S E K’ ND IC IN E U K A HN AZ TH AC I-ET MAG BL LT AN U M ISTI R CH
www.keepthefaith.co.uk
ISSUE 116
RACE
ON THE AGENDA
STEP BACK!
Christians
in the
Celebrating
classroom
BLACK
Trailblazers
Gentrification and the Church
interview with
LEROY LOGAN
CHADWICK BOSEMAN WAKANDA FOREVER
£4.95 where sold
Editor’s
NOTE
PUBLISHER/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Shirley McGreal
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Dr Daniel Tulloch
Welcome to issue 116, which celebrates Black History Month.
SUB-EDITOR
So far, 2020 has been a tumultuous year. In America, the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd by White police officers resulted in protests and demonstrations worldwide. This global outcry was further compounded with the recent police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, of Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times in the back - witnessed by his three young children - and has now been left paralysed. People are tired of police killings.
Jackie Raymond
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Becky Wybrow
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Diverse Media Group Limited advertising@diversemediagroup.co.uk T: 0203 868 0664
MARKETING Josie McFarlane
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Cover Image photo credit © Mark Harrison
THE PUBLISHER WOULD LIKE TO THANK: Akosua Dwomo-Fokuo, Juliet Fletcher, Benjamin Harrell, Milton B Allen, Stephen Goddard, Marcia Dixon, Rhoda Hardie, Richard Reddie, Roy Francis, Dionne Gravesande, Esther Kuku, Noah Reddie, Leo Powell, Gary Clayton, Dr T. Ayodele Ajayi, Kimshaw Aiken, Grace Gladys Famoriyo, Vanessa Grossett, Verona White, Jeanette Young, Shana Dawn Lewis, Martins Agbonlahor, Marnita Coleman our supporters and advertisers. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Publisher.
The coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan took the world by storm, and the ensuing pandemic has resulted in entire countries in lockdown, around 24 million cases of infection, nearly a million deaths worldwide, and total economic destruction. The world is changing: many of us are now working, worshipping and meeting remotely. Shopping centres, towns and cities are less populated, as multitudes of people are shopping online. We are all adapting to a new way of life. With all that is changing, we still have a lot more to do, to stop the other pandemic - of racism - that still exists globally. In this issue, we have lots of good news, with inspiring articles; we have interviewed some great community members, including Pastor Amy Williams, who launched Chosen For Christ Ministries in 1970; gospel artist Niella; chart-topping Sarah Téibo, and retired Met Police Superintendent and author Dr Leroy Logan MBE. We celebrate Black trailblazers and pioneering women of God. We look at race; gentrification and the Church; children in the classroom, and what children need to become mentally healthy and socially balanced adults. Do you have problems with your hair? We have an article that advises how to care for your crowing glory. Plus… how to make delicious doughnuts - my weakness! There is so much to entertain, encourage, support and aspire you in this packed issue, and don’t forget, we have much more on our website at www.keepthefaith.co.uk. Our editorial content is written entirely by the community we serve... our readers! If you want to contribute to Keep The Faith, please get in touch! Email us at editorial@keepthefaith.co.uk. And remember, COVID-19 is still real! Stay safe! Blessings
Shirley McGreal
www.keepthefaith.co.uk
CONTENTS ISSUE 116
12
32 14
NEWS 05 Wakanda Forever 06 Ramsays Reality 06 ‘Tribe Redeem’ minister stars in Tesco advert 06 Vitoria Mario ready to fly high following Taylor Swift donation 07 Church receives £1m loan to refurbish building
GOSPEL MUSIC
FEATURE 22 Race on the agenda By Richard Reddie 24 Pioneering women By Roy Francis 26 Celebrating Black British trailblazers By Dionne Gravesande 28 Reflections: What Black History Month means to us By Marnita Coleman
08 New releases By Akosua DF
30 We must not allow our little Black girls to become flightless birds: Lessons in Leadership By Esther Kuku
10 British Gospel: The truth that must be told By Juliet Fletcher
31 Gentrification and the Church A change for the better? By Noah Reddie
12 Niiella By Akosua Dwomo-Fokuo
32 Step Back with Leo Powell
13 Music Matters By Ben Harrell 14 Sarah Téibo: From the United Kingdom to the United States By Ben Harrell with Milton B. Allen 16 Troubled waters, lasting joy By Steve Goddard
INTERVIEW
COMMENT
20 LIFESTYLE 40 How to beat lockdown blues By Grace Gladys Famoriyo 41 Developing characters for fiction writing By Vanessa Grossett 42 Caring for our crowning glory By Verona White
34 Food for thought By Marcia Dixon
43 Make room for the 3% By Jeanette Young
35 Family Tree By Gary Clayton
44 Delicious doughnuts By Shana Dawn Lewis
36 What children need to become mentally healthy and socially balanced adults By Dr T. Ayodele Ajayi
18 Pastor Amy Williams By Marcia Dixon
37 Christians in the classroom By Kimshaw Aiken
20 Dr Leroy Logan MBE By Rhoda Hardie
38 The faith and spirituality of young people in Britain
Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag
22
MISSION 46 Situating Netanyahu amid COVID-19 By Martins Agbonlahor 47 Seeking God first to leave a legacy that really lasts By Mercy Ships
NEWS 05
WAKANDA FOREVER The Black community is mourning the sad passing of Chadwick Boseman, who died last week after a secret four-year battle with colon cancer. Chadwick, 43, who often played Black icons, like American Baseball player Jackie Robinson; musician James Brown, and popularly known as King T’Challa in the iconic Black Panther movie, was described as a ‘gentle soul’ and ‘brilliant artist’. Chadwick was a man of faith, and was raised in a Christian home. He was baptised in South Carolina at Welfare Baptist Church, and according to a post on social media from Pastor Samuel Neely, Boseman’s childhood pastor, Chadwick was very active within the church and the church community, from singing in the choir to working with the youth group. In 2000, he graduated at Howard University in Washington, DC, and his teacher and mentor, Phylicia Rashad, helped raise funds so that he and some of his classmates could attend the British American Drama Academy in London. They were paid for by actor Denzel Washington, who didn’t know who he was helping at the time. Boseman finally got to meet his secret benefactor at the premier of the Black Panther film in New York. He publicly thanked Denzel Washington for paying for him to go to school. “There is no Black Panther without Denzel Washington,” Boseman said. “And not just because of me, but my whole cast - that generation - stands on your shoulders.” A visibly moved Washington gave Boseman a standing ovation following his speech. Chadwick married his long-time love, Taylor Simone Ledward, in the months before his death. He died at his home, with his wife and family by his side. Despite his accomplishments in Hollywood, Chadwick often referenced his Christian faith in public, and spoke out about his beliefs and his trust in God.
CHADWICK BOSEMAN 29.11.1976 - 28.08.2020
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06 NEWS
Vitoria Mario ready to fly high following Taylor Swift donation
RAMSAYS REALITY Have you ever wondered what pastors get up to when they’re not behind the pulpit? Not all families in ministry have as much drama going on, as in the OWN TV series, Greenleaf. A new series by W TALK, called Ramsays Reality, was launched on YouTube on August 21. The series follows the life of church leaders Reverend Tim and Minister Adwoa Ramsay, their three children - Timmika, Shiloh and Josiah - and granddaughter, Lylaa Rose. It shows the family as they deal with the pressures that come with being in full-time Christian ministry. The Ramsays are not afraid to discuss real, taboo topics. From teenage pregnancy to racism and policing, no stone is left unturned. Tobi Olujinmi, the show’s creator and founder of W TALK, states: “We need to see more authentic Black families on our screens. Black families have always been the centre of the Black Church, and so we’re excited to introduce this family to the world.” Visit YouTube channel W TALK for further details.
Vitoria Mario is set to achieve her dream to study Mathematics at the University of Warwick, after she raised more than £40,000 on fundraising site GoFundMe helped greatly by a donation of £23,373 by pop star, Taylor Swift. Vitoria was overjoyed at Taylor’s donation. She said: “It was a blessing out of the blue, a blessing that I definitely needed.” This 18-year-old Christian gained one A and two A*s in her recent A Level results, and was offered a place at the University of Warwick to study Mathematics. However, Vitoria was unable to get a student loan to cover her study costs, because she hadn’t been in the UK for five years or more, and was therefore ineligible. Her mother sent her to England four years ago in 2016, to stay with relatives following the death of her father. When she arrived, she was unable to speak English, but in just two years, not only could Vitoria speak English, but she also completed her GCSEs and scored A* in her exam results. Now that she has reached her financial goal, she continues to pursue her dream to be a mathematician.
‘Tribe Redeem’ minister stars in Tesco advert It’s very rare to see a Black church leader featured in an advert promoting a leading supermarket, but this was the case with South Londoner, Antony Aris-Osula. This minister, who leads online ministry Tribe Redeem, can be seen, alongside his wife Jahlene and children - Tiani (14), Eva (12) and Adolor (10) - promoting Tesco’s, one of Britain’s foremost supermarket stores. The opportunity came after Antony returned to acting, after a long break. He was headhunted and signed by one of the leading agencies in the UK, which also represents Hollywood actor, Idris Elba. Antony got the gig after filming an audition tape at home, with his family in the background, and although Antony was the person being auditioned for the advert, Tesco’s liked his family set-up, and booked the whole family to do it with him. To say he’s happy with the advert is an understatement. Antony said: “It’s a great feeling to be in a commercial that I can be proud of. I’m getting waves from people in the street, and others are looking and smiling.” Antony’s family also enjoyed being in the advert. He shared: “They loved it, thought it was fun, and they loved the outcome of seeing themselves on telly.” Antony has been an actor for many years. Ten years ago, he was featured in a successful advert that was broadcast across Africa. As a minister who understands the power of social media and entertainment to influence the masses, Antony has launched YouTube channel, It’s The Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag
Aris-Osulas. He explained: “The aim of the channel is to entertain and talk about the things we love. We are a family of storytellers, with talents we want to show. We want to showcase the best of Black.” He added: “We also want to show light in the mainstream. Our plan is to be major producers, to make shows and films, and to partner with major organisations to create content. We don’t just want to be about complaining about representation and diversity; we want to be creating it.”
NEWS 07
Church receives £1m loan to refurbish building
B
ishop Paul Reid, leader of Grace Tabernacle - a church founded in 1970 by his late father, Bishop Joseph Reid is looking forward to his congregation holding worship services in their recently bought church. Situated in the heart of Croydon, Bishop Reid is overseeing the renovation of Charis House, Grace Tabernacle’s new church home. The building, bought for £1.85m last year, has a 300-seater hall, and rooms that can host community activities. Major building renovation has been financed by a loan from the Pentecostal Credit Union, and a £1.1m loan from Unity Trust Bank, which has enabled the church to pay off a bridging loan that carried a crippling rate of interest. Bishop Reid said: “Due to some reports, people believe we received a £1m grant. That is not the case. We have a loan for which we are grateful, as it greatly reduced our monthly payments, but we still need to pay it off.” The church had applied to and were turned down for a loan by several banks. The Unity Trust Bank approved their application. Bishop
Reid said: “Unity Bank stated, ‘We like the community aspect of your work.’” Prior to moving into their current building, the GT congregation worshipped at Harris Academy. However, they were unable to run the community services for which they were renowned, as they had done at their previous premises, Parchmore Road Community Centre in Thornton Heath.
Bishop Reid explained: “The church has always been community-facing. During the holidays, we put on summer camp; in February/ March, we put on revision classes for children facing exams, and also ran a Saturday school.” After buying Charis House, Grace Tabernacle had to overcome opposition from the locals, who weren’t happy about a Black Pentecostal church moving into the area. Bishop Reid had to attend a council meeting to fight for the church’s right to worship in the building. The council found in their favour. During lockdown, GT held online services, and they were able to run a socially distanced summer camp for 45 children and teenagers. The church aims to resume normal services soon, and have applied to be a contact centre, where parents, who don’t live with their children, can spend time with them. The journey to buying and moving into the church has not been easy. However, Bishop Reid says he has learnt a valuable spiritual lesson: “There’s no guarantee that, just because you are fulfilling God’s purpose, it doesn’t mean that it will be an easy process.”
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08 GOSPEL MUSIC
NEW RELEASES BY AKOSUA DF
New single ‘Joy’ by CalledOut Music If the last two years are anything to go by, it should be no surprise to hear the news of yet another summer tune from CalledOut Music. In August 2018, he released his award-winning single, ‘Love Around’, which has become a global anthem at his live performances. ‘Awesome Wonder’ was released in the summer of 2019 with amazing visuals and a vibe that was apt for the season. This year, his summer tune is a song titled ‘Joy’ - a breath of fresh air for the times we’re in. “Joy is an unexplainable excitement and peace that this world can’t give or take away, because it comes from the true source of all joy: our heavenly Father.”
AGMMA Award-winning artist Deborah-Darling declares ‘Victory’ with a fresh new sound Deborah-Darling’s powerful mezzo soprano voice soars over the strong guitar-laced ‘Victory’. With pounding bass lines and alternative pop/rock drumming, ‘Victory’ showcases a different musical style and sound to her previous singles. Emphatically declaring Christ’s finished work on the Cross, Deborah-Darling’s prayer is that faith will rise in every person who listens to ‘Victory’. Produced by her husband Fernando Coeriel for His Banner Group, ‘Victory’ is available on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon.
Make this space work CELEBRATING 15 YEARS for you. IN PRINT AND
Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag
‘Thirsty’ dropped into my spirit during a season of intense and deep longing for God, when I felt like He was going quiet on me. “Nothing I tried shook that feeling until, one morning in the shower, when the entire song dropped, and I had to jump out to record it onto my phone. I hope this song helps someone to focus their longing and thirst on the only One that can satisfy. He is a well that can never run dry. “Special appreciation for my amazing friend and sister, Jacy Mai, for pouring her heart into this song.” ‘Thirsty’ is available on all digital music platforms.
The track is available to download and stream on all digital platforms.
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Worship leader, Biola Olatunde, releases new single, ‘Thirsty’
ONLINE
10 GOSPEL MUSIC
British Gospel: The trut JULIET FLETCHER
is a former BBC Producer and funding Executive of the GMIA
It’s a time when a definitive source of truth emerges and stands visible, accessible and sustainable on the true story of British Gospel Music. And this truth must be attached to its true source: the Black Church movement. There are several reasons for this view, and one of the factors that has put the fire under me is this: Although there have been fascinating and interesting discussions on Zoom and Facebook Live in particular, some of them, sadly, have been an absolutely appalling revelation of how much we lack in true knowledge of the music - gospel music - which has come out of our churches. And this root is very specifically out of the Windrush era of Black churches. It isn’t just about the music, but the importance of its role in empowering our voice within British society; engaging diverse communities in various settings; leading the way in arts and culture, and – last, but certainly not least – identifying the key individuals, who have passed on (died) and who have been integral to our existence, growth and progress on a local and national level. Furthermore, even without realising it, some of these significant individuals have never spoken openly or on record to their peers about those experiences,
so there is nothing - Nothing! Nothing! NOTHING! to demonstrate some of the first-hand, eye-witness accounts of key moments during the early years; namely from about 1948 to 1968. We fare much better from 1969 to 1989, and from 1990 to 2000 and even better from 2001 to present day. It isn’t really hard, then, to believe the amount of misrepresentation and total ignorance that exists among our gospel music community in Britain. It’s heartbreaking, because it spills over into the wider understanding that people have about our music’s history: the ‘how, why and wherefore’. But I’m going to ‘fess up’ and admit that primarily it’s the ‘fault’ of those who have ‘lived’ the music from its early start. And that reprimand includes me. Unfortunately, we were not mature enough at the time to be aware of ourselves in this way. We were too engrossed in living it, surviving it and thriving in it.
Sam King MBE
WINDRUSH FOUNDATION OUR TEMPLATE EXAMPLE But now we have actually reached the point where, if we do not have dynamic progress on how we register our history, we will be history. Everybody and anybody will dispute ‘the truth’. Tokenism in social history will prevail. There will be very little visible evidence that we have contributed to change - for ourselves AND for the wider community. Our prime and practical counter-example is the superb and irrefutable work of the Windrush Foundation, started by the late Sam King MBE and Arthur Torrington CBE in 1995. Together they redefined the socio-cultural landscape of reference for the Caribbean community; it was ‘us’ collecting and collating our own records
Arthur Torrington CBE
- on film and written memorabilia. Sam King came to the UK on the ship Empire Windrush and, according to his memoirs, he recalls collecting the names and contact details of everyone he could. This became the bedrock of their research premise, when years later the concept of telling the story became a reality with the charitable, registered foundation. I remember actually being in attendance at some of the filmed interviews Arthur conducted with our WWII veterans. It was amazing, but unfortunately at the time I still didn’t see or understand its importance. The Windrush Foundation was the first organisation to annually commemorate from 1995 the arrival of the Empire Windrush on 22nd June 1948. It publishes educational resources at KS2 and KS3 levels, freely available at www.windrushfoundation.com. And it became the key driver of an official, government-recognised annual Windrush Day. Now the Windrush Foundation has become the first port of call for recognising the contribution of Caribbeans (or West Indians, as they were more commonly called back then), when referring to our participation in and contribution
GOSPEL MUSIC 11
th that must be told The Singing Stewarts
to the War effort and the subsequent rebuilding of Britain - the pivotal reason why Caribbeans came here during that era. For this very reason, I am proud to associate the work, which we (more than 400 volunteers) did in 2018, commemorating 70 years and entitled Windrush Church and Music - Singing Our Story from the Front Room to the Palace, with the support of the Windrush Foundation. Visit https://WindrushChurchandMusic.uk for more information. After a long hiatus, Windrush Church and Music (WiCaM - do you get the pun?) has been regenerated to tell and ensure the retelling of ‘Our Story’ to all generations and communities - ad infinitum. In this unprecedented time, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the #BlackLivesMatter action, it is clear that working together is the primary way to bring about a change of mindset and behaviour towards ourselves and of people towards us. Windrush Church and Music is focused on keeping the legacy of music and liturgy in the Black Christian community alive, but also to be an advocate and champion of the new sounds being formed in the Black Church movement now - to have all the Christian family near and far literally singing our songs. With an organisation of this kind, we can make sure that the story is told in the right context. Here are my top three practical reasons: 1. We need to recognise the contribution of individuals We need to identify our individual role models,
the champions of our cause or faith, our (s) heroes, those who we can look up to… so that we can recognise the high individual achievement of those who paved the way, and on whose shoulders we stand - not to look back in arrogance but in humility. Our church leaders, who blazed the way, rose up against the odds they faced, and spoke into our lives personally and corporately. Examples include: Bishop Kenneth McCarthy, International Evangelistic Fellowship (IEF); Rev Dr Io Smith, New Testament Assembly (NTA); Bishop Sydney Dunn, Bethel United Church Of Jesus Christ (BETHEL) and Evangelist Eileen Hendricks, Church Of God Seventh Day (COG7D). Just naming these four leaders reflects a huge number of young people who, through their efforts, became pioneers of the British Gospel sound. 2. We need to recognise families During this time, when the news seems to focus
on the demise and weakness of the Black family, this aspect of WiCaM evidences its strength. Part of my desire is to bring acknowledgment of the very significant way in which families are - and to this day remain - central to British Gospel. The family is the central heart of every church! This will remain so until JESUS YESHUA comes. Families of note include: the Stewarts, who made up The Singing Stewarts (Adventist Church), of which renown gospel radio broadcaster Frank Stewart was a member; the Thomas family - key leaders and contributors in the Merrybells Gospel Choir (COG7D), of which Tyndale Thomas MBE was the first person to receive royal recognition for services to gospel music and the Preston city area, and the Hudson family (COGIC), which comprised the superlative vocalist/musician/songwriter Lavine Hudson and her four brothers, who sang close harmony together. This is just such an exciting area of work to me. I call these ‘The Royal Families of Gospel Music’. There are so many of them - brothers, sisters, cousins - and we don’t realise how reliant our music is upon these families, and how much its creative strength is derived from them. In reality, we have a strong foundation, just like the Winans, Williams and Clarkes in the US. 3. We need to highlight the evidence of our spiritual and moral impact on the nation There is no doubt that the music of our churches has and continues to have impact on the music found within indigenous churches of this land. The intrinsic power of an outward expression of ‘freedom in worshipful song’ was powerful to witness, but sadly we don’t share those stories. Greenbelt, Spring Harvest and many other major events… even to this day, when we speak of ‘Big Church Day Out’, it isn’t necessarily viewed correctly! There are many other key reasons - I’m sure you could tell me some of them – for us to think about celebrating the difference among ourselves, and for linking our Caribbean churches’ heritage with our African churches’ heritage. We need to celebrate difference even among ourselves. We need to highlight and map out places, landmarks and other commemorative markers accessible in public places; and have regular, annual and seasonal events that are financed and curated solely by us. We also need to demonstrate how central our faith in God is to our corporate and individual practice of spiritual, moral and mental well-being, and how it ever will be in our Black Church community. www.keepthefaith.co.uk
12 GOSPEL MUSIC
UK gospel music fans were in for a surprise when BET Sunday Best returned for its tenth season, with industry favourite Niiella as one of the show’s frontrunners. Niiella won over viewers and judges with her version of His Eye is on the Sparrow, and became the only international act to make it into the Top 10. Akosua Dwomo-Fokuo caught up with Niiella to talk about her musical journey and experience on BET Sunday Best. Akosua Dwomo-Fokuo (ADF): For those who don’t know you, tell us a little bit about yourself. Who is Niiella? Niiella: I am Niiella Dankwah-Coffie, a British-Ghanaian singer/songwriter, worshipper and overall lover of Jesus. This is how I like to describe myself in a nutshell.
ADF: How did you get started in the music industry? Niiella: I’m from a very musical family. My parents are pastors, and I’ve been in church my whole life, so this is where the musical influence comes from. I started my music journey officially in Ghana. I got ‘shipped’ to Ghana by my mum for spiralling out of control. I was acting up, because I was searching for purpose. Whilst in Ghana, I auditioned for a reality TV competition called ‘Stars of the Future’. The competition enabled me to identify my purpose, and I decided to embark on a music career. My first single dropped in 2012 in Ghana and, as the saying goes, the rest is history. ADF: That must have been an ‘interesting’ season in your life, to say the least! After your stint on the mainstream show, ‘Stars of the Future’, you decided to focus on gospel Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag
Niiella
music. I daresay that several mainstream opportunities have come your way. What has kept you from snatching up any of them? Niiella: My faith in God has kept me from going mainstream and, dare I say, my stubbornness has also played a major role. I don’t like people telling me I can’t do something, and so the more people tried to discourage me from doing gospel, the more I wanted to do it. Even though I grew up in church, I had to make the decision for myself as to whether I even believed in God. I had battled with low self-esteem, shyness, depression and even suicidal thoughts at one point. I remember praying one night in Ghana, and asking God to help me because I couldn’t help myself. I felt like I was at my wits’ end. A year later, I was standing in a church and had a flashback of myself going through high school, college, break-ups, family issues, etc. Then suddenly, I was back in the church and I was happy, and I had changed. I don’t know how it happened or the specific time when it happened, but I knew God had touched me, and I had become a new person. As a ‘Thank You’ to God, I vowed not to do any other genre but Christian/gospel. ADF: It sounds like you had a real encounter with God. It’s so reassuring to know that we are never too far gone for Him to reach out for us. I pray that your testimony stirs hope in the heart of someone reading this. OK, so fast-forward from ‘Stars of the Future’ Ghana to BET Sunday Best in Atlanta, Georgia. You were the only international Top 10 finalist in Season 10 this year. Tell us a bit about your experience. Niiella: The Sunday Best experience was an interesting one. I almost didn’t go through with it at one point, because it seemed like the odds were against me. The timeline wasn’t favourable; however, I just felt like God was showing me signs that indicated I needed to be there, so I went ahead and did my best to meet the deadline. I was the last contestant to arrive in Atlanta and, at that point, everything was already in motion. We dived straight in. I got to meet Kirk (Franklin) and audition for the judges, which was an experience I will never forget. Live shows were the part I enjoyed the most. Having the crowd interaction was great for boosting morale, and being able to work with
the band and switch up songs and put a twist on them that nobody expected was exciting. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we had to return home, and the live shows continued virtually. I think the virtual shows were quite challenging; however, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. ADF: You won the respect of several gospel artists, and I reckon a collaboration could happen one sweet day… Am I allowed to prophesy? [laughs] Niiella: Sure, why not? We are encouraged to ‘call the things that are not, as though they are’! [laughs] ADF: So if you could record with any artist, who would that be? Niiella: I would love to collaborate with quite a few people, but if I had to pick one right now it would have to be Kierra Sheard.
GOSPEL MUSIC 13
Music Matters
A C O LU M N BY B E N H A R R E L L - G LO B A L M U S I C L I N K E D I T O R I A L T E A M
Get to Know the Official Charts
D
ADF: Never say never! Let’s have a few fun questions, shall we? Who are the top five artists in your playlist? Niiella: I’m super eclectic with my music taste, but currently I’m listening to Jonathan Traylor, Kobby Mantey from Ghana, Mali Music and myself.... yeah, that’s just four. But that’s it. You never know with me, I could be completely engulfed by CCM next month! ADF: And what’s your current favourite song? Niiella: Mo’Lo by Mali Music. ADF: Hmm, interesting choice. I guess the question on everyone’s lips is: what is next for Niiella? Niiella: This question is always difficult for me to answer, because to some extent, I don’t know. I have a frame of what I’d like to happen next, which includes releasing new music, some videos, some more worship sessions, etc. However, I genuinely don’t like to think of my plans as concrete, because I like to leave room for God to shift things around. After all, He’s the Captain of this ship.
Follow Niiella Official (@NiiellaOfficial) on Twitter and YouTube.
o you make good music? Then take the time to register your music with the Official Charts. Charting on this platform as an artist can broaden your reach, so give yourself the opportunity to get noticed in the industry. Think about it, you are not making music exclusively for music lovers in the UK; you are looking to make your mark on the world. Official Charts (OCC), founded in England, compiles data from digital and physical sales, and provides a number of genre-specific charts on a weekly basis. Once you have a Tornado account (which we will talk about in the next section), you can configure all the metadata for your music. You will want to make sure that you register your releases at least two weeks before your music goes live. So let’s get into registering your music. For physical formats, you will need a catalogue number and Universal Product Code (UPC) for your music. For digital formats, you will also need an International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) in addition to the UPC. Both physical and digital formats can be registered through an online application called Tornado, and to request an account, you can email chartsproduct@kantar.com. Kantar will need the following information: • Catalogue number • Barcode • Artist • Title • Record • Company Hierarchy • Published Dealer Price • Release Date • Details of each track
Physical formats of the product will need to be sent to Kantar at the following address: Kantar, c/o The Chart Unit, Millward Brown UK, Olympus Avenue, Tachbrook Park, Warwick, CV34 6RJ Lightning Live is the official mechanism to report physical sales to OCC. You will be given a Lightning Live Pre-Event Registration Form, and events will need to be registered two weeks in advance. The form should be emailed to the following addresses: • Official Charts (operations@officialcharts.com) • Millward Brown (lightning@kantar.com) There is a fee for events, which is described below. • £50+VAT ($65.215 dollars) per event for the first two events • £30+VAT ($39.129 dollars) per event thereafter for events on the same tour One thing to note is that the charting period for Official Charts is Friday through Thursday. You will need to report your sales via post-event email notification (a ‘settlement sheet’), which should be sent to the following addresses: • lightning@kantar.com • operations@officialcharts.com The email should include final sign-off from the label, venue and/or management reps. In addition, the email must contain the following details, by noon of the next day: • Act Name • Postcode • Event Date • Product • Venue Name • Quantity Sold • Location You will also need to report sales via the Lightning Live Portal. Get to know the Official Charts and start registering. The registration of your music and the daily reporting of physical sales can be tedious tasks, but it is important to understand the benefits of laying down the infrastructure, and working on getting your music heard by listeners in the UK. Being able to have your music charted in the UK can open doors to the future. Ben is the founder of Ambitions of a Writer, and the creator of Billboard and Bookings 101. Find out more at BenjHarrell.com. www.keepthefaith.co.uk
14 GOSPEL MUSIC
SARAH TÉIBO:
From the United K ingdom to the United State s
By Ben Harrell with Milton B. Allen – Global Music Link Editorial Team
U
K gospel sensation, Sarah Téibo, is a chart-topping singer/songwriter and worship leader who has no boundaries. Sarah is taking her music across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States to deliver a message of God’s love. Sarah Téibo has entered into a distribution deal with IndieBlu Music, a division of eOne Nashville, with her latest single ‘Spirit, Come’ - available now. With an extensive impact in Europe, Africa and Australia, Sarah aims to share her passion for God on a global scale. eOne Nashville has made a commitment to building relationships with and supporting ministry-focused artists. Sarah joins a family of gospel favorites, such as Jonathan McReynolds, Todd Dulaney, JJ Hairston, Deitrick Haddon and John P. Kee. This union will support Sarah’s international gospel footprint and introduce new listeners to her gift of praise. Sarah speaks with Keep The Faith on being signed to an American label: “When it comes to gospel music and being signed by an American label for distribution of my music, I think I’m in good company, because the likes of Naomi Parchment and the Kingdom Choir (to mention a few) have set the pace already. There might not be that many of us pushing through phenomenally on a global scale at the moment, but I believe the world is starting to hear more from UK gospel music artists, and the rich, diverse, timely, yet timeless sound and Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag
message that we bring.” Sarah is no stranger to delivering messages of strength, which is evidenced by her 2015 debut single, ‘Steal My Joy’. Her debut album, Walk with Me, put gospel listeners on notice, as she won multiple awards, including the Premier Gospel Awards ‘Album of the Year’. Sarah’s 2018 sophomore album, Keep Walking, helped her become the first female independent gospel artist to top the Official Charts. “I don’t do what I do to get awards, because that’s not the prize a gospel artist should be chasing. It’s about the souls that get touched by your music. When we leave this world, God is not going to judge us in Heaven by how many plaques we had on our mantelpieces. He’s going to look at how many souls we’ve blessed with the gift He gave us,” she says. Sarah is using her gifts to put together her next album, which is set for release in 2021. “My new project will be slightly different from my previous albums, in that most of my listeners and fans may be used to me expressing myself musically via the soulful gospel/r’n’b genre. This is only one side of me, and in my forthcoming releases, listeners will see other sides of me that may only have been witnessed by those who have seen me lead worship live.” British-born Sarah serves as a worship leader at Kings Church, London. From her roots, she led worship as a teen: “I started singing in choirs when I was 10, kind of developed from
there, just backing up artists and things like that, and just knowing that one day I was going to do my own thing, and here I am today.” Today is here, and Sarah pours decades of experience into her next album. “I’m a worship leader primarily, and my passion is to help people make deeper connections with God through moments of worship and with uplifting music that speak truths about who God is and who we are in Him. This would be expressed on my next project through the writing, production and delivery of the songs, and I’m trusting that the entire project will serve as a resource in both personal and corporate worship experiences.” The joy and the zeal that are emitted in her presence can be experienced through her music. The groundbreaking song, ‘Like A Child (Remix)’ featuring Fred Hammond, invites you to put your dancing shoes on, as you move to a rhythm that reminds you to trust God. It is this
GOSPEL MUSIC 15
emotion, wrapped in the melodies of Sarah’s music, that makes her sound unique. Her latest single will move you to tears as she urges you to seek His company. ‘Spirit, Come’, the first single from the new album, challenges us to remember who our Saviour is. This year has greeted us with pandemics, destruction and death, but Sarah quietens our fears by calling out to the Father. “People are lacking hope, people are fearful and uncertain about the future. We all face crazy trials that are overwhelming at times. We need more positive, encouraging messages.” Sarah is calling for God’s presence to face the pain. Her soothing voice puts you in a state of worship, and ushers you into a place of joy as you move into His presence. There is a powerful message in this song, as Sarah reminds us to get closer to God by having a renewed fire for Him. Sarah hopes to help listeners connect to the one Person who can make a change. “The first release from the album, ‘Spirit, Come’ is a heartfelt prayer for God’s Spirit to move in these unsettling times, touching hearts, restoring families, and bringing healing to the nations,” says Sarah. “My hope for ‘Spirit, Come’ is that for as many as listen to the song, it would serve as a useful resource in their personal and
corporate worship experiences, as well as help them make deeper connections with God.” Sarah Téibo is forming new alliances and making new music engrained with the same foundation of faith and family. She learned about faith at an early age, as her family was evicted, with nowhere to go. This was a challenging time that actually strengthened her relationship with God. “He definitely came through for us. God would always be there for us and would always come through for us.” Sarah also walked in faith when she decided to pursue music professionally. She started her
music career after she was married with kids. “It was really challenging for me, because I was coming into an industry which had lots of young blood. I thought, ‘Who would even listen to me?’ There were a lot of young people out there doing some great stuff, but I didn’t allow it to stop me.” While Sarah had doubts whether people would like her music, she pressed through. She understood that some people would love her music while some would not. Sarah was motivated by the fact that she knew she had something to offer. Now with her partnership with eOne Nashville, Sarah will have the opportunity to broadcast her music with a solid foundation that will resonate with many new listeners. Sarah’s music looks to bring a forecast of reassurance and strength amidst the many obstacles we will face in 2021 and beyond. With new music like ‘Spirit, Come’, we understand and are reminded that we are not alone. “Ultimately my prayer is that people are inspired when they listen to my music,” she says. Sarah Téibo is here to stay, and ready to share God’s love through her music. Ben is the founder of Ambitions of a Writer, and the creator of Billboard and Bookings 101. Find out more at BenjHarrell.com.
Take the Good News to your community this Christmas and as newsprint is sterile, it’s safe to give away in these Covid-19 times. Full of engaging testimonies of ‘ordinary’ Christians and celebrities, this full colour monthly is specially designed for giving to not-yet-Christians. It’s an easy way for church members to get into gospel conversations.
Good News is an evangelistic newspaper used by churches and missions across the UK to share the good news! The December issue will have a seasonal flavour for Christmas outreach,
You can give it away in many ways, for example: • Door-to-door in your neighbourhood or with open air carol singing • Gifts for guests at church services and events • Through groups that use your church building, e.g. parents and toddlers,
luncheon clubs, Messy Church, etc. • Giving to family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues • Giving to visitors to your church café, shop, foodbank, market stall, etc. Good News comes in packs of 25, and at a cost of only 15p each plus p&p, it’s great value. For a free sample pack, email: mandy-goodnews@ntlworld.com or tel 0115 9233424. For more details see www.goodnews-paper.org.uk Good News is a member of the Evangelical Alliance and reg charity no 1167287
www.keepthefaith.co.uk
16 GOSPEL MUSIC
Troubled waters, lasting joy Will deeper worship be one legacy from lockdown? Steve Goddard hopes so
A
s the grey-haired lady stepped up to the microphone at Earls Court, I wasn’t expecting much. Being 12 at the time - and from the quiet Home Counties - I had no idea who she was. Even her dramatic biography (she was the product of the rape of her teenage African-American mother) failed to create much more than passing curiosity. But then, with a smile as wide as the banner that read ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life’ behind her, the 68-year-old launched into ‘His Eye Is On the Sparrow’. Never mind our little feathered friend of a million suburban gardens. With a smokey voice that sent shivers down my spine, Ethel Waters swooped up and down the blues scale with the grace of a golden eagle. The year was 1966, and for four brief minutes I was swept away from a world of Sunday morning pews and endless Gregorian chants. I had been baptised with total immersion into what was then known as ‘Black gospel’ – at a Billy Graham crusade in London. Yes, I had enjoyed the 2000-strong choir, led by Cliff Barrows, and, star-struck, had even been privileged to meet Cliff Richard backstage. But Ethel had invaded my soul. Three years later, the Edwin Hawkins Singers de-constructed and re-built ‘O Happy Day’, taking what is now called southern gospel to No.2 in the UK mainstream charts – an unprecedented achievement. Billy Preston, fresh from his escapades on a London rooftop with the Beatles, scored another gospel-based hit with ‘That’s the Way God Planned It’.
ETHEL WATERS
everything was going to be all right. No wonder, in our difficult days, these historic sessions are currently winning thousands of views. We can thank Mr Fixit, gospel music’s Bill Gaither, for having the foresight to put this bunch of ageing but glorious pioneers into a studio and letting them just… sing. It all took place some 30 years ago, but feels as fresh and vibrant as if it were recorded yesterday. As owner of CRE, I am always looking to encourage and promote upcoming artists of all ages, representing a wide variety of musical genres. But, as I read the biographies of the artists I had stumbled upon here - most of whom are now in glory - the joy they share surely comes out of the trials they faced as pioneers on the road, in those dark days of the Green Book and segregation. That’s what communicates beyond the melodies, harmonies and infectious musicianship: joy beyond pain.
favourite kind of music,” he told the BBC. “That’s where my heart is, in soulful, joyful gospel.” And record producer, Brian Eno, though an atheist, said recently: “The basic message of gospel is ‘everything’s gonna be alright’ and that’s a fantastic message. All these songs, even the ones that are quite gloomy, they’re really saying ‘it’s gonna be alright, you’ll BILLY PRESTON get through’. That’s the message I want to hear.” Five decades after that first encounter, and like millions of others in lockdown, I needed to hear something that took me out of the gloom of being forced to postpone the Christian Resources Exhibition (CRE) in October 2020 – because of the pandemic. One night in May, a clip featuring Billy Preston at the Hammond B3 organ, on a song called ’You Can’t Beat God Giving’, popped GERS SIN S IN WK HA N up seemingly from nowhere on my WI ED YouTube feed. I realised it must have been Ethel Waters could sing like an angel. Billy recorded some time ago because Billy, could play as if his very life depended on it. But who could make the B3 testify, wail and their personal lives were troubled. Perhaps a growl – and who had become one of my lasting legacy of lockdown will be a deepened all-time musical heroes – died in 2006. sense of worship - beyond the trials and Gathered round an organ and piano, and tribulations, we have hope. singing along in an intimate atmosphere, Everything’s going to be all right. were dozens of people I didn’t recognise. And boy, could they sing. The sense of family, of traditional storefront church, was palpable: the kind most of After a 30-year career us can only dream about. in journalism and public YouTube recommended more songs from the relations, Steve Goddard same session, featuring a stack of gifted Gradually I became aware that, behind Waters, bought the Christian artists I had never heard of: the Barrett Sisters, Hawkins and Preston lay a legacy I knew little Resources Exhibition in Pastor Ralph H. Goodpasture, Joe Ligon, Kitty about, but one that had inspired so many of 2016. The next two exhibitions will be at Parham, Doris Akers, Richard White, Isaac the chart songs I loved. Indeed, when searching CRE South-West 2021 at Westpoint, Exeter Whittman, Richard Smallwood, Dorothy Norwood, for ideas, Elton John, one of the most successful (17-18 March) and CRE National 2021 at Mildred Howard and Robert Anderson. Here songwriters of the past 50 years, still admits Sandown Park, Surrey (12-14 Oct). For were songs that did exactly what Brian Eno said: to being strongly influenced by the genre. more info, visit www.creonline.co.uk. reached deep into your soul and told you “Gospel, soul and country – that’s my Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag
17
No child’s life chances should be limited by their social or family circumstances. Frontline is a charity with a mission to create social change for children who do not have a safe or stable home, by developing excellent social work practice and leadership. “Social work is about working out a way to make life better for a child in a difficult situation, using whatever resources you have available. That could mean working with the family, the child’s school, youth workers and the police. This also means understanding the child’s current situation and really getting to know a child and what is happening in their day to day life.” – Frontline fellow, Miles Social workers support some of the most disadvantaged children and families across the country. On our two-year graduate programme, you will make a real, positive difference to the lives of the children and families you work with, and play a crucial role in your local community. You will also gain skills in leadership, conflict resolution and relationship building to help you thrive in this dynamic and challenging role. “The coronavirus pandemic has massively reduced the amount of time social workers can spend face-to-face with families. But behind closed doors, there are still many children in need of support from their social worker. It is absolutely vital, therefore, that we continue to build strong trusting relationships with the children and families we are supporting at this difficult time.” – Dan Bridge, Frontline participant Throughout the pandemic, social workers have had to adapt and find new, creative
approaches to supporting families in lockdown. The full impact of coronavirus on child protection will only become clear once the immediate health threat has receded and children return to school. One thing we know, however, is that excellent social work will be needed more than ever. As a charity, we are committed to increasing diversity and inclusion across the Frontline programme. Almost a third of the children who social workers support identify as Black, Asian or minority ethnic, and we believe social workers should reflect this diversity and the diversity of all the communities they serve. Join us, and together we can deliver social change for children who do not have a safe or stable home.
Find out more: www.thefrontline.org.uk www.keepthefaith.co.uk
18 INTERVIEW
Pastor Amy Williams, 94, is the leader and visionary behind Chosen for Christ Ministries. This Jamaicanborn minister and mother of nine came to Britain in 1956 to join her husband. She launched Chosen for Christ Ministries (formerly known as Hanwell Pentecostal Church) in 1970. It is now one of the most well-known Pentecostal churches in the area.
Interview with
PASTOR AMY WILLIAMS By
Marcia Dixon
Keep The Faith spoke to Pastor Amy about her life and work for the Lord and about Chosen for Christ Ministries’ forthcoming 50th anniversary. KEEP THE FAITH (KTF): How do you feel about Chosen for Christ Ministries (CfCM) reaching its 50th anniversary? PASTOR AMY WILLIAMS (PAW): I feel wonderfully blessed, honoured and thankful that the Lord has chosen me, and blessed me to start this Ministry 50 years ago. Sometimes it feels like yesterday! (laughs) Despite fast approaching my 95th birthday, I feel excited and enthused about what the Lord has in store for the second phase of CfCM’s journey. KTF: You have been in ministry a long time. What have been the three most important achievements in your ministry? PAW: There have been so many achievements, it is difficult for me to name only three, but they would be: a) souls being won for the Kingdom, both nationally and internationally; b) our charity work within the community and abroad, and c) that I was able to bring my nine children to know the Lord, seven of whom are now ministers. Pastor Amy Williams at her 90th birthday
KTF: What inspired you to start CfCM? PAW: I love the Lord with my whole heart and wanted to do His will. The Lord called me when I was a young child, and throughout my youth all I wanted to do was to be a missionary. I followed my husband from Jamaica to the United Kingdom in 1956. We rented one bedroom and started having prayer meetings together. Someone heard about me having prayer meetings, and invited me to a local Baptist church. I was introduced to the minister there, and was offered a room where I could have prayer meetings. That’s where my journey started. KTF: What impact do you feel CfCM has had on people’s lives? PAW: The greatest impact CfCM has had has been expanding the Word of God into people’s lives, and into their homes via our missionary/outreach work and social media. There were many who testified that they were ostracised by their families; however, when they surrendered their lives unto Christ, they were able to feel a part of CfCM; we’re a church family. A lot of them were coming to
Pastor Amy as a young wom an
the UK and had no stability, but CfCM was able to lead them to Christ and, in doing so, allowed them to have a purpose in society and feel loved and cared for. CfCM has impacted people’s lives and continues to do so. KTF: What have you learnt about God and faith during your times of leading a church? PAW: That He’s a loving Father who cares for His children, and if you seek Him you’ll find
INTERVIEW 19
Lending Hope For a brighter future
“Nat was lagging far behind the rest of his class due to a rare vision problem. With Lending Hope’s assistance we were able to access appropriate medical care and Nat is a different child now. He doesn’t have headaches anymore, his vision is clearer, and his teachers are amazed at his sudden progress. I am so very grateful.” - T. Berg, Father of Nat
Today’s education shapes tomorrow’s future.
“Due to the distance I used to drive Jonathan to school each day, but all of that changed upon the birth of our disabled daughter. I was no longer able to leave the house right in the morning and he often missed school or arrived considerably late. Lending Hope’s transportation program has been a true lifesaver and it has considerably reduced the stress in our home.” - C. Newman
“When our developmentally delayed daughter, Lea, came home from school each day our home became a disaster zone. Lea was unable to communicate effectively nor was she able to self regulate. She recently began to attend a social skills program with your help and she’s become so much more amenable and open to change. The shift in her behaviour is remarkable.”
Every child needs a hero! Will you be the one? Lending Hope was established by a group of parents who had worked extensively in the school system. Their experience showed that many children faced unmet needs and had challenges that weren’t being addressed. Each day at school, they witnessed children fall through the proverbial cracks, and saw how those with disabilities were failing due to the lack of appropriate transportation and resources. Banding together they set about to change that! As parents and educators themselves, they knew just what to do, and through a variety of mediums they now ensure that every child gets the help they need and no child is left behind. Be the hero in these children’s lives and donate towards their support! Every donation directly supports our educational activities that include: • 1:1 learning tutors • Therapy sessions • Accessible school transportation • Extra-curricular programs • Structured activities for non-school days • Educational home kits • Extensive supply of reading material
- Lea’s parents
Support us today via
www.lendinghopeltd.co.uk and remove the obstacles that stand in the way of a child’s successful education.
Find out more at www.lendinghopeltd.co.uk
Him (Matthew 6:33 KJV). I have also learnt that with faith if you believe, you shall see it come to pass (Hebrews 11:1 KJV). KTF: When you were a little girl growing up in Jamaica, did you ever imagine that you’d be a church leader? PAW: No, I had no thoughts whatsoever of being a church leader. As mentioned above, I always loved the Lord and always prayed that I would wash the saints’ feet; be a missionary and a healer, healing the sick. When I was aged 12, I dreamt about a rock coming out of the earth, groaning, that eventually towered over me. I didn’t understand it, but later I learned that Jesus is a Rock, and that Rock was and still is my covering to this day. Pastor Amy with Church leaders
KTF: When you immigrated to Britain, how did you find life in this country? PAW: My husband arrived before me and sent for me. When I arrived, I met so many people from different nationalities who eventually became my friends. I faced discrimination of all sorts, but overcame these through my worship, my singing and my strong belief in God.
KTF: You’ve reached the ripe age of 94, and are fast approaching your 95th birthday in September. What tips do you have for those who want to live a long and fruitful life? PAW: Do what is right and truthful before God. Stay in the Word. Healthwise, eat plenty of oats porridge (smiles).
KTF: How did you manage to look after your family and lead your church at the same time? PAW: God helped me... That’s all I can say.
KTF: What words of wisdom would you like to share for church leaders coming up behind you? PAW: I would tell them to stay in the Word,
you can’t go wrong. Read it, believe it, live it and preach it. KTF: What’s your hope for the future of CfCM? PAW: That CfCM will continue to grow from strength to strength, reaching out to the lost and needy.
Visit www.cfcm-h.com for more information. www.keepthefaith.co.uk
20 INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW WITH
LEROY LOGAN D BY RHODA HARDIE
RHODA HARDIE
is an experienced publicist and freelance PR specialist with over 20 years’ experience, largely in book publishing
escribed by The Voice newspaper in 2018 as ‘one of the Black officers who helped change the Met’, Dr Leroy Logan MBE is a founder member of the Black Police Association Charitable Trust. Born in 1957 in Islington to Jamaican parents, Leroy is a proud Londoner; a strong advocate for good relationships between the police and Britain’s minority ethnic communities; a passionate mentor for young people, and a highly respected advisor on knife crime. His autobiography, ‘Closing Ranks’ (published in September 2020), is the gripping account of his lifetime campaign to break down prejudice and stereotypes, providing powerful insights into race relations in Britain today. Rhoda Hardie (RH): What inspired you to write ‘Closing Ranks’? Leroy Logan (LL): I felt it was a story that needed to be told. The issues of inequality, which I experienced when I was growing up, are sadly still evident today. I hope that people who are facing similar issues today will be helped and encouraged by reading about the way I navigated myself through an often hostile environment. RH: Although you were born in London, you spent three years in Jamaica as a child. What effect did that time have on you? LL: My time in Jamaica really opened up my mind to greater possibilities. I saw Black police officers, Black doctors, Black prime ministers… and that gave me a determination not to be restricted in what I could achieve. The transition back to London was very difficult. One of my cousins was repeatedly arrested on no grounds, and eventually returned to Jamaica to avoid getting a criminal record or a custodial sentence. My parents were wonderful at helping me to navigate this difficult time, from advising the best routes to walk to school to avoid trouble, through to encouraging me to aim high in all
Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag
that I did. But the realisation that Black people have such inequalities simply because of the colour of our skin is something which I knew would make or break me. RH: Your call to policing was unexpected, to say the least. Can you tell us about it? LL: I had got to know a couple of White off-duty policemen at my local gym, who had shown me the human side of policing and that not all policemen were racist. I was in my comfort zone at work; however, my boss told me one day that he couldn’t see me having a long-term future in science and medicine, but that he could see me being a great cop. When I talked about it with my wife Gretl, she encouraged me to investigate further. The sense that I should train for the police force kept nagging at me and wouldn’t go away. RH: You write in the book about your father being badly beaten up shortly after your application to join the Met. What made you decide to become a policeman after all? LL: I’ve never sensed as much hate as I did when I saw my Dad leaning backwards in an A&E waiting room chair, with swollen black and blue eyes. Initially I walked past him, as his face was so contorted that I didn’t recognise him. I told Gretl there was no way I could join the police now, but she and others encouraged me not to judge the whole police force by a few bad officers. My best friend’s mum, who was a community activist, told me: “We need an organisation that looks like London; we need Black officers.” My boss offered to keep my job open for six months, in case I needed it to fall back on, and my strong internal desire for policing continued. Telling my dad that I had applied for police training was very hard. He was upset but, to his credit, he drove me to the Hendon Police College the night before the start of my foundation training, and I respected him deeply for that.
INTERVIEW 21 Leroy with his wife on their wedding day
RH: In 1993, when your wife left you for a time, she said you were “too into your ambitions” and you needed “to understand the importance of your faith and your family”. How did this influence your priorities from that point onwards? LL: Gretl’s words and actions forced me to sit up and wise up. I had been taking her for granted, but she stood her ground and made me listen to what I needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear! I had to rethink my priorities. I had been to church in the past, but I didn’t have a personal relationship with God. Gretl and I started attending church again together, and we were both baptised within a month. Shortly afterwards, I was injured in an arrest, and had to take time off work while I recovered. Initially, I was frustrated but I gradually sensed that God needed me to take this time to stop and reflect. This led to the realisation that God had wanted me to become part of the police force, so that I could change the organisation through launching the Black Police Association (BPA). It was a lightbulb moment. RH: Can you tell us about the BPA and how it came to be formed? LL: As Black police officers, we wanted to improve the working environment of all Black police personnel, as well as improve the recruitment and retention rate for Black police officers. We also wanted to build bridges with the Black community, which tended to view the police with distrust and suspicion. We had to stand up and be that critical friend, in order to modernise the police service and ultimately to offer better service. The police and the public need to be in partnership. If the police look like the community they serve, there is more empathy, sympathy and understanding, which leads to better dialogue and breaking down of barriers. RH: This November marks the 20th anniversary of the murder of Damilola Taylor, a crime which shocked people all around the UK. Can you tell us about your involvement in that case? LL: It was the ultimate clash of my personal and professional lives in many ways, although I didn’t realise the family connection (Damilola’s father,
Leroy with Jesse Jackson
saddens me. The last 10 years have been a retrograde step, with the culture hijacked by more aggressive policing. It feels as though all progress has been eroded in terms of race and equality, and it is a very hostile environment.
Richard, is the cousin of Leroy’s wife, Gretl) until I attended a memorial service for Damilola on behalf of the BPA. I was convinced that having Black officers working on the case was key to breaking down the wall of silence from frightened Black residents in the area, and this led to breakthroughs in the investigation very quickly. Since then, I have been involved in various events and initiatives linked to the Damilola Taylor Trust, including the Spirit of London Awards, One Big Community, and more recently the cross-party Youth Violence Commission. RH: Why is your work with and mentoring of young people, which you continue to do in retirement, so important to you? LL: I think a lot of it stems from the fact that I wish I’d had something like that when I was a youngster. I want young people to know they have the ability to change their environment rather than to become a product of it, and to take the right path to achieve their potential. RH: The 1999 report into the Stephen Lawrence murder concluded that ‘institutional racism permeates the Met police service’. Would you say that is still the case today? LL: Yes, it is the case! I had high expectations after the Macpherson Report - an in-depth scrutiny of policing, following the Stephen Lawrence inquiry. Recruitment and retention increased between 1999 and 2009. But then there was a new government in 2010, followed by austerity and the Brexit factor correlating with an increase in hate crime – and with some police officers taking liberties with the law. It
Leroy with the Queen
RH: At the end of ‘Closing Ranks’, you write that your focus on young people is ‘a lifetime vocation until we get this knife crime issue sorted’. Do you feel progress is being made on that front? LL: Education is the key to increasing opportunities, and not allowing young people to be manipulated into the idea that street justice is right. If you don’t have guidance and support at a crucial stage, this can lead to a never-ending cycle of violence. We have to have a Public Health approach, working with communities, building trust and confidence together. Early intervention and prevention programmes are key; we need to offer support, not just punishment. RH: What advice would you give if one of your children or grandchildren told you they wanted to join the police? LL: I would encourage them if they had a real sense of calling, but I would want them to go into it with their eyes open. They would need to realise that it is tough but that, if you are good at what you do and remain authentic to yourself, you can be a strong advocate for the organisation. RH: In 50 years’ time, how would you like to be remembered? LL: As someone who was willing to step out of their comfort zone to make lives better, safer and more secure. Being true to myself and to my calling - even in difficult times - has been key, and my faith has centred and sustained me. I do have a strong character, but I am not remarkable – I just did the best I could. ‘Closing Ranks’ by Leroy Logan is available now in hardback.
Leroy with Princess Diana www.keepthefaith.co.uk
22 FEATURE
RACE ON THE AGENDA RICHARD REDDIE
is an author and Director of Justice and Inclusion - Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
B
etween 2005 and 2008, I was the project director of Set All Free - a Churches Together in England programme that helped churches mark the bicentenary of Britain’s abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. My role was to encourage Christians to reflect on Britain’s involvement in slavery and freedom, and address the legacies of African enslavement, which include racism. Prior to this role, I spent a further three years working for the social policy think-tank, Race on the Agenda, whose work was to address race inequalities in Britain. In both roles, I had to engage with churches, especially the Set All Free one, and I often faced real opposition from church leaders - Black and White - who found the issue of African enslavement and racism too uncomfortable to deal with. As such, many chose not to engage. What I find interesting with the current Black Lives Matter (BLM) phenomenon is the way many of these same church leaders are now speaking about slavery and racism with a confidence and assurance that was not apparent prior to George Floyd’s killing in the USA, which was only a few months ago. We are all cognisant that racism did not start with the latter’s tragic murder, nor will it sadly end with it, so any focus on racism is to be welcomed. What makes the issue more ironic is that this year also marks the 25th anniversary of Racial Justice Sunday (RJS) in Britain and Ireland. RJS was established in response to the tragic killing of the Black British teenager, Stephen Lawrence, whose family were church attenders. While there was much outrage and soul-searching at the time, it did not see the requisite response from Black-Majority Churches (BMCs), who for a variety of reasons, have also singularly failed to engage with RJS. This is despite many of their congregants having long experienced Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag
Photo by Sushil Nash on Unsplash
the racism they are only now talking about. I have always found it curious that BMCs, which aim to equip their congregations with the holistic wherewithal to engage with life outside of church, have done little to prepare Black Christians to engage with the endemic racism in society. A classic example is ‘stop and search’, which disproportionately impacts Black folks, especially young ones. Whatever our views on this form of crime prevention, I believe it should have been incumbent on BMC pastors to advise young people on what to do when stopped and searched, to ensure the resulting scenario does not deteriorate further. This has rarely occurred. What has also been ironic is the fact that many of these same young church folks have been at the forefront of the BLM movement in this country. These Black Christians are determined not to experience the racism that characterised their parents’ lives, and are demanding immediate change. They are using their energy and creativity and the power of social media to organise protests and activities with a speed and on a scale that is flabbergasting. The real challenge facing BMCs is how they can harness this dynamism to further God’s kingdom within their structures. If they fail to do so, many young people will undoubtedly vote with their feet and leave, which would be a tragedy.
While “race may now be on the agenda”, not everyone is comfortable with this. Such church folk would prefer BLM to be a ‘moment’ and not a ‘movement’ – what the writer of Ecclesiastes calls “A time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). I believe that Black Christians should not allow this to happen, and use this moment to properly identify with the issues impacting the Black community in Britain. Firstly, this means not describing themselves as ‘International’ - even though their congregants are Black. When BMCs steer clear of identifying directly with Black communities, they also struggle to identify with the issues impacting them. Secondly, they must see BLM as not being about organisations or individuals, but a movement for racial justice. It starts with us breaking the silence surrounding racism, and moves into actions that tackle injustice and inequality in church and society, leading to substantive change. The Christian Scriptures speak of a God of justice, who sent His only Son to seek and save humanity, especially the last, the least and the lost. If our faith is real, we too must be committed to justice, and work alongside others in the fight to end racism, which is the embodiment of injustice.
23
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24 FEATURE
PIONEERING ROY FRANCIS
Women
is a music consultant/gospel music promoter/agent and author www.royfrancis.co.uk
I
n this, the month we celebrate Black History, the Black Lives Matter movement has sparked an interest in the history of the Black presence in Britain. The ‘Windrush Period’ is a pivotal moment in this story, and in 1948, when the Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury in East London, of the 1,000 passengers on board, 257 were women, with many of them travelling to Britain alone. One thing we can be sure of is that they packed a Bible with them, as a reminder of the words of the hymn they always sang in church: ‘I must have the Saviour with me, for I dare not walk alone.’ As women, they came to help in the reconstruction of Britain, as well as to make up for the shortage of nurses in the newly created National Health Service. Many of them were Pentecostal Christians and, once settled, they combined working with raising a family, as well as setting up businesses in hairdressing and dressmaking. They also ran ‘pardners’ (a saving club) to buy their homes; pay for relatives travelling to Britain, and later to buy their churches. Three women stand out among many in the early years of this and the establishment of Black Pentecostal worship in Britain. They are: ‘Mother McLachlan’, Bishop Walters and Pastor I O Smith.
to help and, as soon as he got back to America, sent over one of his church members, Mrs White, to London to help Mother McLachlan. Together they set about growing the church, first moving it out of Mother McLachlan’s front room and into a rented hall in Sussex Gardens in Brixton, South London.
MOTHER McLACHLAN Church of God in Christ Mother McLachlan was one of the women who played a vital role in establishing the first Caribbean Pentecostal church in Britain. She came to Britain from Jamaica in 1950 and, along with a few friends, started a series of prayer meetings in her home in Navarino Road, Hackney, North London. In the same year, Bishop Charles H Mason - head of the Church of God in Christ in America - also came to Britain to attend The World Pentecostal Conference at Westminster Central Hall in London. Mason heard about the small group of Caribbean Christians in the capital, sought them out and arranged a meeting. He met Mother McLachlan, who told him about her prayer group and her plans to start a church. Mason promised Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag
Bishop Oswald and Mother McLachlan
In 1954, Mother McLachlan’s husband, Bishop Oswald McLachlan, arrived from Jamaica and took over the running of the church. Together he and Mother McLachlan established another branch in Camden Town, North London, and in 1957 went to America to attend the Church of God in Christ National Convention. While there, the church in London was formally recognised, and Bishop McLachlan was appointed its Overseer. Some of the early names associated with the church in London were: Elder Payne, Elder Marsh, Elder Edwards, Elder Campbell, Elder Bell, Elder Anderson and my parents, who
were both former members. The church in London became the largest Black Pentecostal church in the UK and, as Caribbean Christians continued to arrive from the West Indies, the church became the place for Black Pentecostal worship. By the end of the 1960s, things began to change however, as Caribbeans started to settle in other parts of Britain and not just in London. At the same time, the Church of God of Prophecy, the New Testament Church of God, and the SeventhDay Adventist Church were all establishing themselves, and those who had been members of these churches back in the West Indies now had a church to go to in Britain.
BISHOP WALTERS City Mission Bishop Walters was another woman who stood out during the early years of the Caribbean Church in Britain, and one I can never forget. She was a remarkable woman and a recognisable presence amongst the sea of men. I remember my first encounter with her was when she and her group from the City Mission Church came to my father’s convention. Bishop Walters was a ‘big’ woman with an incredible aura and an all-embracing presence. She stood tall, and her womenfolk, dressed in military uniform, seemed to float around the
FEATURE 25 church like butterflies. I was the one playing the organ at the time, and although I’d seen White Salvation Army women in uniform before, I’d not seen a Black Pentecostal one, dressed as Bishop Walters and her ladies were. They were ushered to the front to sit in the seats reserved for the ministers, and as soon as a chorus was raised, Bishop Walters and her lady friends swung into action. They clapped their hands and stomped their feet in an exaggerated way, and moaned and groaned as jazz musicians do when they’ve struck a new chord. I was captivated and enthralled, as I’d never seen or experienced anything like this before. I know we clap our hands and stamp our feet in church, but not how Bishop Walters and her ladies did, and I looked forward to when she was ‘called’ to speak. All I can remember is that she ‘turned the church over’. I later got to know that it was the City Mission Church in Jamaica that had pioneered hand-clapping and feet-stomping in Pentecostal churches, and here it was, in its purest form - the real thing - on display, right before my eyes, and as a young person, I was captivated.
PASTOR Io SMITH Pastor Io Smith was a different woman to Bishop Walters and Mother McLachlan - but no less formidable. Sister Smith, as I affectionately
be out in ‘the byways and hedges’. Apart from pastoring a church in Leyton, Pastor Smith set up several community projects and initiatives, which included youth clubs, Christian training institutes, a senior citizens club, summer schools and a youth hostel. She was respected by the British Church establishment and, in 1994, was awarded an MBE. She was the first Black Pentecostal church leader to be invited to take part in the annual Remembrance Day Service, held in the presence of the Queen at the Cenotaph in London. After a lifelong time of service in Britain, Pastor Smith returned to Jamaica and, in 2008, died there. remember her, was one of the few women in the early days, who was not prepared to play a peripheral role, nor let any male church leader dictate to her or try to keep her in her place. Her vision and calling were far too wide-ranging for that, and she was far too wise to let that get in her way. She was a Jamaican, who knew when to strike and when to hold back to fight another day. Based in Leytonstone, East London, Pastor Smith was the first woman within the Black Pentecostal church in Britain to actively and consistently work within the community. She saw the historic mission of the church as one not confined to the four walls, but one that should
Extract taken from: Windrush and the Black Pentecostal Church in Britain www.royfrancis.co.uk - Out now!
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Larisa faces big challenges. Her mother tongue is Romani, the language of the Roma people, but schooling is in Romanian. In pre-school nursery she will have to learn a whole new language. Her mum learned to read and write at Talita Kum, Blythswood’s after-school programme, but dropped out of education at just 13 to get married. Her dad takes odd jobs whenever he can. Throughout the covid-19 lockdown this family of six received a daily warm meal from the Talita Kum canteen to make sure they did not go hungry. By filling a box for Blythswood’s Shoe Box Appeal you give practical aid to families like this, and open new horizons for children like Larisa. Explore, squeeze, wonder – gift-filled shoebox provide loads of new experiences for children from some of the poorest households in Europe
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26 FEATURE
CELEBRATING BLACK BRITISH TRAILBLAZERS s I write this, I wonder if there is any topic more controversial today than that of the so-called ‘race debate’. Here I am speaking of both the broader cultural movement and the Church itself. In my estimation, this will end similarly to how many of the debates within Evangelicalism have over the years, where the existing lines will invariably lead to fractures and splits along both church and cultural lines. For example, in the context of culture, take the idea of institutional or systemic racism. While there are varying definitions of the term itself, at the broad level, systemic racism simply refers to the idea that existing power structures (ie. the government) have procedures and processes enshrined in law that create and perpetuate disadvantages to Black people and, by the
same stroke, favour White people. This idea is not confined simply to the government, but is representative of society at large, and undergirds every institution in our culture, making it a culture that by design favours Whites as the dominant people group. Thus, if you are White, by ‘birthright’ you have inherited an advantage (White privilege) over your minority peers, when it comes to education, job prospects, marriage, interpersonal relationships, financial outcomes, policing, etc. In other words, Whiteness is woven into every aspect of life and, even though you might be in good standing with your Black neighbour, you nonetheless stand at an advantage simply by virtue of being White. For Black women and men to thrive and flourish in such realities requires resilience, tenacity and, in most cases, courage. So, the place and space that faith occupies is crucial, not just as part of our identity but also as part of our critical thinking. As a daughter of a faith that proclaims ‘with God all things are possible’, I want to empower and enable the women trailblazers whose talents inspire and stretch
me to reach my potential. Created in the image of God means, for me, I have purpose and potential to fulfil; this is only limited by my imagination. The arrival of the Windrush generation in 1948 is often seen as the starting point of Black British history, but our history goes much further. Today we have some remarkable women who deserve recognition and, as part of the 2020 Black History Month, I want to again shine a well-deserved spotlight on a few inspirational Black women cited as those helping to shape Black British history.
MARGARET BUSBY
TESSA SANDERSON
BARONESS DOREEN LAWRENCE
Margaret Busby OBE became Britain’s youngest and first Black woman book publisher, co-founding the publishing company, Allison & Busby, in 1967. For more than three decades, Margaret campaigned for greater diversity in publishing, and is a founding member of the organisation Greater Access to Publishing.
Athlete Tessa Sanderson OBE became the first British Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in 1984. She spent her incredible 17-year career at the top of her game in international javelin throwing. Since retiring from athletics, Sanderson has presented the sports news on Sky, and also runs her own sports management company. She was awarded an OBE in 1998 for her work with sports and charities.
Baroness Doreen Lawrence OBE campaigned tirelessly for reforms of the police service after her son, Stephen Lawrence, was murdered in a racist attack in 1993. She was awarded an OBE in 2003 for services to community relations, and appointed Baroness in 2013. In April 2014, she was named as Britain’s most influential woman in the BBC Woman’s Hour power list.
DIONNE GRAVESANDE
Global Ecumenical Relations at Christian Aid
A
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FEATURE 27
WALK THE WAY
CALLING RADICAL FOLLOWERS OF JESUS TO HAVE NEW ADVENTURES ON ANCIENT PATHS Jesus said - Go into all the world… Faith in the countryside is in crises. Ancient buildings, too few people, too little money. In Walk the Way we stand with our rural brothers and sisters in faith, bringing them new hope working with them to continuing to speak the Good News of Jesus in our countryside. Loosely following the ancient Via Beata path from Lowestoft to St David’s, teams of up to 10 ordinary Christians will walk the path of the saints to meet, speak and share the gospel with people they encounter along the way, supported by teams of prayer warriors from home. We believe that as we step out in faith, God will open hearts for the gospel and doors for provision. We trust that He will find places for us to stay, and food for us to eat. Will you join us as a Team Member? Or as a Prayer Warrior? This is going to be tough, stretching and completely out of your comfort zone. Leave technology behind. Expect to finish the walk a transformed person.
MAGGIE ADERIN-POCOCK
SHARON WHITE
DIANE ABBOTT
Dr Margaret Ebunoluwa Aderin-Pocock MBE is a British Space Scientist and Science Educator and also an Honorary Research Associate of University College London’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. Since 2014, she has co-presented the long-running astronomy TV programme, The Sky At Night. In 2013, she was named on the UK Power List as one of the UK’s most influential Black people.
Dame Sharon White DBE was the second permanent secretary at HM Treasury, the first Black person - and the second woman - to hold this position, which she held for two years. She took over as chief executive of telecoms regulator, Ofcom, between March 2015 and November 2019, and is currently Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership.
Diane Julie Abbott is the first-ever Black woman to be elected to Parliament, and has been the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987. She served as the Shadow Home Secretary in the Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn from 2016 to 2020, and has also founded the ‘London Schools and the Black Child’ programme, which aims to help Black children achieve in the classroom.
www.keepthefaith.co.uk
28 FEATURE
REFLECTIONS:
WHAT BLACK HISTORY MONTH MEANS TO US BY MARNITA COLEMAN GLOBAL MUSIC LINK EDITORIAL TEAM
B
lack History Month was created to tell the story of Black achievement and contributions in the United States. It began in America and Canada, then found its way to Ireland, the Netherlands, and the UK. I believe it is imperative to the vitality of a people to commemorate their greatness - especially in an era where others attempt to annihilate, suppress or manipulate their significance. If we don’t tell the story, how will our children know the potential that lies within them? When they see ones that look like them achieving the impossible, it ignites their faith and gives them the courage to reach for their dreams. “All praise to God, who deposited our authentic self within us, away from evil, so we could live the life He ordained despite the dictates of the world” (John 15:5, The Passion Translation). Black History Month reminds us of our resilience, inspires us to contribute, and confronts us if we do not help the next generation. Black History Month is about the elevation of people, not the promotion of self. In the United States, we celebrate Black History Month in February. As I reflect on my childhood, February was a memorable month, because my mum made banana pudding for my brother’s birthday every year. Valentine’s Day would always bring delicious chocolates; the President’s Day holiday gave us a long weekend from school, and last, but not least, we celebrated Black History Month, which was a time of awareness and pride. Dr Ben Carson
Mar y Seacole
Morgan Free man
On the educational front, Black History Month was heavily comprised of the Civil Rights Movement and stories of heroic men and women who moved to abolish slavery. There were o always sound bites Olaudah Equian of Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s speeches resonating over the airwaves, and video clips of “I Have a Dream” woven between network television shows. We recounted how Carter G Woodson started the whole movement, in an effort to prove that “the negro” had a history worth researching and preserving. February was laced with accolades and praise of Blacks, from the ordinary to the extraordinary, from modern-day men, like Dr Ben Carson, to historical figures, such as Nat Turner. It was a time when we wore our heritage with honour. Throughout the month, the hall of fame of purpose-driven Blacks was ever before us, memorialised and esteemed. At the time, it seemed sufficient to recognise the achievements of Black people in a month-long observance. But was it enough? I later began to think like Morgan Freeman, in the realm that Black achievements in America were simply
American history. I didn’t understand why that was a bold and daring conclusion rather than a fact. Unfortunately, the masses did not view Blacks as equal contributing citizens, due to the lens of bigotry and supremacy. As I glance across the pond, I am happy to see the establishment of Black History Month with the emphasis on Caribbean and African heritage. Shadowing America, Black Britons were excluded from history in a land in which they lived and contributed for a thousand years. Akyaaba Addai-Sebo’s insight to initiate Black History Month in 1987 brought awareness of the undeniable contributions made by Black communities that shaped Britain. Patrick Vernon sealed the deal with ‘100 Great Black Britons’, showcasing diversity in the Black community and unveiling the bold contributions of noted British heroes: Mary Seacole, Olaudah Equiano, Mary Prince and almost 100 others. Regardless of where they originated, Blacks have made significant contributions where they landed. Black History Month keeps Blacks from being deprived of their rich heritage. Thus, the vision of Carter G Woodson is fulfilled: “the negro” indeed had a history worth researching and preserving.
Explore the life-giving invitation of the beatitudes with great resources and online ‘labs’: nine beats that can revolutionise our lives, our churches, our
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“All of a sudden this becomes not just a walk through some really nice sayings of Jesus, this is radical disruption.” – ERIC LEROY WILSON – Pepperdine University, USA
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e are at a historical moment between the conflicted scene we find ourselves in today and the reality of what the future will look like. In this uncertainty, our need is for resources to anchor and guide us to endure the course. The ancient teachings of ‘the Beatitudes’ offer a pathway, an invitation to live into a new reality. As a mixed-race adoptee raised in a white British family, events surrounding the BLM movement triggered a surge of complex emotions. I watched with admiration the solidarity displayed in protest marches. Yet felt emotional exhaustion, guilt and discomfort as a spectator, when even my White British friends participated - some of whom knew more about Black history than I do. Such complex emotions I am still to resolve around aspects of my identity because of the personal gaps in my history and heritage. Enough for me to switch off from the bombardment of news and social media. We all have our own way of processing the near trauma of recent months, the pandemic, BLM, Brexit, climate change, and on and on. Yet in the mix of all this fragmentation, raw emotion, and uncertainty is a voice offering another perspective, the voice of the Author of the Beatitudes - nine
An initiative of
sayings that invite us to participate in the healing of this broken world. These words bring consolation and hope with wisdom so gentle, yet so powerful it can transform us. The Ninefold Path meets our brokenness with compassion, humility, justice and pure motive so we become part of the solution in shaping the future we long to see. To ‘embrace each other as family’ is not some far-fetched ideology, but a social reality which can begin here and now. Are we ready to tune in and live out the message that will carry us towards this new reality?
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with the Cinnamon Network, supporting local churches to set up sustainable social action projects.
More info: www.ninefoldpath.org
MICHELLE SAVAGE Michelle is the founder of Sawiyan, a community project based in Sparkbrook, Birmingham - where people can come together from diverse ethnic, faith and cultural backgrounds to learn and grow to appreciate each other’s cultures, skills and strengths. She is also a micro-grant officer
www.keepthefaith.co.uk
30 FEATURE
We must not allow our little Black girls to become flightless birds Lessons in Leadership
ESTHER KUKU Journalist and Communications Professional. Love God, love life, love people Twitter: @mew36
M
y six-year-old daughter came home from school recently, and said she wanted to be White. How could my child not adore the beautiful Black skin she is in? I composed myself and started to teach her about opposition, and how to be resilient in the face of adversity. I hadn’t planned such deep life skills training so early on, however this is where we were. So I began…with my little story about flightless birds…
New Zealand is home to more flightless birds than any other country in the world. In the absence of ground-living predators, various birds lost their ability to fly. My daughter’s eyes started to glaze. I could read her thoughts…’Let’s just read The Gruffalo! Who cares about flightless birds?’ What has this got to do with leadership? you may ask. Everything. The flightless birds have never needed to develop their wings, because there is nothing that threatens their existence - no snakes, no wolves…. And since there is no opposition, there’s no real need to fly. It takes the presence of a predator for a bird to need to develop the wings that have a desire to go higher. Overlooked, ignored and sometimes ridiculed, women have always been prey. We’ve had our predators and faced significant opposition throughout history. This fact, unfortunately, is more salient for Black women. Why? Possibly because, deep down, our predators know how powerful we can be when Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag
we fulfil our roles within society and learn to fly. So the aim is to keep us grounded. And the opposition begins when we are children. This is why it is vital we instil confidence into our little girls from an early age. I am teaching my daughter to love God and to live a life that reflects and embraces biblical principles - be kind and gracious, and see greatness in the people she comes into contact with. I have also let her know that, no matter what the world sees in her as a Black child, she is an amazing person. I have had to let her know that she is never ‘less than’. She is only six, and her hair has already been mocked at school, and her colour has already been a factor that excludes her in the playground. And, I’ve had to dry floods of tears many mornings, when she wakes up saying the children “don’t like her brown skin”. I won’t say that it doesn’t concern me, but I make sure she is surrounded with images that look like her and reflect her beauty. (I should say, for context, that we don’t live in London – not that it should make any difference.) The majority of her books now feature Black heroes, and she has only ever had a selection of dolls that both reflect the society she lives in and look like her. I want her to know that, even though outer beauty is great, inner beauty is what truly counts, and self-love and self-care begin from within. Once she nails her understanding of this, no one can take her confidence away. I am teaching her that leadership is about understanding how to manage opposition. She must learn to see it as an opportunity, and use it to grow her wings. The buzz word in our home is focus. Stay focused and waste nothing when
it comes to leadership experiences. Opposition is a leadership test we must all learn to pass. John 10:10 says “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” Finally, I’m teaching my daughter that if she is facing opposition, it’s because there is something called ‘potential’ on the inside of her that’s valuable. Some people may be jealous or want the treasure called potential that lies within her. Thieves don’t break into empty houses. In all honesty, I wish someone had laid this out plainly to me when I was six! As older women, it’s vital we pass this knowledge onto the next generation. Our little girls must never be flightless birds.
FEATURE 31
Gentrification and the Church A change for the better? BY NOAH REDDIE I am currently an A-level student living in London, and I completed an assignment on gentrification in Britain and the United States. The focus of this study was to explore how gentrification impacted Black and Latino communities in New York, and Black communities in London. It was while doing the research for this essay that I realised that gentrification was having a massive impact on churches meeting the spiritual needs of Black and Spanish/Portuguese-speaking communities in London. For those not familiar with this phenomenon, gentrification usually involves middle/upper middle-class people (usually White) moving into ethnically diverse areas of a town or city. These locales tend to be culturally rich, but economically poor – having good housing stock, but not the types of amenities that make life so much better. In London, it tends to happen in areas within the Zones two and three of the London Underground map and, over the last several decades, it has seen an influx of young White professionals move into areas like Brixton, Dalston, Camberwell, Peckham, Harlesden, etc. This has resulted in higher house prices, as well as the emergence of more cafés, bistros, restaurants, wine bars, cocktail bars and bakeries to cater to this new clientele. However, there are now fewer Black people living in
these areas. Several family and friends sold reasonably purchased houses for big money, enabling them to retire to the Caribbean. The problem has been that their children were not able to purchase houses in the same area because of the newly inflated housing market. What I do find particularly interesting is the introduction of new contemporary churches in these areas, which have been employed to gentrify these areas further by bringing in people from other neighbourhoods with the intention of getting them to live there. This creates a clear predicament, because how can they properly engage with the original, diverse community after helping to strip away many of its residents, and then claim the work of ministry to a broken community? When not ‘importing’ Christians into an area, gentrification can also mean that the existing churches are only used by new residents for “births, deaths and marriages”, or to get their children into Church of England schools. I often see these families either having brunch at a café on my way to church, or enjoying lunch when I am leaving it. These new residents often replaced those who attended local churches; not everyone who sold homes left the country - some only moved out of the area, but still attend the same church. This can make the church’s work to meet their congregation’s various needs a lot harder, because they no longer live on its doorstep. Equally, churches are very reliant on volunteers and, if these men and women live nowhere near the church, it makes it harder for them to offer their services to the church. Gentrification not only puts up the prices of buildings, it also increases the demand. Many Black congregations struggle to find suitable buildings in which to worship. No sooner does
a building become vacant than it is snapped up by property developers - at an inflated price - to turn into fancy, expensive apartments. It is not only house prices that rise with gentrification; there are also increases in the private rental market. This is a real issue for new, minority-ethnic communities who have moved to areas out of solidarity and safety, and who tend to rent while they acquire the resources to purchase properties. This is especially an issue for Spanish and Portuguese-speaking congregations from Latin America and Africa – some of whom are Black. Much like Black Christians, the church and its pastors play a central role in the lives of these communities, providing a range of spiritual and emotional support. In London, they often live close to Black communities, and worship in churches in which their mother tongue is spoken. They have also been impacted by gentrification because of the lack of available buildings and the rising cost of rentals. As Christians, we believe that everything changes except God, who remains the one constant. Change is part of life and can be positive as well as negative. Having said that, it is important that gentrification does not leave people behind, especially if those people are church-going Christians. More needs to be done to empower these folks, as well as a greater effort to get the newer residents to appreciate the needs and faith of the older ones.
32 FEATURE
Step Back WITH LEO POWELL
L
eo Powell is currently Head of Year 10 at St Ignatius’ College in Enfield. He is also an experienced trainer and facilitator in the area of County Lines, and has developed a comprehensive training programme that he delivers in schools, organisations, churches, and to practitioners, parents, youth workers and more. Leo began working with young people in 2010, when he was first invited to become a volunteer youth leader for Jubilee Church London in Enfield. Over the years, he has pastorally supported and mentored numerous young people in many different areas, including Feltham Young Offenders Institution, and has proven himself as a positive and influential role model within a church context and the community of Enfield. Leo is the producer of an upcoming short film entitled Step Back - a film he believes will be a platform that can bring about positive change in the lives of many. His proposed film has the potential to impact many lives, as it not only addresses key issues that young people are facing in society today, but also has a positive message that many will be able to relate to, both young and old! “I am hoping that this film can be used as a resource for people who work in youth organisations and establishments, to help them engage in positive conversations with young people around the different topics that are covered in the film,” said Leo.
ANGIE LE MAR
XAVIEN RUSSELL
The story of the film is an original concept - a cross between a drama and a sci-fi. It follows the life of Marcus (tag name “Legs”), a 16-year-old boy caught up in gang culture. On his 16th birthday, Marcus and his friends visit a trainer shop, but instead of buying the trainers, Marcus decides to steal them. When he attempts to leave the shop, the shop assistant confronts him, and an altercation breaks out. Marcus ends up stabbing the shop assistant and unknowingly leaves him in the shop to die. Consequently, Marcus is found guilty for murder and sent to prison. Whilst in prison, Marcus himself gets stabbed in the showers, as an act of revenge for the shop assistant who died in the trainer shop, and now Marcus is the one who finds himself in the back of an ambulance... But this is where the story takes a dramatic twist! As Marcus takes his last breath, he suddenly opens his eyes again and realises he isn’t dead, but instead he has woken up in his bedroom! Marcus hadn’t died; he had gone back in time to one year earlier, and was now a 15-year-old boy... So what lies ahead for Marcus? Leo promises that you will not be disappointed! The production team is Little Drops Production, an amazing team who were responsible for the short film, Amani, which received a million views in just four days! Three of the main characters in the film will be played by brilliant actors:
TSA
CURTIS KAN
Xavien Russell, who featured in the hit series, Top Boy 1 & 2, will be playing the lead role of Marcus; Curtis Kantsa, who featured in the hit movie, Blue Story, will also be co-starring in the film, alongside the multi award-winning comedy legend, Angie Le Mar, who will be playing the role of Marcus’ mum. “When the story was first presented to me, I was very moved by it. This film needs to happen! I love this story because it has a crazy twist on it, with a different perspective, but it also comes from an authentic place, and it’s genuine. I think whoever is watching it will relate to it in some sort of way, and I feel that people can learn valuable lessons from it!” said Xavien Russell. “Hopeful, heartfelt, empowering!” is how Curtis Kantsa describes the film. “These are the words that come to mind about Step Back. After reading the script, I felt something. Something real and heartfelt that I haven’t felt in a script set in urban London since Blue Story.” He continues: “I immediately felt that this needed to be seen by young boys everywhere, because I wanted them to feel the same hope I felt after reading it, and feel empowered to take their future into their own hands.”
For more information about this amazing film, visit www.leopowell.co.uk Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag
33
Oak Hill is a theological college in north London that trains men and women for gospel ministry in the real world. Founded in 1932, it offers part time and full time programmes at both an undergraduate and postgraduate level. These are for people from a range of church denominations and networks for different ministries such as Church leadership, Pastoral work, Cross-cultural mission, Youth work and Evangelism. Our expert and experienced teaching staff cover subjects from Biblical Studies, Doctrine, Church History, Pastoral ministry and Mission through integrated programmes that develop the character, competencies, core skills and knowledge that are needed for a life of ministry. Students engage in worship, community life, church placements and missions to put into practice what they are learning and grow in their faith. Other opportunities include online Flexible Learning modules where individual subjects can be studied from wherever people are, and online Equip events that help people live out their faith in everyday life. For more details on programmes, modules, and visiting on an open morning, please go to www.oakhill.ac.uk
www.keepthefaith.co.uk
34 COMMENT
FOOD 4
THOUGHT marciadixonpr.co.uk
marciadixonpr
BY
MARCIA DIXON
A leading PR specialist and journalist
Marcia-Dixon-Public-Relations
GOD IS ON OUR SIDE
T
he book of Genesis opens with how God created the heavens, the earth and humankind - people made in His image. For Black people, the fact we are made in God’s image is important, because it reminds us that, although we might not matter to some people, we matter greatly to God. This is why, during 400 years of enslavement and beyond, Black people have held tightly onto God and faith, and why we identify fully with the message of Jesus. Slave plantation owners knew that once slaves started reading Scripture, and learned that God is merciful, loves the poor and downtrodden, and stands for justice, they would not be easy to control, so they tore out certain pages in the Bible that alluded to this. This piece of hidden history was recently revealed, highlighting: (i) the slaveowners knew what they were doing was wrong, and (ii) the Word of God is powerful. We should be mindful that today, despite the challenges we experience, we are living in a freedom that former slaves dreamed about, prayed for, agitated for and fought for. The longer I live, the more I realise and recognise that our actions reflect our thoughts, sometimes subconsciously. The book of Romans 12:2 states: ‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.’ This world, especially the Media, is very good at making lots of people - not just Black people - feel like there isn’t a place for them. Christians
with power and influence must use their position to let those who feel oppressed, excluded and exploited, know that: • God loves them • They are made in His image • They have a special place in His heart • He has a special plan and purpose for their life • He hears their cry, and • He will work things out for their good The oppressed often believe these truths instinctively. It’s no surprise, then, that over the years, the Church and the message it proclaims have played a major role in the liberation of Black people across the world – whether spiritually, socially, psychologically or economically. The examples found in the fight against apartheid in South Africa, the Civil Rights Movement in America, and the move for independence in Africa highlight this. As we celebrate Black History Month, let’s remind ourselves that we are created in God’s image, that God is for us, and that He sides with oppressed.
Be open to the Holy Spirit Latterly I’ve felt that the Holy Spirit wants me to draw closer to God - not necessarily to read His Word more or pray more, but rather to know and listen to His voice. Sometimes we can miss what He is saying to us about the situations we find ourselves in, the people we meet, and the opportunities that come our way. I’ve been in situations where everything seemed fine on the surface, but I discerned something different by the Holy Spirit. Right now, getting deeper into God should result in us praying prophetically, with greater faith, greater discernment and recognising God’s voice. We are living in difficult times, and need to lean on God more than ever. May our hearts be open to what the Holy Spirit is saying to us, and obedient to God’s direction for our lives.
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NO PERFECT CHURCHES, NO PERFECT CHRISTIANS
Can people get out of this habit of stating that whenever they have a bad experience in a Black church, as a Black person, they aren’t going to attend a Black church anymore? Does being Black have a get-out clause? I have been a member of Black Pentecostal churches all my life. I acknowledge they are not perfect, and sometimes our experiences within them wound our spirit; make us depressed, or cause us to want to lose the faith. However, are they worse than other churches? No. People are people. People are not perfect, and don’t always reflect Christlike qualities. And yes, sometimes they hurt us. During the many years I’ve reported on the faith community, I have written or been told personal stories about Black Christians, who have experienced racism in Britain’s traditional churches - to the point that it has impacted their spiritual growth; their gifts to the church have not been recognised, and they have been made to feel they are not made in God’s image.
I state the above, not to cause a stampede from traditional or White-led churches, or for those who are unhappy in their Black churches to stay put. Rather, I want to highlight that, in spite of people stating they are Christian, they sometimes think and do unchristian things. Where does this put those who are unhappy with their Black churches? If you feel led to leave a church, do so for the right reasons. Pray about it. Speak to leadership and trusted Christians. And leave on good terms, so that if you don’t like the church you move on to, you can go back. But don’t leave just because it’s a Black church!!!
COMMENT 35
GARY CLAYTON
is Copywriter and Editor at Mission Aviation Fellowship: www.maf-uk.org
A
lthough our purpose in life is to glorify God and live for Him and for others, the latter can often be quite painful if you don’t actually feel you belong. If you don’t have any family in the church where you worship, weren’t brought up there, or come from a non-church background, you can easily feel like an outsider. In some particularly long-established fellowships, it can be years before you finally feel you fit in. Perhaps you don’t know the choruses or hymns, don’t know when to sit or stand, or find the socialising over tea and coffee uncomfortable. I’m sure many of us have experienced the excruciating painfulness of being in a situation where no one appears willing to go over to talk to us, or when everyone seems to be having animated conversations over tea and biscuits – except us! I can certainly recall several occasions where I’ve either longed for church to end, or the earth to swallow me up! Such bitter-tasting experiences can leave us feeling like a jigsaw piece whose edges don’t quite fit, because we don’t really feel we’re in the right place. Perhaps one of the reasons I like putting things down on paper is because it gets them off my chest. It also gives me a voice and makes me less invisible. A middle-aged friend once said: “It’s hard being part of a fellowship where everyone knows everyone else, and the vast majority are either married or related to one another. I even considered changing my name by deed poll, so I at least
Family Tree had that in common with all the other interrelated families.” I know how he feels! But, rather than feeling sorry for ourselves or remaining uncomfortable, perhaps we should be the ones to seek out those to whom no one is talking. Although some people can hide it quite well, it isn’t usually hard to spot that ill-at-ease person who’s clearly feeling self-conscious. They’re usually the ones pretending to look at the order of service, the church noticeboard or their phone. It’s harder, of course, if we’re shy or nervous but, however uncomfortable we may feel, let’s not forget what Jesus – betrayed, abandoned, forsaken and in agony – endured on the Cross:
‘our light and momentary troubles’ paling into insignificance compared with the ‘eternal glory that far outweighs them all’. Because Adam and Eve sinned by eating fruit from the one tree God told them to avoid (Genesis 3), Jesus – the second Adam – was hung on a very different ‘tree’ (Galatians 3:13), so the redeemed might eat from the tree of life (Revelation 2:7). So, whatever difficulties we encounter in life, rather than being rootless (Matthew 13:6), fruitless (Ephesians 5:11) or ‘weedy’, weed-choked Christians (Matthew 13:27-30), sowing dissent, gathering moss or going to seed, we should labour diligently in God’s vineyard (Matthew 20) – bearing much fruit (John 15:8) – rather than sowing sparingly and reaping little. Walking the earth for about 33 years, Jesus healed the sick, fed the hungry, raised the dead, befriend ed the outcast, calmed the storm and called His disciples – making His presence graciously known. His was the same divine presence that confronted Adam and Eve whilst walking in the garden (Genesis 3:8-13); commissioned Moses through the burning bush (Exodus 3); appeared beside Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fire (Daniel 3:25); comforted the disciples in the upper room (John 20:19-23); convicted Saul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9), and enabled Stephen to face death by stoning (Acts 7:54-60). Though Jesus left His home in heaven and the closeness He’d had with His heavenly Father, He made His home on earth – with Joseph and Mary, His siblings, disciples and followers all part of His earthly family. Instead of licking our wounds over the times we’ve felt invisible, unloved or uncared for – or waiting for others to meet our needs – we should unselfishly seek to meet the needs of others. To be present in their pain, loneliness, discomfort or distress. This is particularly true in times of illness, loneliness or isolation, when Zoom, WhatsApp, Skype or emails reassure people they are not alone. As a writer for missionary aviation organisation, MAF, which reaches remote and isolated people in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, I’m acutely aware of how important contact is. Just as Jesus was physically present while on earth – and continues to play a part through His indwelling Spirit and intercessory prayer (Romans 8:34) – let’s serve those around us, follow Christ, glorify God, advance His Kingdom, and spread the Good News. In doing so, like Moses, Paul, Stephen and others, we’ll not only serve God and bless our neighbours, but – jigsaw-like – will find our correct place and role among God’s glorious family. Gary Clayton is married to Julie, the father of Christopher (16) and Emma (13), and works for Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). To learn about MAF’s work in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, visit www.maf-uk.org www.keepthefaith.co.uk
36 COMMENT
What children need to become mentally healthy and socially balanced adults DR T. AYODELE AJAYI is a Consultant Psychiatrist, a radio host, author and is on the pastoral team of his church
I
t is easy for parents to identify children’s physical needs: a balanced diet, exercise, adequate sleep, safe shelter and warm, clean clothes. Spotting their emotional needs may, however, not be as apparent. So, what do children really need to grow into mentally healthy and socially balanced adults? That’s a question I have been confronted with several times in recent weeks. It is apt, given that half of all mental health conditions in adults have developed by the age of 14, and 75% by their mid-twenties (World Health Organization). In essence, childhood and adolescence hold a crucial key to the prevention of a majority of mental health problems. Their environment, experiences and education at this formative period of life have a profound cumulative effect on their emotional and life outcomes.
Basics of children’s emotional needs The basics for children’s mental and emotional well-being boil down to unconditional love from family; security and safety of positive discipline; a sense of self-confidence and high self-esteem; ample encouragement and support from caregivers, including teachers, and time and freedom to play. The foundation of the lifelong relationship that children form with themselves, the world and others is shaped by the love they receive from home. Knowing they have unconditional love that is not dependent on accomplishments helps children to gain confidence to take on challenges. Those raised with a notion that love is subject to achievements can end up growing with an unhealthy
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perfectionist streak, with a risk for depression. On the converse, the demonstration of love and acceptance, when children make mistakes or suffer setbacks or defeat, is key to reinforcing their sense of confidence. The nurturing touch and sensory stimulation obtained from hugging children has been found to be essential for normal brain development, physical growth, strengthening their immune system and building resilience. There is no better time to exploit the power of a loving, reassuring touch than when children are struggling with feelings of insecurities associated with poor performance.
Positive discipline Positive discipline is another important ingredient to emotional development in childhood. Whilst it is important to teach them early that actions have consequences, it is also vital to avoid the use of harsh discipline in doing this. Harsh discipline is the use of physical and psychological force, with the intention of causing physical and emotional pain, or for the purpose of correction or control of a child’s behaviour. That could range from corporal punishment, punching, whipping, kicking, denying food or drink, to humiliation, threatening, insulting or use of harsh unsavoury words. Harsh discipline has been recurrently associated with poor school performance, depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress, substance misuse disorders and paradoxical worsening of behavioural problems. Positive discipline consists of a caring, calm, commensurate, communicated and consistent approach to teaching acceptable behaviour to children. Discipline is effective when it comes fundamentally from a point of concern for the child’s well-being. A calm style entails responding rather than reacting to bad behaviour. Response is a reflective, contemplated action that considers
consequences, in contrast to an impulsive knee-jerk reaction, such as screaming at or slapping a misbehaving child. Communicating with children on the reasons why behaviours are rewarded or reprimanded, and the possible consequences of their action, is another hallmark of positive discipline. Commensurate measures mean discipline is appropriate to the misdemeanour. For instance, denying a child access to their X-Box for an entire year, because they failed to tidy their room is an overkill. Consistency entails that parents agree home rules and apply them without fail. It is also important that both parents present a united approach. Compensating for physical absence by bending agreed rules is an act of inconsistency. Children value time more than treasures.
Self-esteem Self-esteem is an individual’s subjective evaluation of their own worth. It has to do with your core beliefs about who you are as a person, and how valuable you are. Self-esteem has been shown to be a potent predictor of life outcomes, such as academic achievement, happiness, and satisfaction in marriage and relationships. Low self-esteem often has roots in childhood, in which a parent, sibling, peer or teacher’s message that the child is not good enough has lingered. Parents and important adults can foster healthy self-esteem by offering praise, helping children set realistic achievable goals, and also creating an opportunity for them to excel using their natural talents and gifts. Giving compliments to children in the presence of their peers and other adults is an excellent way to nurture self-esteem. It would seem that when it comes to emotional well-being, science has borne out the ageless scriptural truth to train up children in the way they should go, so they don’t depart from it when grown.
COMMENT 37
CHRISTIANS IN THE CLASSROOM KIMSHAW AIKEN
is a writer and a teacher with 15 years of teaching experience.
T
his year has been a trying one. For many of us in education, we may still be worried about the dynamics surrounding the reopening of school, and whether there may be a threat of a second wave of the virus as lockdown eases. It is not that we do not love our students - I am actually still worried about one student, for instance, who has had to play the part of carer as her parent contracted the virus. Also, it is not that we do not miss our colleagues - I missed praying with one of my colleagues, and another is pregnant (I am so excited for her and would have loved to have organised her photo shoots!), and it is not that we do not miss teaching altogether - I have missed meeting my students and welcoming them at the door with a smile, prior to each lesson. There is a lot that I have missed and, if you are a teacher, or you know one, I suggest you encourage yourself or encourage the teacher you know. We should take being safe very seriously. After all, we have been assigned as stewards of our created bodies and minds, right? We have had to really adjust to the new normal, and we should continue to do so safely. In addition to all this, there has been a significant shift in race relation talks, and tensions are high. As Christian educators, we need to be discerning here as well. It is worth noting that there is a distinction between saying, ‘Yes, Black lives do matter’ (which they definitely do), and the Black Lives Matter Movement itself. I suggest you do a quick online research of the actual manifesto that is behind this Movement. I feel we need to also brace ourselves for potential reactions that may soon begin to manifest among Black boys, who no doubt may have been seriously affected by the overwhelming
media coverage recently on the horrendous experiences of the Black man. (Black girls, and girls in general, do better academically and socially, and this could be due to them having more role models in their immediate spaces). Black boys could possibly adopt a posture of ‘What’s the point of trying? There are so many stacks set against us anyway.’ We need to remember these boys and pray for them. We need to ensure we incorporate lessons and discussions that engage them and reinforce a positive outlook among them, as well as good self-esteem. We must admit, we are facing huge changes and challenges, and therefore we need to ‘Be alert and of sober mind.’ The Lord promises to take care of us, and we should believe Him. Anxiety is not of the Lord, and there are several Scriptures throughout the Bible that affirm this. Think positively. Try to avoid gloomy perspectives. I have found a few verses that never fail to lift me, whenever I feel the temptation to give in to that sense of despair that can so easily overwhelm us when we consider the present realities. Philippians 4:8 tells us: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.” When you worry about the welfare of your vulnerable students. We are told in Mark 9:42: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” More than ever, the job depends heavily on managing the safety of yourself, as well as that of several others. Juggling theses demands can create anxiety, but we are told in Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass
through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” When we are tempted to lash out at something or someone, it is better to refocus. I don’t think there is a single person who has escaped totally unscathed by the current tensions. As teachers, when we feel the pressures caving in on us, and we sense that mounting irritation leading us to a position of lashing out, we can temper it with the injunction in Philippians 2:14-15 to “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that [we] may become blameless and pure children of God, without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” I am not saying that all this is easy but, with God’s help, we will show up, do our best to honour our Creator in our jobs, refuel, and go again. He takes care of His own. And never forget, teaching is an honourable ministry. Kimshaw Aiken has recently written her first book: ‘How to Build Your Teaching Muscles: 10 Strategies to Boost the Engagement of Challenging Learners’. The book is available on Amazon. More teaching tips can also be found on her website at https://howtobuildyourteachingmuscles.com/ Email howtobuildyourteachingmuscles@gmail.com. www.keepthefaith.co.uk
38 LIFESTYLE
THE FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN BRITAIN Whilst young people across Britian may not have God on their radar and really struggle to engage with church, they are, on the whole, open to experiencing and exploring spirituality and faith, especially those young people from a BAME community. In July 2020 British Youth for Christ launched its latest piece of research ‘Z-A of Faith & Spirituality’. Its purpose was to ask about the beliefs, faith and spirituality of 1000 mainly unchurched 11-18 year-old young people, from a range of backgrounds and locations across Britain. The key findings from this research draw out insightful conclusions about young people’s spiritual awareness, how they view the character of God, and the key spiritual influences upon the young people in our nation. Whilst some of the results give us food for thought around young people’s engagement with and perception of church and our own confidence in sharing Jesus, this is actually a story of hope for those who are willing to act and engage with young people on issues of faith, with family playing a more influential role than we realise.
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS Just over half of the 1000 young people asked believed in a supernatural being greater than themselves, though more believed in ghosts and spirits (65%) than they did in God (63%). From the young people asked, 35% said that they never think about God and spirituality, however if they were invited to find out more about God or Spirituality 36% said that they would be interested and 26% said they didn’t know. Those young people from a BAME background were more likely to be interested in finding out more about God with 83% of Black British, 75% of Chinese and 57% of Asian young people responding positively. When asked, 53% of young people said that they did believe that Jesus is a real person, again with 78% of Black British and 74% of Asian young people believing that Jesus was real. Unfortunately, the church was not viewed positively by many of these young people. When asked, 62% said that they had previous contact with church, with a much higher majority (94%) of Black British young people. However only 8% of the young people asked viewed it positively, Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag
with many describing it as boring or old fashioned and many more just didn’t know how they felt about it (34%).
THE CHARACTER OF GOD Many young people state that they struggle with believing in God because so many bad things happen, which does not necessarily mean that a God does not exist for them, but they may well be calling into question what that God is actually like. For example, illness and death was the top answer given when asked what makes young people think about God and spirituality and when questioned ‘If they could ask God one serious question what would it be?’, the top four most frequent answers were in relation to God allowing suffering and death. However, when asked what God thinks or feels about them, the answers were surprising with 27% of young people believing that God loves them. When asked ‘what would help a young person to believe that God exists?’ they answered ‘if they saw him’, or another popular answer was ‘if they had proof’, this raises the question, how do we enable young people to understand and experience God, even in the midst of pain, introducing them to Him and not just telling them about Him?
KEY INFLUENCES The top answers relating to who influences the way young people think about God or spirituality were firstly their family (55%), then their friends
(32%) and next their teachers (23%). When asked ‘If you could ask God to do one thing for you what would it be?’, they answered ‘to look after their family’ and when asked what they pray for 40% said their family and friends. In a season where so many children have spent more time than usual in the family home and may have seen family members suffer or die, it is vital that we take our role as not just biological but spiritual parents very seriously and not underestimate the influence that we hold. Just over half of the young people asked believe in a spiritual power greater than themselves. This is not a generation that don’t believe in God, but it’s clear that they just don’t think about him. So we must consider how our role as church and family put God on the radar of young people in our communities. How do we enable the pain and suffering that young people see and experience to lead to an encounter with the love of God when so often it is easier to avoid the difficult conversations? As families, how do we retain confidence in our role of demonstrating and journeying faith, not just to our children, but to the families of those that God has put around us who don’t know him yet. God has given us an important role to play. These are just a few highlights from ‘Z-A of Faith and Spirituality’. To purchase the research please head to yfc.co.uk/faithandspirituality.
Z-A OF
FAITH &
Available to buy: yfc.co.uk/faithandspirituality
40 LIFESTYLE
H O W T O B E AT
LOCKDOWN BLUES GRACE GLADYS FAMORIYO
is a Speaker and Author. Visit gracethespeaker.com
N
one of us could have predicted how 2020 would pan out. We were barely into the year when the COVID-19 pandemic landed, and before we knew it, the world went into lockdown – a global phenomenon we have never seen, and will be telling generations about for years to come. During lockdown, our homes became our new worlds. For the most, this created new ways of working, living, studying, attending church, learning, shopping, socializing, and so much more. We have all seen videos of people making the best of the situation, and creating ‘new norms’ - from online PE classes to church services on Zoom. Yet, we cannot deny that lockdown has taken a toll on us. Whilst some have been able to cope with it, the fact remains that many have struggled to cope.
When hope deferred made the heart sick Lockdown not only meant being confined to our homes to prevent the spreading of COVID-19, but it also brought about a sense of deferred hopes and dreams. Plans had to change, be cancelled or just held in limbo. Lina (not her real name), a young girl with high aspirations, had been preparing hard for her exams, hoping to get good grades to go to college and then UnI. But, with her school shut, what seemed ‘cool’ being off school for a short while morphed into depressive episodes about her future. Her parents are struggling to pull her out of this dark chasm. Jerome, who just launched his business, ploughed all he had into it just before lockdown. It had been his lifelong dream. But then it all came to a halt. To make things worse, he didn’t qualify for any government aids. Though normally hopeful, Jerome soon found himself grappling with fear, anxiety and despondency. Jenny looked forward to seeing her elderly mum every Sunday but, with her care home following government guidelines, she hadn’t seen Mum for a long while. Both Jenny and her mum were feeling isolated and sad, as they were all each other had. These stories are just a snapshot of what has been going on. Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag
Overcoming lockdown blues If you have been feeling down as a result of lockdown, consider these steps to help you:
out for warning signals (eg. withdrawing, feeling sad, etc.) and triggers (eg. isolation, stress, fatigue, etc.).
Step 1: Accept the season you are in
Step 5: Keep a daily gratitude journal
The fact is, you cannot change what’s going on, but you can change your attitude towards it. Focus on what you have the power to change, and work on these.
Maintain a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving by keeping a gratitude journal. I have been doing this for decades and, when you start to count your blessings, it really does uplift you. Moreover, you cultivate the habit of thanking God for all things, in all things.
Step 2: Acknowledge the impact Take a moment to reflect on how the pandemic and lockdown have affected your well-being. Be real with yourself, and don’t just reel off positive affirmations/faith statements. Prayerfully consider the true state of your heart. Make a note of what’s going on with your mind, will and emotions.
Step 3: Take action to ditch any baggage If you have identified any clutter, my Ministry is giving away FREE* copies of my book, Overcoming Emotional Baggage, during this pandemic, to help you learn biblical principles and practical strategies to bring about healing and well-being during this time, particularly if you are struggling. Grab your copy at gracethespeaker.com/freebaggagebook
In closing…
Step 4: Maintain your well-being
And lastly, as the Bible encourages, guard your heart with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23). Whilst life does happen, with God, you can remain strong and hopeful…even during a pandemic or lockdown.
Find an activity that uplifts you and get a healthy dose of it. This could be taking walks, listening to music, gardening, connecting with others (safely), and much more. Furthermore, watch
Grace Gladys Famoriyo is the author of Healing A Discourages Heart, Quit Hiding, Start Living!, Bounce Back & One Minute Tonic For The Heart. *Terms and conditions apply. Handling/shipping cost applies.
LIFESTYLE 41
Developing characters for fiction writing VANESSA GROSSETT
www.theauthorscare.co.uk
Y
our characters for fiction writing are the people who make the book and who your audience gets to know, especially the main ones. Yet they can cause frustration to many authors, even the most professional ones. An author recently informed me of the trouble she was having with her characters: “I just don’t know these characters, I can’t relate to them at all,” is how she put it. If you as the author cannot relate to your characters, then your audience will be unable too as well, and this can affect your writing. Unlike with screen or theatre writing, you have to describe your characters from head to toe. Writers for screen or theatre don’t have to do that, since actors/actresses will play out the characters for them. You, as the novel writer, have to place yourself as that character, and be both actor and actress to make them believable in the book. You have to feel and imagine how they would talk, walk, what they look like, their personality… When describing a character, just writing ‘He has short hair’ is not descriptive enough. What colour is his hair? What is the texture? Is it short, or is he almost bald? And guess what? You have to do this for every single character in the story to illustrate to the reader
who they are, especially the protagonists. Swapping and changing from one imaginary person to the other can be difficult, and if you are not ‘feeling’ the characters, it can make it more difficult and frustrating. But you need to get it right, so what do you do? Now that you have a synopsis of the story (for example, what the story is about and a little bit about each character), before you start writing it would be helpful to make a list of each character in the story, starting with the main ones. One by one describe each character, sometimes visualising a particular actor or actress, or imagining one playing that character can help - not your favourite actors, but ones you believe are like your character – and, if your book was made into a movie or television series, the person you could imagine playing that character. Write down the important questions - ‘Who?’, ‘What?’, ‘Where?’, ‘Why?’ and ‘How?’ - for each character. For example, where were they born? How old are they? What do they look like? Describe eye colour, hair, complexion, etc. What are their likes and dislikes? What significance do they have in the story? If the character is from another culture and background from yourself, it is very important to study that culture and background. Do as much research as you can, so you get the character right. If they speak another language, it is important that some of that language goes into the book, so you don’t remove their culture from them.
Publishers are more receptive to accepting characters from different cultures and backgrounds nowadays, especially since the anti-racism movement. You will be pleased to know that, for characters with a smaller presence in the story, you don’t have to go into so much detail; for example, ‘The shopkeeper gave the coins to Esther’. If the shopkeeper isn’t going to be in the story much, then you don’t have to go into extensive detail about the shopkeeper. If you want to make it more descriptive than ‘shopkeeper’, you could write ‘The woman behind the counter gave the coins to Esther’. Once you get the characters, the story will be fun to write, and you will find that the chapters will flow together more easily. I hope you will find these tips helpful. Keep calm, don’t get frustrated, take a break if you need to, and the characters will come to you. Happy writing.
www.keepthefaith.co.uk
42 LIFESTYLE
CARING FOR OUR CROWNING GLORY VERONA WHITE
is a celebrity hair stylist, professional wig technician, hair coach and CEO of Afro Hair Growth Challenge.
W
e know that healthy gums support healthy teeth, and great calcium levels protect your bones. Likewise, a healthy scalp supports healthy hair. It‘s vital that we take care of our scalp, as it is the root cause of our hair challenges. As we detox our bodies when we sit in a sauna to get rid of all the toxins, this is how we should be treating our scalp. The treatment required all depends on the condition of the scalp.
SCALP THERAPY When your hair follicles are constantly blocked, this can lead to a lot of problems. When the duct at the root of the hair becomes inflamed, it results in an itchy scalp, and subsequently leads to hair breakage (and, in some cases, hair loss). Curly, coily hair types should not be washed every day, which means you’re unable to get rid of the different toxins that are building up on your scalp on a daily basis. It’s a difficult balance, because we have to use products to keep our natural hair moist but, at the same time, we are fighting to keep the scalp as clean as possible. Training our
scalp to rely on its natural moisture is key. When we produce natural moisture, our scalp will adapt and get used to producing its own sebum. So for the first ¼ inch of your hair, your healthy scalp oil will look after itself.
SCALP DETOX The aim of detoxing the scalp is to get rid of all the build-up around the follicles and the scalp. The hair needs to be free to grow, because if you microscopically look at your hair, the toxins from the air and conditioners, etc., all get trapped on your hair and scalp. There are different ways you can detox your scalp, and that includes using organic products that will draw everything out of the places your shampoo can’t. Products that will be very effective include: AHGC Scalp Cleanser – dry cleansing agents that will stop the shampoo from stripping your hair; Aloe Vera is a moisturising mild-to-medium cleanser, and Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) will cleanse the scalp and regulate its pH.
When you use these detox products on your hair, it is important that you rebalance the scalp’s natural pH, or you will have a dry scalp. You can rebalance it by rinsing with diluted Apple Cider Vinegar (1 part ACV to 2 parts water), and then adding a few drops of argan oil or jojoba oil. The great thing about these products is that they are gentle enough to preserve the integrity of your scalp and hair; they help reduce inflammation and ease dry and itchy scalp symptoms. Detoxing the scalp is important, because the process absorbs all the impurities and harmful substances from
LIFESTYLE 43
Domestic abuse: in churches too News headlines this year have highlighted that domestic abuse is a reality in homes of every kind. Even Christian homes are not exempt. Research we commissioned in 2018 showed that 42% of churchgoers have experienced abuse, but only 2 in 7 churchgoers believe their church is adequately equipped to respond. It’s time for a different story We train churches to prevent and respond to instances of domestic abuse, whilst supporting survivors so that together we can change the story for women affected by abuse. We’ll join a global campaign, The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, that kicks off on 25 November. We’d love you to join us. It’s an opportunity for churches like yours to take the first steps in speaking out against domestic abuse. We offer training and resources to help you and your church change the story for women in your community.
1 in 4 churchgoers have experienced abuse in a relationship Would you know how to help? Restored can help you change the story for women affected by abuse
The Church can have a real impact as it shares the love of Jesus, and we will continue to work to protect women from violent and manipulative abusers. Together, we can change the story for women caught in the cycle of abuse. Find out how: www.restored-uk.org/change
your scalp. It will also clean the pores without harsh scrubs or chemicals, removing the dead skin cells, excess oils and product build-up. Your scalp will feel refreshed and renewed, and the pores on your scalp will be free from toxins. You should avoid putting conditioner on your scalp, though, or it will clog up your pores again. Your scalp should be detoxed at least four times a year, or every two months if your scalp needs it. Learning how to master keeping your scalp clean is key, as many times the scalp is one of the first indicators of a multiple of issues that can happen to your hair. For example, the scalp can develop psoriasis or eczema, which indicates an imbalance of the immune system. If you think about the scalp as the top layer of the root to your hair, then you will realise how necessary detoxing is. The scalp is very sensitive, and itching and even using the wrong combs can have an adverse effect on what you want to achieve with your scalp.
SCALP STIMULATION Scalp stimulation or massage is very good for the hair, because it stretches the cells of the hair follicles, creating a healthy environment for growth. This treatment promotes blood circulation to the hair follicles, which means healthier, rejuvenated and thicker hair growth.
www.restored-uk.org/change
Your scalp should be detoxed at least four times a year, or every two months if your scalp needs it. There are different ways you can massage your scalp. The best time to do it is last thing at night, because not only will the red blood cells circulate, but your body regenerates while you
are sleeping. Scalp massage also relaxes you. Apart from massaging at night, massage as often as you can during the day. Massaging with oils on your scalp before you shampoo your hair is also very good, because you can use oils and essential oils to help stimulate the follicles. You will see and feel a significant difference. Adding Rosemary Peppermint Tea Tree into the oils or into your ‘pre-poo’ will activate the follicles and encourage blood circulation. Stimulating your scalp can also cause your scalp to be supple. Sometimes our scalp can be very hard, and the pinching method of scalp stimulation is very good for it, as it creates a beautiful environment in which the hair can grow. The traditional scalp massage involves using your fingertips to apply eight medium pressure contacts. Moving in small circles, work your way all across your scalp, using your fingertips. Do this for at least five minutes at a time, several times a day. You can also massage your scalp by tapping your fingers all around your scalp, and also while shampooing. If you use a combination of these massage methods, along with a balanced nutritional diet and plant-based supplements, you will definitely see a change in your hair behaviour. Your hair is our passion, so please look after your crowning glory. www.keepthefaith.co.uk
44 LIFESTYLE
MAKE ROOM FOR THE 3% B Y J E A N E T T E Y O U N G FA S H I O N F E AT U R E / E D I TO R
D
ressing up in our household was a common activity. My mum loved dressing up - I remember her fur coats and sequin-embellished garments. Mum’s style was very glamourous and chic similar to that of Diahann Carroll. As a family, we would dress up for every occasion - and I’m sure many Black families can relate. Dressing up for us was a form of expression, although we didn’t have much, we felt and looked like a million dollars. I have always had a love for fashion. I loved listening to Salt-N-Pepa, Monie Love and Cookie Crew (who were female hip-hop rappers in the 80s) and watching Diff’rent Strokes, A Different World, Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air and good ol’ Dynasty. I found them relatable, inspiring, fun, and full of style and fashion! I just love the 80s.
My style is quite versatile; it all depends on my mood and where I am going. One thing’s for sure, though… I wear heels for most of my looks, loool. My designs are definitely ‘contemporary glam’. My last collection was more occasion wear, but my new collection will definitely be more contemporary, because this has sold well for me and is more relatable.
Photographer: Jonathan Trotman Jumpsuit: Zara Sandals: Simmi Shoes Sunglasses & Chain: Gucci
Photographer: Cameron Young Silver jacket: Ebay UK Joggers: Blood Brother Sandals: Love Raid Mountain Hat: Vivienne Westwood
And let’s not forget church… When I was little, my grandma used to take me to church on a Sunday morning. She would dress up in her big hat, tailored twinset suit and pointed stiletto heels, because “We going to church.” It was always important to wear our ‘Sunday Best’; my grandma saw it as part of worship. She would make sure that food was seasoned and prepared, and clothes pressed from the night before - something culturally that I still do today (well before COVID-19). I was inspired by church fashion - the big hats, the elaborate colours and outfits - and remember that many of the churchwomen sewed their own clothes. My Black culture and upbringing have all had an influence on who I am today. I would describe my style as stylish, trendy, chic - with a touch of glam. Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag
years, my main experience is on the production side. The fashion industry is very cliquey. As big as the fashion world may seem, it is a very small network and circle. As a Black woman - a strong Black woman who looks good - I am also seen as a threat, or just not recognised due to the colour of my skin. Throughout my working life, I have found there are not many Black people in high positions, such as CEO or Director, within the fashion industry, so it is very hard to bring about change and diversity within the workplace or in general. It is great to see Black people, like Edward Enninful OBE (Editor-in-Chief) and Vanessa Kingori MBE (Publishing Director) of British Vogue, speaking out and using their positions of influence to bring about change. Edward states: “It goes to show that sometimes it doesn’t matter what you have achieved in the course of life, the first thing that some people see is the colour of your skin” (inews.co.uk 16/07/20). There is now greater awareness, due to the death of George Floyd, where fashion brands and many other organisations are beginning to look at their organisational structures to implement a more diverse workplace that is reflective of our westernised world. We hope! It would be great to see a rise of UK Black designers being recognised, acknowledged and supported by our community and by the British Fashion Council. The Black population consists of 3% in the UK - which is very small - so why are we not recognised in our country, which our forefathers helped to build? Time to make room for the 3%! Now that would be something to celebrate as part of our Black history… I am one of the fortunate ones, and I am extremely grateful because my gift has made room for me in some areas. But there is sooo much more to be accomplished to enable my legacy to live on. It’s my desire to pave the way for other Black designers and stylists, like myself, to help them succeed and conquer.
For more about me, please check out: www.jeanette-young.com I launched my womenswear online boutique in 2017, and I love and enjoy what I do, even though it hasn’t been easy at all. The fashion industry is all about who you know, and although this is an industry I have worked in for over 15
Instagram: @jeanetteyounglondon @jeanetteyoungstylist Facebook: @jeanetteyoung.consultancy YouTube: Jeanette Young London
LIFESTYLE 45
SHANA DAWN LEWIS
a qualified chef for over 25 years, and winner of the Wise Women Award 2020 in the Life Turnaround category
O
ctober is famous for being Black History Month, and also the month when kings and queens are born. I say that because my son, Corban-Jeremiah, will be 18 on October 12th and just eight days later, on the 20th, I will be 50. So, this issue’s recipe is dedicated to my son and I. It’s a happy birthday to us and a happy BHM to you! We both love doughnuts. My favourite have always been the jam ones. I loved them from Percy Ingles as a kid, and my son is really into the Krispy Kreme ones, so it seemed like the perfect recipe for this issue. Be warned, this is what I call a considered recipe, as it involves an overnight stage, with a little more proving and resting after that. Long, I know (sigh), but honestly it is worth it, as the end result is FANTASTIC! Every sugary, jammy, chocolatey mouthful is well worth the effort - and the calories. LOL.
INGREDIENTS • 500g strong white bread flour • 60g golden castor sugar • 15g of yeast • 4 eggs • juice of half a lemon • 1 small tsp of salt • 125g soft unsalted butter • Sunflower oil (for frying) • Castor sugar (for tossing - it tastes good with some grounded cinnamon mixed in too)
METHOD • Put 150g of water with all the dough ingredients, apart from the butter, into your mixer. Mix on a medium speed for 8 minutes, or until the dough starts to come away from the sides and forms a ball. Rest the dough for about a minute. • Start your mixer up again on a medium speed, and slowly add the butter to the dough - small chunks at a time. Once all the butter is incorporated, mix on a high speed for 5 minutes until the dough is glossy, smooth and very elastic when pulled. • Cover the bowl with cling film or a clean tea towel, and leave to prove until it has doubled in size. Knock back the dough (knead slightly) in the bowl briefly, then re-cover and put in the fridge to chill overnight.
Delicious Doughnuts • The next day, take the dough out of the fridge and cut it into 50g pieces - you should get about 20. (I can’t lie, I got 18. Try to do better than me, please. You really don’t want to miss out on that sugary goodness, LOL.) • Roll the dough pieces into smooth, tight buns, and place them on a floured baking tray, leaving plenty of room between them, as you don’t want them to stick together while they prove. • Cover loosely with cling film, and leave for 4 hrs or until doubled in size. Fill your heavy-based saucepan halfway with oil. Heat the oil to 180C. • When the oil is heated, trying not to deflate the doughnuts, put them into the oil. Do 2-3 at a time, depending on the size of your pan. • Fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown – they will puff up and float. • Remove the doughnuts from the fryer, and place them on kitchen paper. • Toss the doughnuts in a bowl of caster sugar while still warm. Repeat the steps until all the
doughnuts are fried, but keep checking the oil temperature is correct. If it is too high, they will burn and be raw in the middle; if it is too low, the oil will be absorbed into the doughnuts and they will become greasy. Set aside to cool before filling.
FILLINGS AND TOPPING IDEAS • Jam, custard or cream fillings • Chocolate icing*, plain icing and sprinkles on top Fill a piping bag with your jam. Push the piping tip into the doughnut - anywhere around the (horizontal) white line between the fried top and bottom. Squeeze into the doughnuts until they are nicely swollen. After filling, the doughnuts are best eaten straight away, but will keep in an airtight tin for about a day… if they last that long!
(*Mix cocoa powder and icing sugar together with a little water to make chocolate topping.) www.keepthefaith.co.uk
46 MISSION
MARTINS AGBONLAHOR is a trained lawyer and author of Killing Them Softly: The Struggle for Women’s Rights in Nigeria. He lives in Manchester.
SITUATING NETANYAHU AMID COVID-19
T
he current coronavirus pandemic is blowing across every part of the globe, leaving in its trail protests and other forms of civil disobedience. In Zimbabwe, a corrupt government - bereft of ideas - visited its frustration on defenceless protesters, resulting in people being maimed and many more railroaded into jails. Brazil’s Bolsonaro, who refuses to believe in the existence of the virus, is presently stewing in his own juice, as innocent Brazilians are dying in their thousands. In the state of Israel, rioters occupied major roads, as flags and placards depicting various messages billowed in the air like Christmas confetti. They are demanding the Prime Minister’s resignation for not acting in time to rein in the virus, which now stands at 83,000 confirmed cases with 600 deaths. They are also not comfortable with the Prime Minister dragging his feet over an allegation of corruption levied against him. While the protest is mounting by the day in defiance of safety and health concerns, Prime Minister Netanyahu has taken a swipe at the protesters, labelling them “anarchists”, which is not really helping matters, not to mention his son, Yair, hurling his own verbal missiles while nestled within the cosy confines of his home. To the privileged child, “those protesters are all aliens.” For all intents and purposes, however, it would appear as if the coronavirus pandemic itself took the lid off an underlying problem that had been plaguing Israeli society. As it would be recalled, the citizens had an election that failed to produce
Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag
a clear victor, irrespective of the fact they had gone to the polls for the third time. A coalition was fashioned out between Netanyahu’s Likud Party and the Blue and White Party of former military commander, Benny Gantz - a unity government that many people berated as a “marriage of convenience” that would allow Netanyahu to hold onto the reins of power. Amid the electoral weariness too was the issue of unemployment, which stood between 18 and 21%. There was also the matter of the Prime Minister’s alleged corruption and bribery to deal with, and to compound the volatile situation came the dreadful and dreaded virus with its drastic consequences, chief amongst which were the travel restrictions. This was a blow to some Israeli citizens consumed by wanderlust, and the many more who would, figuratively speaking, not wait for the grapes of the summer vacation to be ripe before being drunk on the wine! Now, His Excellency, the Prime Minister, has promised to dole out some “coronavirus sustenance cash” to his citizens to ostensibly mollify their anger, but the rioters, now wiser, see his gesture as crumbs falling too late from the master’s table. And the riot continues. If the State of Israel is to live up to its image as “the only democracy in the Middle East”, then its Prime Minister must hearken to the voice of the people. Netanyahu is no law unto himself and must, therefore, not cloud the issue of his criminal indictment. Instead, he must clear the air and aim for a smoking gun.
If he continues to engage in constructive ambiguity and other unorthodox tactics just to divert attention, then that will be a slap in the face of justice, equity and fair play. Even at that, ex-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should be watching the whole process with a view to seeing if the current PM benefits from selective justice whether overtly or covertly. As one would recall, Mr Olmert himself was sentenced to jail in 2014 for fraud and bribery – an offence he committed when he was Mayor of Jerusalem. He was only released three years ago, having served 16 months of a 27-month jail term. If Prime Minister Netanyahu fails to cooperate with the courts, and is able to wriggle his way out of the system, then this would set a very bad precedent for other powerful politicians who may fall foul of the law in the future. In conclusion, the Prime Minister and his security agents must, as a matter of course, allay the fears of the rioting Israeli citizens by looking into their grievances. Also, while the protesters should not exceed their right to peaceful protests by resorting to vandalism and lawlessness, the police need to be people-friendly and resort to dialogue in the face of the current highhandedness, which to any lover of democracy is counter-productive and prone to inducing more violence. The blood-curdling assassination of ex PM Yitzhak Rabin is still very fresh in our minds, and we do not want the current demonstration to aggravate further and spiral out of control.
MERCY SHIPS UK
Seeking God first to leave a legacy that really lasts Above: Gisele after her surgery. Below: Gisele (left) and Dr Intengre Ouedraogo
“In 200 years, all that will matter is the Kingdom” As the old adage goes – give someone a fish and you feed them for a day, but teach them to fish, and you feed them and their family for a lifetime! Far more than just a surgery ship, the Africa Mercy is a ‘floating teaching hospital’ - able to travel around the coast of Africa and partner with Ministries of Health to deliver vital medical capacity building (or MCB). Through training courses and surgeon mentoring, local healthcare professionals are equipped and supported to continue caring for their own people. Mercy Ships also renovate hospitals, donate state of the art equipment and supply vital medicines and PPE. It’s through this mentoring that Dr Gary Parker, Chief Medical Officer and surgeon onboard, has empowered hundreds of African surgeons to work on complex cases, equipping them with invaluable experience and knowledge.... “Medical capacity building… is empowering the people within the nation to provide what their people need, not just coming and doing it for them,” says Dr Gary, who operates on patients for many hours every day, usually alongside a local surgeon. Having raised his family on the ship over 30 years, he is no stranger to the dedication and personal sacrifices of seeking God first,“In 200 years no one will worry about the house they lived in, or the car they drove, all that will matter is the Kingdom!” This selfless and Christ-like mindset has seen Dr Gary and many other crew to dedicate most of their professional lives to the poorest and most vulnerable: people like Gisele. Twenty years after losing her baby in labour, Gisele arrived at the Africa Mercy with a condition seldom seen in the Global North today, obstetric fistula. An obstructed labour meant Gisele suffered unimaginably
www.mercyships.org.uk
for three days. She finally delivered, only to discover her baby was dead and her bladder was destroyed. She now constantly leaked urine. Ostracised and abandoned by her husband and friends, Gisele began a life on the outskirts of the community, unable to access the care she so desperately needed in her time of grief. “Sometimes I would walk down the street leaking urine and I didn’t know. When my husband realised I couldn’t give birth, he abandoned me,” recalls Gisele. Gisele was given a second chance at life and tangible hope that would last long after she walked off the ship. She was given a Bible and beautiful new dress, to return to her community, with dignity and faith for the future. “When he [Gisele’s husband] rejected me, my life didn’t make sense anymore, but now I am comfortable when I sleep, my bed isn’t wet. My body will recover to how it used to be, step by step.” Volunteer surgeon Dr Intengre Ouedraogo, who operated on Gisele in the Republic of Congo, knows Africa is where this work is really needed. “I think it is possible to have all our mothers, our wives and our sisters able to access health care [in Africa]. This is my dream, this is my prayer and I think it is possible”. Mercy Ships have spent over three decades working to make this dream a reality by investing in the healthcare systems across West and East Africa. Over 14,669 local surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses have trained alongside volunteer medical professionals on the ship, in the hope that one day every woman like Gisele will have access to the surgery they need within their own countries. Thanks to programmes like surgeon mentoring, Mercy Ships is helping to build a lasting legacy in African nations, leaving each one stronger, seeking the Kingdom by putting others first and giving every patient the opportunity to sit at the table and look to the future with hope in their hearts. A question Dr Gary often gets asked is how he can expect to make a difference and help all the millions of people that need it. His answer is simple: “I don’t think you can change the millions. But you can change the individual, one life at a time. And you know for certain they have been helped, you can see it with your own eyes.” If you want to find out more about this Kingdom work and training, visit www.mercyships.org.uk
K WI TH
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Why We Worship
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Skegness 5-9 April
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Minehead One 6-10 April
Minehead Two 10-15 April
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