our heart is to involve the women in as many stages of the process as possible and we are venturing into embroidery as it is a good skill for the women to have.”

Natasha adds, “We are currently focusing on India and supporting the two projects that we work with. We then want to find out how we can help other women – especially in the UK, as this problem is on our doorstep.”

“I was reflecting last week and realised that when we do it all in our own strength we hit brick walls. We need to continually do it all in God’s strength.”

And with God’s strength they are doing much more than dressing the rich and famous: they are bringing real hope and a new life to many of God’s precious daughters in India. *Not her real name.

Report by Sally Buchan, Engage magazine’s Arts Editor

beulahlondon.com

freesetglobal.com

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Arts

REVIEWS

Home again

bethinking.org

Michael Kiwanuka

Bethinking

Director: Robert Duvall

Album

Website

Film

Communion Records

Rating:

October films

Rating:

26

The Apostle

Rating:

The debut album from Michael Kiwanuka is a refreshing, honest and pure collection of songs that has given soul music the kiss of life. From the first four words of the opening track Tell me a tale, it’s easy to fall in love with his soulful voice, a gentle huskiness that reawakens the timeless sounds of classic crooners such as Sam Cooke or Otis Redding.

But the favourable comparisons shouldn’t detract from the fact that Kiwanuka is a unique character.

Born in London to Ugandan parents, his musical influences have spanned everything from grunge rock to jazz, and from pop music to the blues. On Home Again, he has clearly delved into his own spiritual background. In parts, the album could be seen as a confessional outpouring.

The lyrics to tracks such as “I’m getting ready” and “Any day will do fine” speak of changing ways and getting ready to believe.

The mix of upbeat ditties and soul-soothing reflections is perfectly balanced. If you can survive the heartstring pulling beauty of Rest, you’ll quickly find your toes tapping to the catchy title track Home Again.

As the winner of the prestigious BBC Sound of 2012 poll, Michael Kiwanuka is quickly gaining a lot of fans. And it’s no wonder. Uplifting, introspective and beautiful, Home Again is an album that can be listened to over and over again.

I don’t know about you, but for years I was embarrassed about my response to inquisitive nonbelievers’ questions about my reasons for faith. “I just believe” doesn’t really cut it for most thinking folk, and quite honestly it shouldn’t.

Bethinking.org is the most wonderful resource for Christians who would like to be able to give reasons for their faith and deepen their understanding of the more contentious issues that surround belief.

Bethinking is a network of today’s most forward thinking theologians, apologists and organisations who have put together a library of online resources – thinkers include Ravi Zacharias, Michael Ramsden and Don Carson. There are written papers, audio talks, booklets and live events that cover subjects such as science and religion, other faiths, the Bible, suffering and how to communicate faith.

Talks range from 20 minutes to an hour or there are fivepart series for more in-depth exploration. These are great resources for a housegroup as well as for the individual.

Beware poor audio recordings: once in a while a talk is slightly ruined by sound issues or a sound technician who has forgotten to turn the mic off during the break!

I personally cannot get enough of this site. It’s a wonderful tool to help you learn and grow, and equip you to give an account for your faith.

Review by Alastair Beaton,

Review by Nicki Rogers,

a freelance writer

a singer/songwriter [www.nickirogers.com]

bmsworldmission.org

Watching Robert Duvall in The Apostle is a bit like watching Ronaldo play for Portugal – your focus is so captured by the sheer brilliance (with a touch of selfindulgence) of his performance that the rest of the match starts to fade away.

Not that the rest of this film has any reason to fade away. The story of ‘Sonny’ (Duvall), an exuberant Pentecostal preacher fleeing the law after a moment of reckless anger, has plenty going for it. It follows his search for redemption and attempt to rediscover his place in God’s kingdom quite beautifully.

Duvall is great. He captures southern US Pentecostalism with a grit and passion that will rock your Baptist boat.

Whilst ‘Sonny’ does plenty of charismatic preaching, the film chooses to whisper its message instead. It creates space to think (about everything ranging from the limitlessness of God’s grace to the pros and cons of church structure) without serving up a sermon. There’s enough there to fuel housegroup discussion, but don’t expect it to interest your youth; you’ll lose them with the excessive 134 minute running time, and ‘Sonny’ is more Bernie Wade than Rob Bell.

More a great piece of acting than a great film, Duvall’s performance dominates more than it leads, but this is still an honest portrayal of the struggles and joys we sinners experience in trying to follow Jesus.

Why men hate going to church David Murrow Book

ISBN: 978-0-78526-038-7

Thomas Nelson, £10.99 Rating: “This book is too American” and “it deals in gross stereotypes of men”: just two of the reasons Christian male peers of mine did not like this book. But, I did like it because it wholeheartedly lines up with the opinions and reasons given by men I have spoken to who don’t go to church – and would say they hate going.

Murrow explains that church is a feminine vehicle that, like any successful business-model or movie, caters to its core demographic and supporters (ie middle-aged women).

Flowers and candles, having a chat with the person sat next to you, emotive language with an emphasis on talking about relationships – are all generally things that women do more naturally than men.

Murrow may use American stereotypes but these are not so pervasive that a person outside of the US would not understand the point he is trying to make.

He consistently uses etimology, anthropology, sociology and psychology to back up his arguments.

This book is an excellent exploration of masculine faith.

But whether you agree or disagree with Murrow, why not ask the non-church-going men in your life why they won’t, don’t or hate going to church – and see if they’d find this book useful.

Review by Sally Buchan, Engage magazine’s Arts Editor

Review by Ben Drabble, BMS mission teams organiser

© Studio Canal

Arts

5

Five minutes with...

LASHANA LYNCH FAMILIAR TO FILM FANS FOR HER ROLE IN THE SUMMER SMASH FAST GIRLS, ACTRESS LASHANA LYNCH TALKS WITH LORETTA ANDREWS ABOUT SIX-PACKS, PSALMS AND SELF-BELIEF. How challenging was it training for the role of Belle Newman in the Fast Girls movie?

We had to get our fitness to Olympic standard in less than ten weeks and I had to learn hurdles in about two weeks!

We trained for four hours a day, five times a week on the track. Then we were doing hurdles, the gym and pushing weights, as well as 500 sit-ups a day in order to get the six-pack required for the role. It was hard!

Do you still have the six-pack?

No! We finished filming just before Christmas and I just went with the festive eating and it disappeared. When I tense it comes back though so it’s under there somewhere!

Did you grow up going to church?

Yes I did and I now go to church in west London. I sing in the worship team and go to a Bible study group – I’m very involved. My church has been very supportive and has been praying and cheering me on for some time.

What will you be watching at the Olympics?

The relay for one – I had such a good time learning that for the film. Also the 100m final, the hurdles and I have a soft spot for gymnastics – I used to pretend I was doing it as a child by putting a ribbon on a pencil!

Lashana (second left) with the relay team in the film

Do you think there is a direct correlation between sport and spirituality?

Yes – the mind-set! They are both about self-belief and selfprogression and knowing that there is definitely gold at the end of the journey.

Do you have a favourite Bible verse?

If I had to choose, it would be a Psalm of some sort. Psalms have been a big part of my upbringing.

And you also sing as well as act?

I was a singer before I started acting. I first started songwriting at 12 years old but then acting took over and I went to drama school. I’m trying to get back into it now – so watch out for my EP! Favourite mainstream/secular song?

Anything by the old greats – Billie Holliday, Etta James, Aretha Franklin and Mahalia Jackson – she was played a lot in my house as I was growing up.

Worst habit?

Getting distracted. Someone will send me to do something and half way through I’ll totally forget what I’m doing.

Favourite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?

A nice catch-up with my mum as it is often the only day I get to see her properly and just generally having ‘family time’. We are very traditional as a family and I think it’s good for family to get together at least once a week around a table.

Loretta Andrews is a freelance writer, radio producer and presenter Fast Girls was released in cinemas in June and will be available on DVD at the end of October 2012.

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IDEAS FOR STUFF FOR

YOUR CHURCH

YOUR CHURCH ACTIVITY

Send the rain You will need: 4 spray water bottles, ‘Send the rain’ PowerPoint quiz downloaded from bmsworldmission.org/face (Click on FACE 21 ‘Water’ and the Send the Rain PowerPoint is third on the list).

The ‘Send the rain’ quiz is about average rainfalls in different places around the world. Ask four different members of the leadership team to come up to the front and to sit on seats so that people can see them. Ask four children/young people to come up and give each of them a water spray bottle and get them to stand to the side of each of the leadership team who are sat down.

Now ask your congregation if they like rainy days – if so, why, and if not, why not? Explain that rain is an amazing gift from God and that many people ceaselessly pray for rain to stay alive. Take some time to thank God for the rain and say sorry for often being negative about it. Pray too for those experiencing severe drought.

Now start the quiz and let each member of the leadership answer a question – if they get it right let the congregation applaud and, if they get it wrong, then the congregation should shout: “Send the rain” and the child/young person gets to spray them lightly with water.

This activity is from BMS’ all-age resource FACE (bmsworldmission.org/face) and uses the BMS resource Thirsty, a free video that can be downloaded from bmsworldmission.org/thirsty

FUNDRAISING Marathon efforts Thank you to all those who’ve taken part in marathons to raise money for BMS. People like Dave Masters who completed the Bristol half-marathon dressed as the Pink Panther, raising over £700 for BMS partner, Good News Christian Education Mission in Kolkata.

Hammer time Beulah Baptist Church, Bexhill-onSea, raised £2,145 for BMS by church members donating items for sale through the local auctioneers.

The idea for ‘BMS Cash-in-the-Attic’ came after a sermon on Haggai 1: 1-10.

Lots ranged from gold sovereigns to teddy bears but the most surprising piece was an Edwardian blue and white child’s tea set where every broken cup had been stuck back together with brown glue. It made £80!

Carol Mitchell, who helped organise the auction, said, “If any church is thinking of doing this it’s important to find an auction house who do commission-free selling for charities. This means that the hammer price is the price you get.”

Let us know of your fundraising exploits by calling 01235 517609 or emailing slinnell@bmsworldmission.org

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bmsworldmission.org

MEET A… NEW CHURCH RELATIONS TEAM MEMBER

RECIPE © Adrian 8_8

Judy White

Qingzhou Sandwich

Her background Judy served for five years with Stirling Baptist Church as Pastor for Community Involvement. The city’s ‘Top of the Town’ was once labelled as an area of multiple deprivation but an old Brethren Assembly Hall has been transformed into a wonderful, multipurpose meeting place known as The Haven.

As a result, the neighbourhood is no longer regarded a scary place – and lives are being impacted by God’s love and grace.

Her new role Judy took up the post of Mission Development Co-ordinator, a joint appointment between BMS World Mission and the Baptist Union of Scotland, in February 2012. She is based at BUS’ offices in Glasgow’s Speirs Wharf.

Her hopes Looking ahead, as her new role unfolds, BMS aims to build on the existing strong relationships with Scottish churches and encourage mission thinking that enables Scottish Baptists to reach out with gospel of Jesus Christ at home and abroad.

Get in touch with Judy by email at judy@scottishbaptist.org.uk or by calling 0141 423 6169.

Sharing BMS news in your church BMS Live Feed is a great As well as encouraging others to sign up to Engage, here are two free, simple and effective ways you can ensure your church is receiving the latest news, stories, events and information about BMS work.

BMS World News is our

bi-monthly publication that is full of short, sharp news stories that can be inserted into your church’s newsletter or magazine. Sign up to receive it by post or electronically by calling 01235 517638 or via our website: bmsworldmission.org/ worldnews

addition to your church’s website to keep everyone informed about what God is doing round the world through BMS. Once loaded, it keeps itself up-to-date with the latest BMS stories, videos and podcasts.

Ask your church’s webmaster to add it now – direct them to bmsworldmission.org/livefeed

Ingredients: large potato or 1 aubergine or n peppers ee a few small gr rk 250g minced po umbed cr 1 slice bread, finely chopped 1 small onion, ped rlic, finely chop 1 or 2 cloves ga ped er, finely chop 1 tsp fresh ging Soy sauce 2 eggs ur 1 – 3 tbspns flo

Instructions 1 C ut the aubergine or potato into slices about 3mm thick. If using green peppers, cut in half.

2 M ix the mince, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, ginger and salt and pepper. Moisten with soy sauce. Shape into patties that are the same size and shape of the sliced vegetables.

3 M ake sandwiches by putting a meat patty between two vegetable slices.

4 B eat the eggs with the flour. The mixture should be thick enough to coat the vegetable and mince sandwiches.

5 H eat some oil in a wok or a frying pan at a moderate level.

6 D ip the ‘sandwiches’ in the egg batter, then fry them for approximately 3 minutes on both sides or until done.

7 Drain on kitchen towels and serve hot.

Thank you to Jenny Mewes, a BMS worker in China, for sharing her favourite local recipe.

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BMS WORKER PROFILE Alex Anderson She’s an English teacher with a passion for Italy and a love of Welsh beaches – Alex Anderson tells us about scorpions, dogs and Boomtown Rats.

Why Jesus?

In 1996, I lived in north east Italy. I was teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL), had a comfortable lifestyle but always wondered if something was missing. Things started to change when my sister Elizabeth came to stay.

She’d recently become a Christian and I noticed a change in her. Then, a few months later, I met Nicky from England at a children’s party. We exchanged phone numbers on scraps of paper and on hers was written John 3: 16. I rang Nicky and she invited me to her evangelical church. I did not hesitate.

The following Sunday, as I walked into that church it felt like coming home.

I gave my life to the Lord and was baptised six months later.

How have you remained patient teaching TEFL? In over 20 years, I’ve really been blessed with highly-motivated students.

I love language – especially my own – and so teaching English, for me is a joy.

Why mission work with BMS? Within one and half years of returning to the UK, I met Huw. He was training for the Baptist ministry but had a great burden for Italy. As we prayed through Huw’s passion to serve the Lord in Italy, we made tentative steps towards enquiring about mission in Italy with BMS, which Huw says is “the original and best” evangelical mission organisation in the world.

30

bmsworldmission.org

As I walked into that church it felt like coming home.

How different did you find southern Italy compared to your experiences in the north?

Arriving in Sicily in 2007 was a shock.

People were loud and personal space was obviously something the Sicilians were not bothered about. Unlike the rich, industrialised northern towns, southern Italy is very impoverished.

How’s the future for the Evangelical Church in Italy looking?

It could be positive if the Pentecostals come in from the cold and if the traditional denominations regain an interest in evangelism. The influx of immigrants might help to loosen entrenched positions.

What do you and Huw hope to achieve?

To develop the churches under our care into powerful and authentic gospel witnesses while at the same time finding ways to encourage some of the movements in the Roman Catholic Church towards more biblical and Christcentred approaches.

How do you like to relax?

At the gym: step classes, fit-box and weight training. Also long dog walks in the stunning countryside.

Where do you love in Britain?

Rhosilli Bay on the Gower in south Wales.

What are you afraid of?

Little scorpions that sometimes appear in the bathtub and long black snakes we see out walking.

Whose music do you dig the most?

Mozart, Schubert, Chopin, Brooke Fraser, Sheryl Crow, Aretha Franklin, Amy Winehouse and Shirley Bassey.

Who is the most famous person you’ve met?

Sir Bob Geldof. He handed me my degree at Canterbury Cathedral.

Pizza or pasta?

Pizza Heels or sandals?

Heels Morning or evening?

Morning (early!)

Painting or photography?

Painting

Alex Anderson and her husband Huw are BMS long-term mission workers based in Matera, Italy. Their home church is Pantygwydr Baptist Church, Swansea.

Read more about the Andersons at bmsworldmission.org/ahanderson

FROM THE

Nabil K Costa

ARCHIVES

Lebanese Baptist leader

150 YEARS AGO

THROUGH

1862

CHRIST ALONE

From New Testament apostles to those who follow Jesus today, Christians have been spreading the word of God across continents for thousands of years to unreached people groups, in some of the world’s most remote places.

“O

n the way we saw Hindus of very low caste in charge of a number of bullocks bearing bags of rice to a distant market. They were bivouacked by the side of the road, and though they seemed very poor, we were not prepared to find them so ignorant.

“We spoke to them in the very lowest colloquial we could command, and asked them if they knew who made them. Pointing to the sun they said, ‘God.’ The sun, we said, is not God – God has no form and cannot be seen. They could not understand this and we endeavoured to make them understand that they were sinners, and through faith in Christ alone, could be saved. But though we used the very simplest illustrations that

could be found, it completely baffled us to make them comprehend our meanings.

“A good distance from the village we heard the shouts of young people and perceived one young man running ahead of them and calling out almost breathless, ‘Saheb!’ He had heard that we had books to dispose of and earnestly begged that he might have one. We gave him the Gospel, and opening it up at the parable of the Pharisee and publican, we made him read. After urging him to pray in all humility to God, in the name of Christ, we came away.”

This is an extract from an article written

by BMS worker R J Ellis, and which first appeared in Missionary Herald, April 1862.

PERSPECTIVES

ON POWER ANTICIPATING A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER IN EGYPT.

T

he lenses through which we see the world influence our attitude and consequently our approach to life.

If we truly believe that God is in charge and that we’re on a mission as agents of change, then our faith and our reliance on him prevent us from being pessimists.

Put differently, our Christian identity is an added incentive for us to act responsibly as citizens positively impacting our respective communities and nations.

There is a general sense of disappointment with the outcome of Egypt’s presidential elections that brought an Islamist as the head of state. May I suggest a different perspective? The process itself was democratic – that in itself is an achievement. At the same time, the new president won by a narrow margin of 51.7% (almost half of the population did not vote for a Muslim Brotherhood candidate).

Why not consider, since Islam has values and morals, that we can anticipate a non-corrupt government that can influence those in the position of authority to lead justly? I believe that amidst the prevalent, so-called ‘Arab Spring’, Muslims have two golden opportunities. Firstly, they must present the true image of Islam to the West, giving rise to new states that promote high morals and human rights.

Secondly, they must prove to the world at large (and particularly to the West) that Islam can assume authority that is fair and just, respects liberties and human rights, applies the rule of law equally, fights corruption and respects democracy.

In parallel, Christian citizens are called in Romans 13: 1-3 to submit to the governing authorities (it’s the same in 1 Peter 2: 13). As Christians we are to respect the law and live as good citizens.

The challenge, however, is when the authorities are not just, nor is the law applied equally to all citizens. Then we seek the most powerful avenue – that of nonviolence. We seek God.

Nabil K Costa is the executive director of BMS partner LSESD, a vice president of the Baptist World Alliance and a trustee of BMS World Mission.

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Our 18-23s gap year programme is characterised by discipleship, mission experience and community.

We’re recruiting now for 2013-14, when we expect to send teams to Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.

We’re seeking Christians with a flexible attitude and a willingness to work as part of a team.

Know someone who might be interested?

Send them to facebook. com/actionteams or

AS A CHRISTIAN MISSION ORGANISATION WE AIM TO SHARE LIFE IN ALL ITS FULLNESS WITH THE WORLD’S PEOPLES BY: ENABLING THEM TO KNOW CHRIST, ALLEVIATING SUFFERING AND INJUSTICE, IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE WITH PEOPLE AS OUR PRIMARY AGENTS OF CHANGE – MOTIVATING, TRAINING, SENDING AND RESOURCING THEM.