Keep The Faith magazine issue 66

ISSUE 66

BLACK MEN: HOW TO

COUNTERACT NEGATIVE STEREOTYPING

OVERSEER WRIGHT celebrates AFB 50th anniversary

GOOD NEWS for porn users BECOMING THE FATHER GOD WANTS YOU TO BE

Mother Weekes

90 AND STILL SERVING JESUS FREE (£2.50 WHEN SOLD) Also available by subscription ISSN 1757-2363

Thanks for your very positive comments about the magazine. We’re glad you enjoy the content in it and are moved to tell us.

Keep those comments coming in, as we love hearing from you.

We love men here at Keep The Faith, and this month’s issue contains articles designed to help men be all that God has purposed them to be, taking into account the very unique struggles that Black men in British society experience, and how they can overcome them.

Rev David Shosanya writes on how Black men can counteract society’s negative stereotyping; Rev Stephen Brooks looks at why it’s important for fathers to leave a legacy; Rev Wale Hudson-Roberts reflects on Black fatherhood, and Pastor Doug Williams shares how following Jesus can remedy the current crisis in masculinity.

We’ve interviewed a pioneer of the Black Pentecostal church, Overseer Charles Wright, founder of the Assemblies of the First Born, and author Tim Chester outlines how men can overcome a pressing 21st century problem: addiction to porn. Make sure you check out our other articles, which are sure to inspire, enlighten and encourage you. You’ll learn how to leave behind the pain of the past to enjoy the present; be reminded that you’re not on this earth forever and why you must focus on God’s purpose for your life, and how to discover there’s a blessing in honouring others.

I do hope that you enjoy the content throughout the magazine, which also includes stories about mission, and our regulars: Heart to Heart, Cyber Corner, Gospel News and Charity Affairs.

All the articles in this month’s magazine are written to help you keep the faith.

Enjoy.

Marcia Dixon

Marcia Dixon. Editor, Keep The Faith

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Welcome!

ISSUE 66 CONTENTS 13

26 34

46 WELCOME 04 Food 4 Thought by Marcia Dixon 06 Readers’ Letters

NEWS 08 News pages

COMMENT 12 Counteracting negative stereotyping of Black men by Rev David Shosanya 13 The importance of a father’s legacy

by Rev Stephen Brooks 14 God: The world’s best example for fathers

by Rev Wale Hudson-Roberts

INTERVIEW 16 Interview with Overseer Wright

FEATURE 18 A real man follows the example of Jesus

by Pastor Doug Williams 20 Neutralising sex, power and money’s influence on leadership

by Dionne Gravesande 21 Good news for porn users by Tim Chester 22 Helping young people to negotiate networking safely by Claudia Bell 24 90 years strong and still serving Jesus

by Rachel K Brown Keep The Faith R Suite 48 88-90 Hatton Garden London EC1N 8PN Tel: 0845 193 4431

26 60th birthday celebrations of a UK gospel giant 28 Adopting a healthy lifestyle - with God’s help

INSPIRATION 29 Will you be ready? Keeping an eternal perspective by Gladys Famoriyo 30 Show honour to others and you’ll be blessed

by Esther Williams 32 Let go of the past to enjoy the future

by Rachel K Brown

GOSPEL 34 Gospel News by Marcia Dixon 36 Gospel talent competitions: Good or bad?

by Juliet Fletcher

LIFESTYLE 38 Heart to Heart by Esther Fenty 39 What it means to be equally yoked

by Steven James Dixon 40 Charity Affairs by Lara Rufus 41 Cyber Corner by Keno Ogbo

MISSION 42 Pearl Jarrett: Finding life’s purpose through missions 44 Ugandan farmers show UK school children how they can change the world by Laura Martin 46 The farthest ends of fatherhood

by Jemima Lewis

Publisher: Shirley McGreal Editor: Marcia Dixon editorial@keepthefaith.co.uk Design: Becky Crump design@keepthefaith.co.uk Advertising: 0845 193 4434 advertising@keepthefaith.co.uk Admin and Subscriptions: admin@keepthefaith.co.uk www.keepthefaith.co.uk www.blackchristiandirectory.com

Many thanks from Keep The Faith to: Rev David Shosanya, Rev Stephen Brooks, Rev Wale Hudson-Roberts, Pastor Doug Williams, Dionne Gravesande, Tim Chester, Claudia Bell, Rachel K Brown, Esther Williams, Gladys Famoriyo, Juliet Fletcher, Steven James Dixon, Keno Ogbo, Esther Fenty, Overseer Wright, Lara Rufus, Laura Martin, Jemima Lewis, Pearl Jarrett, Winsome Duncan, Mother Rosetta Weekes, Bazil Meade, Alison Hewitt, Jackie Raymond, Shirin Aguiar-Holloway, our supporters and all our advertisers. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Publisher.

www.keepthefaith.co.uk 03

WELCOME

Food 4 Thought

by Marcia Dixon We need fathers We are fast approaching Fathers Day, the time of year when society focuses on the positive role that men play in the lives of their children.

It’s easy to get the impression that a father’s role is not an important one, considering the large numbers of single parent families headed by women, who doing a great job raising their children.

However, parenting is becoming an increasingly difficult task, because society is becoming a much more violent and less caring place. Coupled with this is the fact that fewer people subscribe to the Christian values that once bolstered our community. So, the respect, which the young once held for adults older than themselves is slowly disappearing, and parents have to contend with the overwhelming influence of peer pressure on their children - an aspect of growing up that was not as prevalent back in day.

Oftentimes it’s peer pressure that influences young people to do the bad, negative things that they do. And ring leaders tend to be a neglected, angry teenager, who feels unloved, misunderstood and ignored by their parent.

An absent father can magnify negative feelings, and can sometimes be the root cause of them.

What child likes to think that the man who contributed to their creation is not interested in them?

In the many discussions we have in our community about the most pressing problem in our community - youth violence - no one seems to want to say the obvious: that fractured, dysfunctional families with a lack of fathering is a root cause. It may not be the only one, but it’s a key one.

Our heavenly Father is the perfect example of the qualities a father should have and that our community needs: Someone who is loving, gracious, merciful, forgiving and wise, who serves as a protector, provider, mentor, encourager, disciplinarian and teacher. An earthly father’s role should entail protecting and providing for their children, whatever their relationship with the mother.

There are many men who fulfil this role, but there are lots of men who don’t, and it’s these men who should be the focus of our attention. After all, Jesus did say, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17).

Facebook discussions I would encourage anyone who loves discussion, debate and learning new things to join Facebook, and ignore those who have nothing but negative things to say about social networking sites. I’m having the time of my life enjoying enlightening discussions about various subjects with Christians I would not otherwise meet.

The subjects discussed on my Facebook page have included the legitimacy of gospel music talent competitions; whether pastors should spend millions on private jets; the reason why many Black men don’t get married, and domestic violence.

In fact, Facebook is giving Christians the opportunity to do in the virtual world what we don’t often do in the real world: have discussions en masse about the issues that interest us.

Maybe, just maybe, leaders should give consideration to following Jesus’ example, and have a sort of questions and answers session after delivering a sermon, or create spaces within churches - whether it’s in cell groups, website forum or at conferences - to have such forums.

These would give believers an opportunity to thrash out issues, which hopefully would lead to greater clarity and understanding of how our faith impacts not just our lives, but the various life issues that exist.

04 keepthefaithmagazine

LOVE MAKES OUR CHURCHES WORK WELL Much of the dissatisfaction believers experience in their Christian life is usually due to the quality of the relationships they have, whether with God, with themselves or with others.

As someone who has been a Christian for 30+ years, one of the greatest complaints I’ve heard amongst church folk about the Christian life is the feeling of being uncared for. This is unfortunately a by-product of living in a fast-paced society that values making money above building and maintaining relationships.

Anyone who has had the privilege of being part of a church during its early years of development often recalls that the things they enjoyed most about those times was the emphasis on prayer, fasting and worship, and the closeness they enjoyed with fellow members. Nearly all say that as the church has grown in size, these things have slowly disappeared.

People thrive in churches where they feel loved and cared for, and unbelievers are more likely to join a church that has a loving atmosphere. Jesus was obviously thinking of this when He told His disciples that love should be the key feature of their relationships, stating: “A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).

In life, nothing remains the same. Churches grow, develop and expand, meaning that the time believers once had to maintain relationships is reduced. This does not mean we must stop showing love, it just means we have to carve out time to do so.

We must do all we can to demonstrate our love for fellow believers, because when we don’t, not only is our experience of being a Christian diminished, but we are disobeying one of Christ’s greatest commandments.

Love really does make the world go round, and it’s what makes our relationships and our churches work.

Readers’ Letters We’d love to hear your views on Keep The Faith and the featured articles.

Send your letters to Keep The Faith Letters, PO Box 574, Bury St Edmunds IP33 9BW or better still, email letters keepthefaith.co.uk churches that preach sound doctrine based on the Word of God and on Christ’s finished work on the cross. Churches need to work more closely together and allow the Holy Spirit to direct as HE will.

Name supplied

Touching on the issue of race

STAR LETTER*** Denominations must be relevant I just wanted to commend Stephen Brooks on an absolutely fabulous article in the last edition of Keep The Faith magazine (issue 65). It was extremely timely, and touched on some relevant issues that Christians need to be thinking about.

My observation, since returning to the UK seven years ago, is that denominational issues play too much of a role in everyday church affairs, and Christ never intended things to be this way, as HIS prayer was for us to be as ONE, just as HE and the Father are ONE. In Jamaica, the churches in my experience work far more closely together, and are also able to impact social change. For this reason, most established churches in Jamaica get support from the Government to set up training facilities at their churches that train in everything from ‘O’ Levels/GCSEs to vocational skills (carpentry, hairdressing, etc) and, upon successfully completing such courses, gain academic accreditations. As a consequence, the church is seen as being relevant in communities.

Interestingly also, when there are major crusades in Jamaica, the planning involves several churches.

When persons give their hearts to the Lord after an altar call, and fill out decision cards, it is recommended that they attend participating churches, the goal being to direct them to 06 keepthefaithmagazine

I am so glad Rev David Shosanya was brave enough to tackle the issue of race (issue 65).

I attend a church with a diverse congregation and, as much as I love this, I do get annoyed that whenever we have discussions about racial issues, the first thing people end up saying is “When I look at you I don’t see a colour, I see a person.” Oftentimes, the very same people who make such statements are the ones who have stopped attending the church, as they don’t like the fact that more people of colour are joining the church. Despite the many advances Black people are making in British society, race is still an issue, and the sooner we start talking more openly about it, the better.

Joseph Edwards, London

Hurray for the Wise Women Awards I was really inspired by the report on the recent Wise Women Awards, and loved the fact that the awards were won by ordinary Christian women doing great things. It makes a change, as it’s normally pastors’ wives and gospel artists that are ‘bigged’ up and acknowledged in our churches. The Wise Women Awards are a positive development: we now have a Christian event, where they give acknowledgement to the ‘women sitting in the church pews’ as much as to those women who stand on the church rostrum. God bless Pastor Marjorie Esomowei for the great work she is doing with the Awards, and long may the Wise Women Awards continue.

Mary Izuku, Kent

I love Mary Mary I am a Mary Mary fan, so you can imagine how excited I was to see them on the front cover (issue 65). They looked great. I love reading about gospel artists who are making an impact within the church and wider society, and these great ladies certainly are. I’ve also gone and bought their album and love it. Mary Mary are definitely doing big things.

Ian Smith, Bristol

God’s peace makes a difference I am so glad that I read Esther Williams’ article, ‘Let God’s Peace Be Your Comfort in Difficult Times’. My life has been really stressful of late, mainly as a result of events outside of my control, so it was good to be reminded to put my trust in God, and to rest in God’s peace. Thanks, Esther.

Josephine Williams, Wolverhampton

The Bible is a great Book I must commend Rev Israel Oluwale Olofinjana on his article about why Black people love the King James Version of the Bible.

It’s good to acknowledge the role the Bible has played in the lives of Black folk.

We know it’s been used as a tool to subjugate us, but how often do we hear of its role in bringing about our liberation and raising our aspirations?

In my view, not often enough, so it was good to be reminded of this fact. I am a great fan of the Bible, and I can say, along with millions of Black folk, it is the best Book in the world, and I don’t know what kind of life I would be living if I didn’t have access to it.

Mary Rogers, Sheffield

Articles helping me manage money I’ve really enjoyed reading Isaac Carter’s articles. I’m not great at handling money, so it’s been an educational exercise for me to read his articles, which have covered a range of important areas, such as setting financial goals; dealing with debt; and more recently, how to find additional income streams. I have implemented some of his suggested ideas, and have indeed increased my income. Thank you, Isaac, for your enlightening articles, and thank you, Keep The Faith, for producing such an informative and enlightening magazine.

Michael Johns, Surrey

This could be your last free copy of Keep The Faith Magazine! ments in one of the d of important events and develop rme info you t kep has e azin mag Faith with information and updates For nearly seven years Keep The month, our magazine is packed ry Eve rch.

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NEWS

CHURCH PROTECTED DURING EASTER SHOOTING SPREE

By Shirin Aguiar-Holloway The minister of the Brixton church, which experienced a terrifying shoot-out on Easter Sunday, believes his church was divinely protected during the attack, which targeted a father and child.

But a community safety expert is warning that unless churches engage with the community and reach out to alienated youth, they can expect further such incidents.

Two men sprayed bullets into the air, as a packed congregation of more than 600 people, including the Jamaican High Commissioner, left the New Testament Church of God, Brixton in South London, after a christening. Miraculously, no one was injured.

Reverend Les Isaac, director of the Ascension Trust, which runs the successful countrywide Street Pastors scheme, said the incident should be a ‘clear sign’ to the Church: “We have got to join the community. We have to get out and reach these people.”

The incident has not dampened the church’s spirit, and its attendance has increased. Reverend Bishop Dr Rudolph Parkinson, senior pastor, told Keep The Faith, “The day before we had been praying for extra divine covering. There was a divine covering.”

He added, “The Church has a choice: stay within the four walls or engage. Wherever I’ve gone out and the church has gone out, things have improved, otherwise they become prisoners in their churches.”

Bishop Parkinson, who believes that a grudge lay behind the shooting, added, “Our attendance has grown, and we have seen completely new people. I thought this would have been a dampener, but people are still rejoicing and giving thanks.”

Dr R H Parkinson

Bishop Parkinson agreed ‘100 per cent’ that something had to be done, and pointed to personal witnessing by his flock, and a witness march from Peckham to Brixton scheduled for August.

He added, “This is no time for us to sit back and fold our arms, because the enemy is going round at this time, and we need to join hands and forces together.”

Although both agree that action is needed, Bishop Parkinson strongly believes this was a one-off incident. He said police would be keeping their eyes and ears open, and said he was in talks with them over security strategies.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said, "Detectives are confident that this was a targeted shooting, and that there is no reason to believe that such an attack will be replicated elsewhere.”

CHURCH PIONEER DIES The Christian world is mourning the death of Reverend David Wilkerson, who started a worldrenowned ministry to young drug addicts and gang members. He died in a car accident in Texas, aged 79.

Universallyrespected, Reverend Wilkerson pastored in Pennsylvania, but when he saw a photograph in Life magazine of several New York City teenagers, charged with murder, he was moved to go to the city in 1959 and start a ministry to gangs.

Rev David Wilkerson

He founded Teen Challenge, which has reached youth and young adults through its 414 centres.

The ministry’s biblically-based recovery programme for drug addicts has been recognised as one of the most effective of its kind. His historic bestseller, The Cross and the Switchblade, published in 1963, has been read by over 15 million people. In 1969, a film based on the book was released.

Rev Wilkerson’s life and work impacted on Black Christians in the US and UK. The Reverend Nims Obunge, pastor of Freedom’s Ark in North London, paid tribute to him for turning many young hearts to God and for influencing his own life.

He said, “Everybody who was a Christian in the 70s and 80s would have known of David Wilkerson’s boldness in going into no-go areas, and working with people said to be untouchable.

“The Cross and the Switchblade and his life brought me to a place where I had a great passion for evangelism. It’s incredible the work he’s done in communities with gangs and young people.

Nobody’s unreachable.”

Reverend Wilkerson is survived by his wife, Gwen, four children, and 11 grandchildren.

By Shirin Aguiar-Holloway

Marriage and fatherhood scheme welcomed by church leaders A new scheme by African-American churches to renew marriage and fatherhood, and help stem the decay of family life within the community, is being welcomed by church leaders here.

the Mayor of London’s mentoring initiative, which is looking for 3,000 leaders in the Black community to mentor 1,000 boys.

The scheme, led by 10 church leaders in partnership with family organisations, including the National Fatherhood Initiative, aims to educate and inspire the Black church to address the decline in marriage and paternal involvement that plague the Black community. US clergy will be asked to sign the Call to Action, indicating their desire to reverse these destructive trends.

Obunge said that he and other leaders were looking at different programmes that can help families stay together, and promised a concerted and consolidated effort.

UK church leaders say they are already working towards a similar goal. Rev Nims Obunge, founder of the Peace Alliance, pointed to

08 keepthefaithmagazine

Rev Nims Obunge

Bishop Dr Joe Aldred said it was important to focus on family life and on the structures that support quality family life. By Shirin Aguiar-Holloway

NEWS

Concerned mother to lead march against youth violence A Christian mother of seven boys has decided to organise a march as a show of unity against gun and knife Negus McLean crime in the London Borough of Edmonton, following the mindless murder of teenager, Negus McLean.

Angela Andrews* (not her real name), a designer/ dressmaker by profession, is calling on the Christian community and on concerned members of the public to join her on the Unity Peace Rally, which takes place in Edmonton on June 18.

She said, “As a mother of seven sons in the area, I became incensed with the mindlessness of the situation. I don’t know what the answer is to this sickness devouring our communities, however we know it is time for all of us as families to stand together and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. This is what propelled me into going from just saying it, to actually trying to do something.”

It is Angela’s hope that the march will bring the people of Edmonton together, and provide invaluable information for people looking after troubled young people, as well as provide strategies for young people to combat the negativity of urban culture. She said, “Most parents don’t actually know what youth services are available; where to go, or how to access support for their youth!

Some youth appear to be disaffected from the community and feel no one cares. They need to have a voice, but also to be shown how to use it in a manner which can Angela be accepted by the Andrews wider community.”

Faith groups and community organisations in Edmonton have given their support to the planned Unity Peace Rally. Angela hopes she will also get support from concerned celebrities, the media, and volunteers willing to help on the day.

Visit http://www.wix.com/nwfoundation/unity-peace-rally or phone 07904 290155 for more details.

New organisation for Christian professionals to be launched Young social entrepreneur, Samuel Kasumu, 24, is set to launch an organisation for students and professionals called the Christian Professional Network (CPNUK).

The CPNUK aims to build strong relationships between Christian professionals working in all sectors of society, as well as create opportunities for members to share their skills and experience for the betterment of the Church. The CPNUK will initially focus its efforts on the Black Christian community, and also seek to promote the core values of the Christian faith: love and justice.

Samuel believes Christian professionals have a key part to play in bringing Gospel values to bear in the wider community. Samuel stated, “They carry the social and economic weight to have their voices heard, and they have the skills and experiences to serve the wider community.”

A recent graduate and member of Jesus House in Brent Cross, North London, Samuel has great

experience as a social entrepreneur. He founded Elevation Networks (EN, a youth charity that helps young people to be more competitive whilst at university). He has also been featured on the influential Black Power List, and was recently selected as one of the top 25 young entrepreneurs by the New Entrepreneurs Foundation.

It is Samuel’s hope that the CPNUK will enable church members to develop skills that can be used to make the Church more relevant. He said, “Black churches have the strong volunteer base and infrastructures to be a powerful force within their local areas. However, a lack of knowhow, and the need for advice and guidance, is something we have identified as the key reason why this isn’t always the case.”

CPNUK members have already started giving advice and support to churches and seeing positive results.

Joseph De Gannes of Mitcham, Surrey Happy Fathers Day and thank you for 57 wonderful years of marriage. Through God’s blessing we have made it this far and we give thanks to God. Love from Bernadette.

Keep The Faith would like to congratulate Joseph and Rev De Gannes. Grenadian-born Joseph and Bernadette married on 27 December 1953. They are blessed with five sons, 13 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Rev Bernadette is a pastor at New Testament Assembly, Dulwich.

Church leaders oppose £3 billion spend on nuclear weapons Church leaders have denounced the Government’s decision yesterday to spend at £3 billion on a nuclear weapons system.

The Government has delayed a final vote on buying a replacement for the Trident weapons system until 2016, but yesterday Defence Secretary, Liam Fox, announced his approval for the initial £3 billion phase of production.

Leaders from The Methodist Church, The Baptist Union and the United Reformed Church said the Government’s backing of a new nuclear weapons system was “unaffordable, immoral and strategically unwise”.

Paul Morrison, policy adviser for The Methodist Church, said: “The £3 billion the Government has committed could pay the entire budget for every SureStart Centre in the country for the next two years; £3 billion would stop every council cut this year, and the first ten months of next year. Instead, that money is being used to purchase an option of whether to buy weapons of mass destruction.”

For more information, email info@cpnuk.org www.keepthefaith.co.uk 09

NEWS

Christian Publisher set to become Hollywood star There’s every possibility that in the near future, Christian businessman, Allan Sealy, could be gracing the red carpet as a Hollywood movie star, as he has been chosen to play the lead role in an action thriller, entitled Presidential Dilemma.

Believer wins title of UK public speaking champion

Sealy, who runs graphic design company, Ministry in Art, and publishes the well-known UK Christian magazine, Spread The Word, was picked for the part after meeting filmmaker Lovelace Lee III whilst on holiday in Los Angeles.

In the last edition of Keep The Faith, we reported that Londoner, Malachi Talabi, had won the South East England Final of the national UK and Ireland Toastmasters’ International Public Speaking competition, and was going to be participating in the UK finals.

Lovelace thought Allan, who is a trained actor, would be perfect to play the lead character in his screenplay. Lovelace stated, “I take pride in discovering new talent. Seeing Allan as Dobbie (the main character) is a complete no-brainer.

He’s rugged, good-looking, and has prepared himself for the role.”

Well, you’ll be pleased to know that Malachi, a member of Christian Life City in Hackney, East London, is now going to participate in the international finals in Las Vegas, after winning the UK & Ireland Toastmasters’ International Speech final, held in Old Windsor, Berkshire.

He added, “I believe Allan’s career will be launched internationally with our film. This is all really amazing to Allan, because he came to Los Angeles on vacation, and wasn’t looking for work.”

Malachi beat off some fierce competition, with his speech, Keep on Walking, which touched on the themes of racism, bullying and neglect, and is excited about his win.

He said, “I can’t believe I’m actually going to Las Vegas; it is absolutely a dream come true. I am just so humbled by the amount of people who have heard my speech and told me that they were inspired by my story.

It is an honour to be flying the flag for the UK and Ireland, and I promise to give 110% of my best when I get to America.”

Allan Sealy

When Lovelace asked Allan to play the lead in Presidential Dilemma, the Brit says that he was speechless. He said, “I wish you could have seen my face! I had no idea that Lovelace was going to choose me for this role. He had sent me the script via email, and asked that I read it. Silly me!”

Although no date has been set for filming, Allan has been busy preparing for the role, by learning the script; taking lessons in weaponry and combat, and undergoing a fitness programme that involves running and swimming. Few people know that Allan is into judo, ju-jitsu and kick boxing training.

Allan will play Dobbie, a US Colonel, who, following a series of events, gets given the responsibility for protecting the US President.

Allan is looking forward to his new starring role.

He said, “I was surprised that my character was so complex. Lovelace’s script will push me to my limits as an actor.”

Whilst Hollywood and stardom are beckoning for Allan, he has no plans to give up his businesses to fulfil his dream of having an acting career.

And he’s relying on his faith in God to keep his feet on the ground. “It’s my faith that reminds me to pray and be grateful for this opportunity.

Without my faith, I’d be truly nothing.”

Despite his current success, Malachi has no plans of quitting his job as a Teaching Assistant. He said: “I love my job; I love working with the kids. It is important for kids to know that there are no limits to what they can do, if they put their mind to it.”

Churches urged to pray for toddler groups An alliance of Christian denominations and agencies is calling on churches to take part in the first ever prayer day for toddler groups on Sunday 5 June 2011. 1277 are encouraging Christians to pray for those who attend and help out at their church toddler groups, and to celebrate the valuable work they are doing. It’s estimated there are 27,000 church-based toddler groups, providing support to 50% of the nation’s pre-schoolers and their carers, making them the largest provider of support and care for young families.

The Alliance would like to see universal access to excellent, safe, Christian toddler groups, which are demonstrating God’s love at the heart of their communities.

“For many of those who attend toddler groups, this is the only contact they have with Christianity and faith,” said Alison Dayer, Under Fives Consultant at Scripture Union. “For some, toddler groups are an oasis of welcome and support that is sadly missing in many parts of our society. It really is mission on the frontline.”

Organisations, which form part of 1277 - named after the average number of days between a child’s birth and the start of formal education - include the Church of England, the Methodist Church, and the Baptist Union of Great Britain. A downloadable poster, prayer pointers, and other resources are available at www.scriptureunion.org.uk 10 keepthefaithmagazine

Malachi Talabi (centre)

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COMMENT

Counteracting negative stereotyping of Black men Rev David Shosanya looks at how Black men can counteract negative stereotyping; be energised and proud of their cultural heritage, and lead fulfilling, exemplary lives Rev David Shosanya

I

n August 2008, the BBC ran a three-part documentary entitled ‘The Trouble With Black Men’. The series sought to explore some of the challenges Black men faced in British society. The documentary maker, David Matthews, argued that, “There is no single cause for the problems young Black men face in Britain today,” and asserted “… One thing I do know is that your race, colour or class shouldn’t make you deny yourself genuine opportunities, or hold you back, or limit your ambitions.”

David Matthews is himself a mixed race man.

I would argue that he would be at least partially cognisant of the sense of social and geographical dislocation felt by Black communities in British society, a phenomenon which is also experienced by many mixed race individuals that find themselves having to wrestle with issues of identity as they are pulled between two competing communities and cultures.

The series left me asking questions about how sensitively and intuitively non-Black documentary makers can represent the reality of African and Caribbean communities. In fact, I find myself going further and asking how appropriate is it for non-Black documentary makers to create series like ‘The Trouble with Black Men’, given that they tend to perpetrate and further reinforce negative perceptions of African and Caribbean men and families.

One of their familiar ‘lines of attack’ is to illustrate the decline or dysfunction of Black communities Black men in particular - by making comparisons between the Windrush Generation and the second and third generation Black Britons. Making such comparisons may not be as convincing as its proponents might feel. For instance, the fact that the Windrush Generation spent the formative years of their lives in the Caribbean experiencing, internalising and valuing a distinct cultural identity that affirmed who they were and what they looked like, puts them at a distinct advantage, in contrast to second and third generation Black Britons, who have not had the experience of being part of a culture that affirms their humanity. In fact, it would not be misplaced to argue that, had it not been for this process of

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socialisation, Caribbean immigrants would not have survived the onslaught of the cultural racism they experienced on their arrival in the UK. We can too easily underestimate the powerful effects of social and cultural dislocation felt

by African and Caribbean communities in the UK, in particular, the acute sense of the loss of traditional support systems. These are the consequences of the increasing effects of globalisation and secularisation, as Black families are forced to spread out to secure jobs, housing and good schooling.

Similarly, it is easy for those of us who have managed to break through the malaise of cultural racism, and find a sense of equilibrium through faith, family or some other institution or activity, to look back and ask: “If I can do it, then why can’t you?” It is probable that we would have failed to take into account the unique and distinctive factors of an individual’s life story, and therefore not fully appreciated the challenges they have encountered in life.

‘‘

We should be careful to balance the negative stories of how Black men behave, with the many familiar yet unreported positive examples of Black men who do right by their families and who positively influence their lives.

Providentially, I have recently had several conversations with Black men, young and old, who are separated or divorced from their previous partners, and who no longer live with their children. The extent to which they have gone to maintain amicable relationships with their previous partner, and to be present in their children’s lives, has been inspirational - some even maintaining the very crucial link with the ex-partner’s extended family.

With this in mind, we should be careful to balance the negative stories of how Black men behave, with the many familiar yet unreported positive examples of Black men who do right by their families and who positively influence their lives.

So how can Black men counter the negative and corrosive impact of stereotyping? Allow me to suggest three ideas.

Firstly, Black men need to revive the club, fraternal or social spaces where we gather together as men. We need to prioritise making time and space to be with each other in mutually supportive ways. This is a positive legacy we can take from the Windrush generation: Black men made a point of spending time together playing dominos; listening to music; talking about politics, and generally socialising together.

In such spaces, our forefathers were able to speak about challenges, aspirations, hopes and dreams, and to draw on the practical wisdom of other men. Black men need to revive this tradition.

Secondly, Black men need to be more visible and joined-up in our community endeavours. This will have the positive impact of interlocking various community initiatives and communityminded individuals in such a way that the media and other observers would not be able to escape the positive contributions that we are making.

Furthermore, it will mean that we will need to be far more proactive in supplying positive stories and images that challenge the negative media perceptions and representations of Black men.

Thirdly, as Black men, we need to hold on to and draw upon the richness of our respective cultures and heritage, which offer us much-needed resources and practical insights on how to negotiate life. There is a danger that in seeking to integrate into British society we inadvertently jettison the aspects of our culture which equip us with the necessary sense of identity that we need, as we embark on this journey.

May I take this opportunity to wish all my Black brothers - and brothers from other communities Happy Fathers Day! Rev David Shosanya is a member of the London Baptist Association

COMMENT

The importance of a father’s legacy Rev Stephen Brooks explores the biblical concepts of legacy and inheritance, and shares why it’s important for fathers to leave an inheritance for future generations

Rev Stephen Brooks

M

uch has been written about the baby boomers born between 1945 and 1964, who make up the largest proportion of the church congregations today. Several highprofile baby boomers, like American Bill Gates of Microsoft - worth $50 billion, and Dragon’s Den entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne - worth £310 million, have Duncan Bannatyne expressed their intention to spend their children’s inheritance.

Bannatyne is determined that his children won’t be spoiled by his vast personal fortune.

He plans to have little money left by the time he dies.

He said, “I think it has become quite obvious to a lot of entrepreneurs that it’s not a good idea to leave everything to your children.

They end up having no drive or ambition, and don’t do anything.”

As a group, baby boomers are the healthiest and wealthiest generation that’s ever lived, and are the first generation to grow up genuinely expecting the world to improve with time. They are also associated with a rejection or redefinition of traditional values. Martin Luther King Jr was one of the most influential of the baby boomers.

Furthermore, it is also true that the boomers have done well out of the welfare state, being set to take out approximately 118% of what they put in.

I recently experienced the death of a close family member who was born in the 1930s, known as the Silent Generation, as much of the western world was experiencing the impact of the Great Depression. She lived every day purposefully, with tomorrow in mind, and was always mindful of her Christian inheritance and legacy.

In the Bible, the principle of inheritance is sacred and timeless. It states, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children” (Proverbs 13:22). When the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he said that, as their father in the faith, he would not take anything from them on the same principle of inheritance: “the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children” (2 Corinthians 12:14).

King Ahab, not a God-fearing man, was rebuffed for trying to exercise a compulsory purchase order on Naboth’s vineyard: ‘Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee”’ (1 Kings 21).

In Bible times, a portion of a family’s inheritance would contribute towards the care of parents in their old age, as the care of the elderly fell on the eldest son. For this reason, the first-born son was given a double portion (Deuteronomy 21:17).

The social security system we have in Britain today has, to some extent, diminished the biblical concept that children should care for their elderly parents, and that inheritance is laid up partially to provide for old age. Indeed, at both ends of life, we expect the State to care for those we should be caring for ourselves. We see the very young put into day nurseries, and the very old into nursing homes. The responsibility between the generations does not just look back; it also looks forward. In Proverbs it is written, “Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children are their fathers” (Proverbs 17:6). So we do not have just children honouring their parents in the Bible, but parents having great care and regard for what is being handed down to their children and grandchildren.

The Black community has a relatively high rate of home ownership, but larger families, higher rates of family breakdown, and lone parenthood.

This negatively impacts the amount of inheritance available to pass on. Lower lifetime earnings of Black people, due to the employment gap, which is currently 16% lower than the White population (60% and 76% respectively), further disadvantages Black people. In 2009, this employment gap has been estimated to cost the economy £8.6 billion a year (£1.3 billion in benefit payments and lost tax revenue, and £7.3 billion in lost output). Researchers Avery and Rendall (2002) found that inheritances increased the wealth gap between Black and White people, because even though Black people were more

supportive of the concept of inheritance, their lack of assets, compared with Whites’, put them at a massive disadvantage in terms of the distribution of wealth and the way it moves down the generations.

Parents in the biblical model of inheritance are custodians of a wealth that is much more than material possessions.

It is important that people have an understanding of their families’ financial affairs, as seven out of eight men die before their wives.

Everybody should have a will for when they reach the end of their life. If there is no plan to continue our life’s works through Godly stewardship of our assets, we cannot truly say we have completed the task that has been assigned to us. In addition to a will, fathers should draft a family legacy plan. Each family’s plan will be different; the one common factor that should be evident for every Christian is an understanding of God’s principles for managing and investing, not just for the consumption of assets. The legacy plan should seek to impact no less than three future generations, because when we don’t spend enough time building and teaching legacy, our influence is short-lived.

As we have seen during this financial crisis, all it takes is one Government policy, like inheritance tax, to rise and none of our financial wealth amounts to anything. Biblical inheritance includes material possessions, information, history, customs and, most importantly, a real experiential knowledge of Jesus Christ. This has proven to be a solid foundation during times of prosperity and poverty. Fathers, let’s find ways to build our communities, churches and families, and create a lasting inheritance.

Rev Stephen Brooks is National Development Manager for Excell 3 (National Black Boys Can Association). Visit www.blackboyscan.co.uk www.keepthefaith.co.uk 13

COMMENT

God: The world’s best example for fathers Rev Wale Hudson-Roberts explores Black fatherhood; the reasons children need good fathers, and why God sets the standard for qualities a father should aim to attain Rev Wale Hudson-Roberts

I

am aware that we live in a country that is not explicit in its encouragement of Black males. Indeed, our frequent setbacks appear disproportionate when compared with others, and the possible reasons remain an understandable cause of debate and consternation.

I am not a psychologist. I can’t claim to understand the full workings of the male psychology, but I do know that a dysfunctional upbringing can impact one’s future. I am also able to wax lyrical about Black males that have surmounted insurmountable obstacles, and this regardless of their chequered past.

I am, however, a pastor. Might this explain my fascination with the possible ‘stuff’ that can contribute to holistic Black manhood? I wonder if a corrective theology of the greatest Man on earth - Jesus Christ, the God-Man - might be a starting point. Not long after my son was born, I asked an experienced father to give me advice about fatherhood. He said, “Don’t leave theology up to Sunday school or your son’s local school.

Teach him about Christ yourself.” It took me a while to comprehend what he meant; I now appreciate his insightful comment.

For I, too, was raised on the bland Jesus of Sunday school, and of my mother’s gentle retellings of the meek, mild Jesus who told us, in a nice, passive, sentimental way, to ‘love our enemies’, and who assured us that we need not worry about our troubles, just bring them to Him. He was a gentle, serene, non-threatening Jesus, whose only concern was getting believers into heaven.

I add to this depiction by also talking with my son about the Jesus of Nazareth, the political revolutionary, who, more than just seeking to alleviate the systemic causes of people’s suffering, sought primarily to assuage the causes of their affliction. I also, using child-like language, explain that Jesus was the God-Man who brought comfort and intimacy, but refused to negate hope and revolution for the oppressed Jew. I am increasingly convinced that the portrayal of an insipid Christ can help justify social and political inertia. Conversely, if fathers portray a

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passionate, single-minded, subversive Christ, whose sole mission was to transform the world, and who, in the face of relentless opposition, succeeded, such a description can encourage our sons to want to do and be the same: courageous agents of change.

However, not only can a broader understanding of Christ inculcate a sense of vision and ‘somebodyness’ into our sons, spending quality time with our sons is also very important. Sadly, I am not home early enough every evening to put my young son to bed. But I know my son loves it when I do. This can involve a discussion about a character in the Bible, or ideas from a book he has read, and we are fortunate that he is still of the age where praying and chatting together are non-negotiable.

Interestingly, what my son tells me in these sacred moments of intimacy may not have been told, if time had not been not carved out for him.

It serves a dual purpose: I listen to his aspirations, frustrations and concerns, and build his everdeveloping but fragile self-esteem, and sometimes apologise for being unnecessarily austere. But he also knows that during these regular encounters, he can be himself; wear his heart on his sleeve, and talk, talk and talk about anything and everything.

I have had many challenges in life, though perhaps the most challenging is growing into a reflective and generally selfless father. With no blueprint to emulate, fatherhood is a messy business. You learn on the job.

Long before I became a father, I used to think fatherhood was straightforward stuff. Now that I am one, I understand why so many fathers choose to become workaholics and not ‘fatherholics’. Many of us hide behind a selfmade punishing work schedule, which involves managing people, processes and systems. This if far less problematic than parenting a crying baby or a complicated teenager.

Mature, reflective fatherhood demands maturity and sacrifice - elusive qualities in many Black fathers. Evidence indicates that a father’s long-term absence can permanently fracture the lives of their sons.

Fatherhood is made even more difficult because of the lack of strong, Black, fatherly role models.

However, the constant recycling of Black dysfunctional fathers needs to stop. Now that my own father has passed away, my example of fatherhood comes from the father in the parable of the prodigal son.

According to Middle Eastern culture, fathers neither ran towards nor pleaded with their sons; such behaviour was supposedly beneath them.

In what was a very strict honour-and-shame culture, disregarding such cultural norms could permanently damage Mature, reflective a family’s reputation fatherhood and bring shame and demands maturity dishonour on its and sacrifice members. But this father elusive qualities blows caution to the in many Black wind and ignores strict fathers. Evidence Middle Eastern protocol. indicates that For, on seeing his younger a father’s long son from a distance, the term absence parable says, ‘he ran can permanently towards him’, and, as if fracture the lives this were not disrespectful of their sons. enough, he also pleaded with the stroppy older son to join in the party. The parable clearly points to God whose unconditional love is consistent.

A Father who adores the children He has created; who listens to their pain, and calls them by name.

He even runs towards and pleads with the most repugnant of His sons. His graciousness is as mysterious as it is immeasurable. What a Father God.

‘‘

Frankly, if we are to produce a ‘Joshua Generation’, many Black fathers - including myself - need to raise the bar. This requires Black fathers to emulate the Divine Father, reflected in the parable: a listening, caring and encouraging father. Until then, perhaps our community will continue to be blighted by stories of underachievement, gun and knife crime, and teenage pregnancies.

Rev Wale Hudson-Roberts is the Racial Justice Coordinator for the Baptist Union of Great Britain

www.keepthefaith.co.uk 15

INTERVIEW

Overseer Charles S.Wright This July, the Assemblies of the First Born Church celebrates its 50th anniversary. It was founded in 1961 by Jamaicanborn Overseer Charles S Wright, in Battersea, South London.

He was one of the many thousands of Black Jamaicans who immigrated to the UK in the 1950s and 60s in search of a better life. Not only did he find that better life, but Overseer Wright heard God’s voice, and started a denomination through which countless thousands have been saved, healed and delivered.

The Assemblies of the First Born have 17 branches throughout the UK, and three branches in the USA. Overseer Wright spoke to Keep The Faith about the Assemblies of the First Born; his life in the UK during the 1950s, and how his faith in God impacts his life.

Keep The Faith (KTF): How does it feel to reach the 50th anniversary of the Assemblies of the First Born (AFB), the church you founded in the 1960s?

Overseer Charles S Wright (OCW): I have a feeling of great joy in my heart, and thanksgiving and gratitude to the Lord that He has allowed us at the Assemblies of the First Born UK to reach the 50th anniversary of our formation in the UK. I would like to pay a special tribute to all the men and women who have worked together to ensure that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been spread; that the church has been built over this period, and who look forward to the further progress of the Lord’s work.

KTF: What, in your view, have been the major achievements of the AFB over the years?

OCW: Our greatest achievement has been the spread of the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, both nationally and internationally.

Through the help of the Lord, thousands of people have heard the Gospel; committed their lives to the Lord; been delivered from bondages, and have been healed. We have also been able to raise up hundreds of leaders, who have gone on to establish other churches and projects throughout the world. Another achievement we are thankful to the Lord for, is that we have been able to establish 17 churches throughout the UK, three in the USA, and we own 10 buildings in the UK and three buildings in the USA.

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KTF: What have been the key challenges you’ve faced as a church leader, and how did you deal with them?

OCW: The greatest challenges I have faced as a church leader has been a lack of unity and a lack of co-operation. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood; it is a spiritual battle. The keys to overcoming all challenges are fasting and prayer, and meditating on the Word. I can say that my confidence is in the Lord, and that in spite of every challenge, He gives us the victory continually.

KTF: How has the Black church changed since the pioneering years of the 1950s and 60s?

OCW: The key change since the 1960s to the present day is that people are more independent and prosperous. This has both advantages and disadvantages, in that it can lead to a belief in self-sufficiency and a neglect of the work of the Lord. For example, the negative effects can be shown through a lack of time investing in fasting and prayer; attending corporate worship, and having fellowship with other believers. On the other hand, one positive effect is that committed believers can readily initiate new works to build the Kingdom of God. KTF: What key developments would you like to see occur within the Black Christian community during the next decade?

OCW: I would like to see a closer unity between the Black Christian community, where we press

INTERVIEW

forward together with better fellowship with one another, and where we work together on more joint projects. I would also like to see more integration and working in partnership with other non Black-led churches in the UK.

KTF: You are one of the Black church pioneers.

What made you decide to leave Jamaica and immigrate to the UK? OCW: It was God-inspired. I was quite a successful young man in Jamaica with my own shoemaking business, when the Lord called me to leave Jamaica and come to the UK. During a prayer meeting, the Lord spoke to me that He would take me out of my homeland and bring me into a new country to fulfil His will. It is of paramount importance that we hear from the Lord by seeking Him and acting on what He says. Obeying the will of the Lord will come at a price, which we must be prepared to pay to fulfil our God-given destiny.

KTF: What year did you arrive in the UK; where did you first live, and how did you find those early years of life here in the UK? OCW: I remember it very well. I arrived in England on the 6th October 1954, and first lived at 5 Ilminster Gardens, Battersea, London SW11. Those early days were very difficult. Apart from getting used to a different culture and weather conditions, there was a lack of access to jobs, and living conditions were poor. I remember when I moved to Alma Road, there was no bathroom and we had to use the Council public baths. Those early days were a real challenge, but through fellowship with others who had also immigrated to the UK, we got through them together.

KTF: What kind of treatment did you get when you visited English churches in those early years?

OCW: I received a very mixed response. At times I was made to feel very welcome, and at other times the experience was not very enjoyable.

KTF: What inspired you to establish the Assemblies of the First Born?

OCW: It was in 1958 when the Lord spoke to me about starting a prayer meeting. I was worshipping with the Church of God in Christ when the Lord gave me this revelation, but my first thoughts were that I had nowhere to hold meetings, as I did not have a house of my own. The Lord used a church brother, Brother Alfie Ferron, to come and speak to me, and this was confirmed. I then endeavoured to buy a property. Shortly after this, I bought a house, 55 Stormont Road, Battersea, and opened with a prayer meeting. At the same time, Brother Thomas Cooper (who had also made the transition to England in 1954 with me) started a prayer meeting at 167 Upperdale Road, Derby, and was joined by Brother Hubert Maxwell from Nottingham. The three of us made contact with each other, and we soon realised that God had put together a wonderful plan for the redemption of lost souls, and this plan included us working together.

KTF: What were the early years of church pioneering in the UK like?

OCW: There were many challenges to build, establish and maintain a church in those early years. People would come from Jamaica and, on hearing about the prayer meetings, would attend. However, over time, some people would leave and the numbers would drop off, but we persevered. Eventually, due to the power of the Holy Spirit, the numbers grew, and it got to the point where the whole house at 55 Stormont Road was so full that there were people in the front room, in the dining room, in the passage and on the staircase. We soon reached the stage where we had to find a church building to hold all the people, and required a church van. At one point, we had over 200 children in the Sunday school. The church had now been birthed.

KTF: What did you like most about those days?

OCW: The fellowship - it was so good in those days. We regularly held all-night prayer meetings, which would run from Saturday evening to Sunday mornings. Members truly had everything in common, often sharing the same house and the same food. This led to a closeness, which is the key to ushering the presence of the Holy Spirit during corporate worship.

‘‘

Faith is the key. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, and without faith it is impossible to please God. KTF: Share a little bit about your childhood.

OCW: I was born on the 8th January 1930, in an area near Rock River, Clarendon in Jamaica, and grew up in Garden Hill with three older sisters. My father was a farmer, and my mother was a businesswoman who owned a shop business in the district. I had an enjoyable childhood, and we had a comfortable lifestyle due to the hard work of my father and mother.

KTF: What role did the church play in your early life?

OCW: The church played a major role in my early life, where I attended the Sunday school of established churches as a child. I gave my life to the Lord at the age of 14. My father did not approve of me attending the local Pentecostal church, as he preferred the established churches in the district. The church I attended took care of me for over four months as a result of my decision to serve the Lord at the Pentecostal church against the wishes of my father.

preachers and evangelists who came to my district. Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ has made a tremendous difference to my life, and everything that I am today and that I have achieved throughout my life, is as a direct result of my serving the Lord and of my relationship with the Holy Spirit.

KTF: You’ve lived many years, what are the three key life lessons you’ve learned?

OCW: (1) Take God at His Word - He will perform it; (2) live righteously and set yourself apart for His will for your life, and (3) seek the Lord, obey His voice and be aware you will have to give up something to fulfil His purpose for your life.

KTF: How does it feel to be one a Black church pioneer here in the UK? OCW: It is a very pleasing feeling to see that my labours, sacrifices and struggles have not been in vain, and have produced much fruit, which has remained. I look back with real joy as I reflect on the thousands of souls saved, and hundreds of marriages and baby dedications that I have been a part of.

KTF: What special word of hope and encouragement do you have for Keep The Faith readers?

OCW: I would like to encourage the Keep The Faith readers to believe in God; even if you start off with very little, or go through difficult times, God is mindful to increase you and your children more and more. Faith is the key. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, and without faith it is impossible to please God. Be of good cheer and look up, for our redemption draws near. Every blessing, from Overseer Charles S Wright.

KTF: What inspired you to become a Christian, and what difference has believing in Christ made to your life?

OCW: I was inspired to become a Christian after hearing the Word of God from the visiting www.keepthefaith.co.uk 17

FEATURE

A real man follows the example of Jesus Pastor Doug Williams writes that the crisis in masculinity can be resolved if men model their lives on Jesus, the Founder of the Christian faith

Pastor Doug Williams

I

consider myself privileged! Several years ago at a men’s breakfast in Central London, I sat down and had a talk with the late Dr Edwin Louis Cole. His understanding of the needs, fears and potential of men was astounding. He was truly a prophetic teacher, with a real pastoral heart. That morning he said, ‘Guys, I want to let you know that real manhood is defined by the example of Christ.

Manhood and Christlikeness are synonymous!’

I never forgot that phrase, tucked it away in my brain, and have been reflecting on it ever since.

We desperately need a clear standard for manhood, and it seems that the loss of such a definition is affecting the urban Black community more than any other: “The ‘continuing problem’ of gang violence is due to the absence of fathers in Black communities.” - Jack Straw i

“The Black Caribbean community has a higher level of absent fathers than any other group. It is no small irony that, in an age when we're told that women can do everything, the absence of fathers is having a devastating effect on teenage Black boys, turning them to drugs and violence in unprecedented numbers.” - Tony Sewell ii A research paper accessing the studies of Rebekah Coley says the following on the role of fathers in the upbringing of children: “Fatherly involvement appeared to have a protective effect. The teenagers who saw more of their fathers at the first interview, and/or who had more communications with him, were less likely to be involved in delinquent behaviour, such as stealing and drug use, at the second interview.” iii Research can be selective and not always reliable, but it would seem that the correlation between delinquent and dysfunctional children and prodigal fathers is too strong to ignore. What can responsible pastoral counsel offer this debate? i BBC News Online, Tuesday 21 August 2007 ii Mail Online, Monday 09 May 2011 iii BPS Research Digest

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The Real Man: Developmental years

The Real Man: Ministry and Maturity years

There is not a lot of Scripture that records the boy-to-man development of Jesus, but what we do have is revealing:

Watching Jesus in ministry is exciting! The ministry years were amazing when you consider the impact of a thirty year old, with a small group of young disciples. (Some may have been in their late teens!) How does He model manhood? I am impressed with His attitude towards women: His respect for - but correction of - those caught in sexual sin or relational compromise; His heart for a bereaved mother was touching (He brings her only son back to life), and His interest in women hindered by embarrassing medical conditions, or physical disability was remarkable.

The pure sensitivity of His relationship with female friends called Mary and Martha is to be noted in full. Not to mention His passion to feed the hungry, heal the sick, pray and care for children, and find clothes for a naked man at the cemetery, in the middle of the night! And watch Him stop to help beggars and lepers!

“Then He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” Luke 2:51-52 Jesus had just completed His ‘bar mitzvah’, and was formally recognised as part of the adult male community of His day. His ‘voice’ was recognised, and He was able to engage in dialogue and debate with the elders and community leaders.

I think we are waiting too long to engage the next generation in meaningful dialogue with the adult males in the community, but their need to access such an arena of inclusion is now being offered by drug barons and gang leaders!

Jesus was obedient to His parents. The right relationship to parents at this transitional stage is crucial. Jesus is honouring the authority of His mother and father - both were in the house!

He then increased in ‘wisdom’ - intellectual development. Education is not to be taken lightly.

The next focus of development was ‘stature’.

Jesus gave attention to His physical well-being, and finally He had ‘favour’ with God and developed ‘spiritually’.

These three levels of growth need attention and support in the lives of our young men like never before.

He sits around a late night camp fire to help an old man clarify theology. He challenges compromise, exposes hypocrisy, but pays taxes and obeys civic authority. He is tenderly moved to tears at a friend’s funeral, but ferociously committed to cleansing the temple. (Twice!)

He handles betrayal with grace; forgives a backsliding colleague; endures a false trial; suffers unjust beatings (and still has time to think about the care of His aging mother!) and finally submits to an excruciating death! This is indeed a real Man. He was a Man who rose early to pray in isolation; stayed up late at night to pray on mountains; prayed for meals and provision; prayed with friends and prayed for enemies.

The Real Man: Finishing strong The first words we have recorded, coming from the lips of Jesus as a young Man in the temple, are about His commitment to His Father’s house and business (Luke 2:49), and the last words He spoke before leaving earth were about His Father’s business (Matthew 28:18-20)! Living with such a deep sense of purpose kept Jesus focused.

Purposelessness is at the heart of the absentee father syndrome in our urban communities in particular, and the dysfunctional expressions of masculinity in our culture at large. Men consumed with a calling to nurture, protect and equip the next generation do not go AWOL! They find a way to get the job done - they finish strong!

www.keepthefaith.co.uk 19

FEATURE

Neutralising sex, power and money’s influence on leadership Dionne Gravesande looks at how leaders can neutralise the devastating effect of unchecked power, greed and sexual desires, so that their lives reflect Christlike leadership

Dionne Gravesande

W

hile recently reading Jim Wallis’ Seven Ways to Change the World, I was reminded that one of the central problems for a leader is the need to learn self-control, especially in the three areas of money, sex and power. We live in a society driven by greed and materialism, where more possession of money is one of the most important measures of success, influence and power. UK data informs us that there are churches which are cash-rich; having great wealth and financial assets; paying huge salaries to its staff, yet its own members and community are living in low-income homes, with high unemployment, and of those who find employment many have no or little disposable income, because they are working minimum wage jobs. Too often, such members receive no help or advocacy from their church - my heart groans, Where is the justice and liberation in that?

We also live in a sea-saturated culture of alluring images, illusions and symbols, one in which personal attractiveness is a much sought-after goal. And we are captivated by power, often the kind of power that is almost entirely egocentric. It seems that some Christian leaders’ personalities are so big, that they can overshadow the Gospel message they bring, the danger being that the pulpit ministry is reduced to a stage for performance, albeit a charismatic one!

My own theological training causes me to question at what point do ‘we’ the people decrease, and allow Christ within us to increase in our lives, our ministry and message? Just having power has become an end in itself; we seldom ask how or for what purpose that power is going to be used.

Like you, I continually ask questions about how the role of church can alleviate the structural and spiritual poverty of our nation. And what would happen if we really lived out the teachings of Christ? Would we be witnessing transformation in our lifetime? It is for that reason we should strive and not tire to do what is right and good for all.

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It is no wonder that the early Christian monastics focused on money, sex and power as the primary battlegrounds of spiritual life. Their answers to these were poverty, chastity and obedience.

The Reformation traditions stressed that money, sex and power are not evil in and of themselves, but rather are part of God’s good creation. The issue is how they are used. Yet all three are indeed mortal dangers to our souls, and we are naïve if we think we are immune to their destructive power.

Rev Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary of the Reformed Church in America, writing on the subject says, “Of course they have potential for good,” but he adds, “Money, sex and power have a subtle but persistent ability, especially in contemporary society, to cloud our judgment; to corrode our values, and to capture our will, in the end leading us to behave in ways that are flagrantly irresponsible. When it comes to finding leaders we can trust, we should look for individuals who have demonstrated the inner capacity to deal creatively and responsibly with money, sex and power in their lives”.

For centuries, men and women have followed paths and practices that transform these three needs into joyous gifts, rather than destructive compulsions. Leaders, who can be trusted with the future of Christian institutions, will be those who have led well-examined lives, and who have recovered spiritual disciplines that liberate them from the power of compulsions and free their energy for outward service.

to be overcomers - women and men of vision and strategy - and acknowledge their own strengths and weaknesses.

Lastly, I would echo the thinking of Jim Wallis in that good leadership is less about what we say, and more about what we do and how we do it. It is about the conduct of our lives, our choices Money, sex and and vocation. In power have a subtle particular, it’s about how we treat our but persistent ability…to cloud our relationship with judgment; to corrode God and with each other. Moral and our values, and to spiritual integrity, capture our will, in applied to the areas the end leading us of finance, human to behave in ways relationships and that are flagrantly authority, are critical to how we live our irresponsible. lives as leaders if we are to be good witnesses and stewards of the Christian faith.

‘‘

Dionne Gravesande is Head of Church and Young People’s Relationships at Christian Aid

What we look for in ourselves and in our leaders comes back to the issue of integrity, saying what we mean, and doing what we say. Integrity is what people most long for in their leaders and in their own lives.

At some point, most of us will provide leadership within a circle of people or activity, for example, in our workplaces, our congregations, in public or community life, and in our own families, as wives and husbands, or fathers and mothers.

Perhaps the leadership we demonstrate as parents is the most important of all. Parents are the lead example of moral authority and integrity for their children - either good or bad - and the principal role model for the young. Questions of good leadership are not just for the elite; they affect us all. My thinking is that good leaders need good mentors, and mentoring may be the most important thing a good leader can do to raise up the next generation. These leaders need

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FEATURE

Good news for porn users Author Tim Chester shares how a relationship with God; embracing Gospel truths, and trusting God’s Word can help break addiction to pornography

What is the gospel for porn users?

Porn is bad news. It distorts a man’s view of women, making him view them as objects for his pleasure. It distorts a man’s view of sex, because porn, by its very nature as something that is viewed, makes sex focus on performance.

It distorts a man’s relationship with God, leaving him consumed by guilt and shame.

But how can we speak the good news of Jesus to people struggling with porn? Simply telling people to stop is not enough, for that leaves those who are struggling feeling condemned.

And anything that leaves people condemned is not the Gospel of Jesus (Romans 8:1). A call simply to stop makes people rely on their own willpower, on themselves - and that’s legalism.

So what is the gospel for porn users? It is that God offers more. God is bigger and better than anything porn offers.

The false promises of porn What is it that porn offers? It will be different things for different people. For some, porn offers respect: a fantasy world in which we are potent or admired by others. For others, porn offers intimacy: substitute relationships without risk.

For still others, it offers an escape: when life is daunting or boring, we turn to porn for quick satisfaction. For some, porn may offer revenge: a way of getting back at our spouse, who hasn’t delivered the sex we want, or at God, who hasn’t delivered the life we want.

But it’s all lies. Porn is a performance, cut and edited to create the illusion of power or pleasure.

We need to look beyond the frame of the camera.

Porn sex is never real sex.

And porn never delivers. Whether it’s respect, intimacy, escape or revenge, it’s not the real thing.

It’s a cheap fantasy that only leaves us wanting more. And so we move from pictures to movies; from soft core to hard core; all the time looking for what porn can’t deliver. This is how porn drags us in deeper and deeper, until we’re enslaved.

The real promises of the Gospel So what’s the good news? If porn offers you ‘respect’, then the good news is that you don’t need to be controlled by the opinion of others.

Compare those whose approval you want with God. Whose affirmation really matters?

If porn offers you ‘risk-free intimacy’, then the good news is that God is in control. Relationships are risky, but God cares for those who trust Him. He may not provide a spouse, but He will provide Himself.

If porn offers you ‘escape from the pressures of life’, then the good news is that God is a ‘Rock’ and ‘Refuge’ to His people (Psalm 18:1-3). ‘Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you’ (1 Peter 5:7).

If porn offers you ‘escape from boredom’, then the good news is that God is the source of true and lasting joy. Porn is immediate, quick and easy, but its pleasures are empty and short-lived.

We’re always left wanting more. To a woman who’d had a series of sexual partners, Jesus said: ‘Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life’ (John 4:13-14).

If porn offers you ‘revenge’, then the good news is that God is gracious. We think we’re not getting what we deserve - from our spouse or from God. In fact, we’re getting far more than the judgment we deserve. Thinking of yourself as a son of God will set you free from resentment and bitterness.

Letting God be God At its root, porn is about worship. I can click between women, all of whom are offering themselves to me. Or I can think of myself as

the stud, sending women into an ecstasy of desire.

I enter a world in which people worship me. Freedom begins when I stop trying to be at the centre and let God be God; when I stop serving myself, and start loving others.

Humble enough to find help There is hope. But we need help. We need the help of other people, people who can hold us accountable and remind us of the good news.

And we need God’s help. We can’t do it on our own. Many people get stuck in their behaviour because they won’t admit there’s a problem. So every move up, starts with a step down. ‘Humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honour’ (1 Peter 5:6).

Looking to the cross The good news for porn users is not only that God offers more. He also gives us His Holy Spirit to change our hearts and lives. But what kind of reception will we get from God if we come to Him for help?

The Bible says, ‘God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to Porn is a die for us while we were performance, still sinners’ (Romans 5:8). cut and edited The cross is God’s great to create the illusion of power declaration of love to messed-up people. The or pleasure. We penalty of our sin is paid, need to look beyond the frame and we walk free. ‘So let us come boldly to the of the camera. throne of our gracious Porn sex is God. There, we will receive never real.

His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most’ (Hebrews 4:16).

‘‘

Dr Tim Chester is Director of The Porterbrook Institute and author of several books, including Captured By A Better Vision: Living Porn-Free (IVP). He blogs at www.timchester.co.uk

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FEATURE

Helping young people to negotiate networking safely Claudia Bell, of the Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS), explores the ways in which parents and churches can help young people to safely engage with social networking sites

R

ecently, in my role as Safeguarding and Policy Advisor for CCPAS (Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service), I’ve learnt first hand about some of the challenges facing churches, youth groups and communities.

Specifically, I have personally had to deal with a number of helpline calls from churches seeking advice on internet safety, and how they should best respond.

The problematic interface between mobile phones and social networking provides a good example of the issues churches are now facing.

Many young people now possess smartphones, which enable them to surf the web and take high resolution (or excellent quality) photographs, which may then be sent to other people. So it was no surprise when we received a call from a church in February 2011, saying that one of their young people had been arrested for taking an indecent image and distributing it to others.

This is known as ‘sexting’ and it is a criminal offence. Unfortunately, this young person is going to have to live with the consequences of his action for the rest of his life. This is because the offence will always appear on any Criminal Records Disclosure Check, which will be carried out on him should he ever want to work with children, for example as a teacher.

CCPAS is a partner of CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre), and its website ‘ThinkUknow’ is packed with useful information for churches and youth groups who want to teach young people about safety on the Internet.

For those a bit older, I highly recommend that churches organise a group viewing of CEOP’s film ‘Exposed’, which tells the story of a relationship between a boy and girl, and the desperate consequences that may result when we forget to behave appropriately online.

I was asked to run a seminar recently on E-Safety at a conference for children and youth workers.

22 keepthefaithmagazine

When I first created my own Facebook account, what really astonished me was the number of people who had very limited privacy settings.

I could therefore view all their information without even needing to be an ‘accepted friend’. As I scrolled down the list of names and photographs, the first alarm bell began to ring in my mind, since it was clear that a high proportion of profiles belonged to young people under the age of 18.

• the dangers their children may face in cyberspace.

The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) has developed the ‘Click Clever, Click Safe Code’, in which the key messages: ‘Zip it’, ‘Block it’, ‘Flag it’ encourage three types of safe behaviour.

So children are urged to keep their personal information secure; to avoid opening links and emails from unknown senders, and to tell someone they trust if they encounter anything online that upsets them.

Facebook rules are clear: the minimum age is 13, although recent research suggests that no less than 84% of Year 7 pupils (11 year olds) have Facebook pages. According to Facebook’s terms and conditions, 13-18 year olds are protected by an automatic default in their privacy settings which prevents them from appearing in search listings. However, this does not take into account the ‘friends of friends’ scenario and, since so many young people have in excess of 500 friends, it is quite easy to search and locate people in this way.

‘‘

If we use social networking sites creatively and safely, the benefits will far outweigh the drawbacks.

‘‘

Claudia Bell

Here, I talked about the very real risks involved, but I also reminded people that most risks, even those encountered online, can be managed successfully - if you take sufficient care.

However, I would also recommend that families and churches adopt a few simple principles before embarking on creating an online community.

• Protect your family, church group or small community by using the group application on Facebook. This will give you more control over who can see and share information.

• In order to maintain respectfulness, be clear with everyone in your group about language and terms of address, eg. is it acceptable for ‘Aunty May’ offline to become just ‘May’ online?

• Think about the images that you post, particularly of young family members, and keep the numbers of pictures to a minimum.

This will help to reduce the fears of many parents who are rightly worried about

Parents and churches should do more to help young people use Facebook (and other such websites) safely by getting them to: • Think carefully about who they allow to become their ‘friends’ • Not start by showing all their personal information, but instead by disabling all the options on the site and opening them one by one It’s fair to say that the development of social media has brought about a level playing field, enabling many who might have been previously isolated to be part of an active group of people regardless of age, social background, culture or religious beliefs.

If we use social networking sites creatively and safely, however, the benefits will far outweigh the drawbacks.

Claudia Bell is the Safeguarding and Policy Advisor for CCPAS, a Christian charity that supports organisations in the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.

Visit www.ccpas.co.uk for more details.

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FEATURE

90 YEARS STRONG AND STILL SERVING JESUS Rachel K Brown met 90-year-old Christian, Mother Rosetta Weekes, and found out how this remarkable woman dealt with racism; why she never remarried, and the special word of encouragement she has for young people

Mother Rosetta Weekes, a member of the Bethel United Church in Ipswich, is a remarkable, energetic 90-year-old church matriarch, who still has a desire to do more in her church and community.

Mother Weekes, affectionately known as Rosetta, was born on the beautiful Caribbean Island of Nevis.

She came to England at the age of 41, with her 21-month-old son to join her husband. She worked at a boarding school for boys for 20 years, where she was known for her catering skills, and the warmth, wisdom and understanding she brought to her workplace.

Sadly, ten years after Rosetta’s arrival in the UK, her life was touched by tragedy when her husband died suddenly, and she was left to raise her son alone.

Over the years, Mother Weekes has served on the Arts Council Committee, where she advised schools on healthy living and introduced them to Caribbean food. She was also the Chairperson for STEEDS (Support Team for Ethnic Elderly Development Scheme) for 20 years, which raised awareness within hospitals and nursing homes of how to care for and support those from ethnic backgrounds.

24 keepthefaithmagazine

RACHEL BROWN (RB): You came to England at a mature age. What were your expectations of this move?

MOTHER WEEKES (MW): I had no expectations, in fact, I didn’t really want to come to England but my husband was here to find more work.

However, once my son and I came, we soon settled down and made it our home, and I never wished to return to Nevis to live.

RB: It is clear that you have a deep-rooted, active faith in God. When did you make a commitment to Christ?

MW: As a family back in the West Indies, we went to a Methodist Church - I did enjoy going to church, because it meant I didn’t have to do housework! But I made my commitment to Christ when Bishop Carr came to Nevis with the Oneness Faith.

RB: You had your son late in life, and after 18 years of marriage. Did this bring unwelcome interest from your peers?

MW: Well, of course, everyone wondered when I was going to have a child and suggested all kinds of remedies and bush teas to help me conceive, but none of them worked. Some were unkind with their words, so when I did finally get pregnant I only told my family.

RB: You are obviously a woman of courage, but do you have any fears?

MW: I don’t have many fears, but I am afraid of children becoming the casualties of divorce.

I hate splits or separation of any kind, whether it be in a family, marriage, churches, even political parties. Separation causes pain and hurt and irreparable damage.

RB: Did you encounter any racism when you came to England?

MW: I did have some experience of racism, but it is how you deal with it that matters. Don’t run away from difficult situations because they will always fester. I would often confront the person and voice my opinion. What they decided to do after that would be their choice, but I would always continue to speak to them.

“Learn to control yourself. Live within your means. Let God be at the centre of your choices.

Be honest with yourself. If you mean Christ, show Christ.”

RB: When you experienced the sudden loss of your husband, how did your faith give you the strength to continue?

MW: I know it was God who brought me through those difficult times. It was very hard, but I couldn’t look back; I had to look forward.

I had to care for and put my efforts into those still living, like my son, and into my work at the school.

RB: Did you ever desire to remarry?

MW: Not really, because I didn’t want anyone to come between me and my son. I forgot that my son would one day grow up and I would be left alone. However, I did have an offer of marriage but he wasn’t a Christian, so I didn’t even contemplate it.

RB: As you reflect over your life, do you have any regrets?

MW: I don’t have many regrets, but I feel I could have done more.

RB: How would you like to be remembered?

MW: That I loved God and loved people.

RB: Are there any words of wisdom that you would share with KTF’s younger readers?

MW: Learn to control yourself. Live within your means. Let God be at the centre of your choices.

Be honest with yourself. If you mean Christ, show Christ.

Mother Weekes and Aquila

www.keepthefaith.co.uk 25

FEATURE

60th birthday celebrations of a UK gospel giant One man, who has played a major role in establishing UK gospel in the hearts of the British public, as well as providing a launch pad and training ground for a number of gospel singers, is Bazil Meade, director and co-founder of the London Community Gospel Choir, more commonly known as LCGC His eldest daughter, Vernetta, recently organised a birthday party for her father to acknowledge his contribution to the UK gospel scene and, more importantly, to celebrate his landmark 60th birthday.

Bazil was joined by his children, grandchildren, relatives, well-wishers and friends at the birthday bash, which also included past and present members of LCGC. Guests included former LCGC lead vocalist, Patricia KnightScott; Dawn Wallace, of the Trumpets of Zion; Les Moir, of Kingsway Music; musician Howard Francis, and Viv Broughton, owner of Premises Music Studios.

The Choir, co-founded in 1981 by Lawrence Johnson, Delroy Powell and Bazil Meade, aimed to bring together singers from different churches to sing gospel, and to attract both a Christian and secular audience.

During the first decade of the Choir’s existence they attracted singers, praise and controversy in equal measure. Singers joined the Choir because they wanted to perform alongside some of the best vocalists and musicians in the UK gospel scene, and ministers criticised it,

because its membership crossed strict, denominational boundaries.

Despite the criticisms, LCGC, with Bazil at the helm, ploughed on regardless, and became the first UK gospel choir to perform regularly on TV. The Choir also ministered in prisons; pioneered the teaching of gospel music in schools; toured the UK; has performed throughout the world, and has sung backing to some of the world’s leading artists, including Madonna, Diana Ross, Luther Vandross and Elton John, to name but a few.

Bazil, who wore a kilt for the night’s proceedings, was deeply touched by his 60th anniversary celebrations. His daughter, Vernetta, told Keep The Faith, “It was a very intimate do. My father was overwhelmed by the love and the tributes given. It was a wonderful night, full of nostalgia, laughter and wonderful music, and ended fittingly with Dad jamming on the Hammond organ and singing a gospel classic, 'Saviour, Do Not Pass Me By’.

Above: Bazil with one of his closest friends Seymour Young

It was a well-deserved 60th birthday celebration for a man who has done much to ingrain gospel music into the cultural fabric of the UK.

John & Mau LCGC conducline Fisher with tor Wendi Ro se

h Patrcia Bazil wit ott, one Knight-Sc former of LCGC's ers. lead sing C past Right: LCGnt choir and prese g with performinnight-Scott Patricia K cal. on Lead vo

26 keepthefaithmagazine

Left: Dawn Wallace (Thomas) and husband Pastor Lionel Wallace with close friends Ben and Elaine Shelley.

FEATURE

ADOPTING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

WITH GOD’S HELP

Winsome Duncan has undergone a major weight loss programme during the past 10 months. She told Marcia Dixon how her faith has helped her develop a healthy lifestyle, and how she wants to help others

U

nlike some social commentators, who constantly point out Facebook’s negative traits, I am a great fan of this social networking site. Not only is it a great way to keep in touch with friends, you also learn about some of the inspirational things that Christians are doing. That’s how I learnt about Winsome Duncan, otherwise known as Lyrical Healer.

Winsome, who attends Christ Embassy Church in Bermondsey, South London, decided she needed to lose weight last year. She recalled, “I was suffering with severe joint stiffness in my knees and was constantly lethargic. God-willing, I would like to start a family one day, and I feel my body needs to be in the best condition possible. I knew that I could not spend another year fat. I decided on July 20th 2010 that, no matter what, I would make an effort to change my lifestyle and get fit.”

To say that she has undergone a transformation is an understatement. She has gone from doing no exercise at all (unless you count walking to and from the bus stop, or going to the supermarket) to exercising 5-6 days a week, with the help of a personal trainer and eating healthy foods.

BEFORE She shared, “I have a Christian Personal Trainer, Joyce Magi, who trains with me and greatly supports me. Joyce used to be a size 24 and is now a sleek size 10, which is a great inspiration.

My exercise includes a gym workout. The other days, I power walk for three to five miles and make sure I am sweating. This way, I know I am in the fat burning zone.”

when exercising. I used to cry because I did not want to exercise. I was super-resistance to it. I would literally stand in the road and pray to God to give me the strength to walk or go to the gym, as I had an extremely negative mindset. I had to do this for three months, and then it became a habit to want to feel fit and move.”

Losing weight has been one of the biggest life challenges Winsome has ever experienced.

“With addiction to alcohol or drugs, you can abstain from the substance. However, you have to eat to live, and I choose to make healthier choices daily. It was a gradual process.

I reprogrammed my taste buds, so that my pallet craved fruit and vegetables. When I hit a plateau in my weight, I still had to remain positive and call on God.”

Winsome has another six months to achieve her target of becoming a size 12. In the interim, she’ll continue using the World Wide Web to keep people posted about her progress.

Winsome shared that her tendency to overeat stemmed from abuse she experienced during her formative years. She said, “When you are a survivor of abuse, you can tend to carry a lot of guilt and shame with you. Due to traumatic incidents that took place in my childhood, I tended to live my life through fear. I got into overeating, drinking and smoking at a young age to suppress my emotions, and it followed me into adulthood. I was a comfort eater; that is how I dealt with difficult situations in life, hence I put on a stone every year of my teenage life.”

Faith in God has made a task, which Winsome initially found difficult, easy. “God has been so gracious during my transition. I did not do this in my own strength. I called on Him daily, especially 28 keepthefaithmagazine

AFTER

‘‘

God has been so gracious during my transition. I did not do this in my own strength.

I called on Him daily, especially when exercising.

‘‘

For the past 10 months, she has been keeping her Facebook friends (including me) informed of her efforts to lose weight with updates, video messages and notices. Since starting her weight loss programme last year, Winsome, a 33-yearold writer and Creative Arts Facilitator for children and adults, has lost over 42lbs. She aims to reach her target size 12 by the end of 2011.

Ever the Christian, Winsome is keen to help others lose weight, and has produced a CD called, ‘The Weight Loss Secrets Of a Healer’.

She said, “It’s been created to provide support to help make other people’s journeys easier than mine was, and to give them tips and insights into the weight loss techniques I used.”

To learn more about Winsome Duncan’s weight loss journey, visit www.getfitthehealingway.weebly.com or www.youtube.com/lyricalhealer

INSPIRATION

Will you be ready?

Keeping an eternal perspective Gladys Famoriyo reminds believers they have a finite amount of time here on earth to discover God’s purpose for their life, and to carry it out

Gladys Famoriyo

J

ust over four years ago, I experienced one of those ‘wake-up call’ moments. Sadly, the triggering event was the passing of my beloved father, which happened so suddenly. None of us were prepared for it. But that did not stop it happening. Four years later, I can’t help but ponder on whether we, as Christians, spend our years effectively preparing for that inevitable day when we, too, shall leave this earth. This might sound morbid to you, but it pays to give the question some thought.

If the truth be told, had you asked me that question some years back, I would have said ‘Yes’, in a roundabout way. After all, I was saved; I go to church; I serve in church, and so on. But if you asked me specifically about my God-given assignment, that would have been a different story. Why? Because, like many of us Christians, I got busy with life: making a living, fighting to stay alive and, at times, just trying to keep my head above the waterline.

On my journey, I discovered that when my focus was fixed squarely on these life entanglements, my assignment was put on the back burner.

It’s not that I didn’t hear the alarm bells, or recognise when the Holy Spirit was giving me a nudge, but life just happened! In your case, ‘life’ might have been the kids, job, partner, illness, ageing parents, disappointment, and money worries, but the result is still the same. We drift

away until we have our ‘wake-up call’ moment, which tends to give us a reality check and change our perspective of life. (PS: If you have never had such an experience, please don’t wait for it to happen first before you shift yourself into gear. Do something now.)

Hello, This is Your Life Calling My dad’s passing was like the phone ringing, with the voice on the other end saying, “Hello Gladys, this is your life calling. Time is running out….”. Yes, I am trusting God that I will live to a ripe old age, but that is beside the point. None of us know the number of our days, and there are Christians going home to be with the Lord a lot sooner than they’d planned. So we need to get on with our assignment - great or small.

The enemy has done a great job of deceiving and distracting believers, but we can make amends whilst there is still breath in us. Let’s stop expecting God to ‘understand what we go through’. Trust me, He already knows. Was Jesus oblivious to the fact that coming to earth would be filled with hardship, rejection, suffering, pain, scorn and ultimately death? No! Rather, He set His mind to do the will of the Father who sent Him. Why? Because the bottom line is - that’s why He came. Wouldn’t it have been strange if Jesus had opted to continue along the lines of carpentry, deciding that His own desires were more important, or that He had to earn a living somehow?

But let’s not get it out of balance here; God knows we need money to exchange for the things we need, ie. shelter, food, clothing, etc.

And if we allow Him, He will make provision (Psalm 37:25). So, isn’t it high time we let God

do the worrying about our lives, whilst we focus on the job at hand (Matthew 6:25-33)?

Get Back On Track Don’t wait till you wake up one day, only to realise that a huge chunk of your life has gone.

Get to work, as we only have a finite amount of time left. If you feel you have lost sight of why you are here, seek the One who sent you.

Just ask Him (Jeremiah 29:11). Draw closer and take some time out to reacquaint yourself with your raison d'être, ie. your purpose. You may want to throw some repentance in there for wasting the time you were blessed with.

Next, it’s simple… Get on with it. If it’s not a full-time assignment, ensure you incorporate it ino your day-to-day activities, and have some form of plan to move you forward. To motivate you, keep a visual or even an aural reminder. For instance, I keep copies of each book I write close by me, to remind me to keep writing. So what can you do to motivate yourself to keep pursuing your assignment? Do whatever it takes. Be bold and courageous, because your assignment will require it (Joshua 1:1-9). Monitor your progress regularly, and don’t let the enemy keep you in a spiritual stupor. Remember, the clock is ticking and time is running out. Get on with it, and make Father proud.

Scriptures to meditate on: Psalm 90:12, 1 Corinthians 9:26-27

Gladys Famoriyo is author of Overcoming Emotional Baggage. Visit www.gladysf.com or call 0870 750 1969 for details about her ministry

www.keepthefaith.co.uk 29

INSPIRATION

Show honour to others and you’ll be blessed Esther Williams writes that if people want to experience God’s blessings and enjoy better relationships, then they should show honour to others

I had planned to have a Royal Wedding party, but cancelled it. It seemed there was little enthusiasm towards celebrating the big day of ‘a couple we don’t know’, amongst my friends.

Determined not be disheartened by the inertia that surrounded me, I got out of bed at 6am on the Royal Wedding day, cooked fish, fried dumplings, and had my own private feast.

However, as I watched millions of people line the streets in Westminster, I couldn’t stop thinking about the apathy I was met with when talking to people in my immediate Christian social circle.

As far as I was concerned, this is the future King and Queen of England, and we have to give honour to whom honour is due. As Christians, we should pray for their success so that we live long and it will be well with us (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

I’ve really struggled with understanding what honour really means. For the most part, I’ve attended Black majority churches with predominantly Nigerian congregations. I am a Jamaican, born in the UK. I’ve watched my Nigerian brothers and sisters bow and prostrate before their elders, and raise their children to call grown-ups ‘Uncle’ and ‘Aunty’.

I admire this, but have struggled with the ‘bowing down’ part. I’m not always sure whether this counts as honour in the biblical sense, or is a cultural tradition that has been passed down through the years, that people do without really thinking about why they do it.

I have restrained myself from feeling the need to bow to the pressure of conforming to a cultural tradition that is not my own. After all, I was brought up to believe that respect is earned. Why should I curtsey to a complete stranger just because they are older than me, and it will offend them if I don’t? Surely their ability to become offended so quickly is their problem?

But the Bible says in Romans 12:11, “Be kind and affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour, giving preference to one another.” Philippians 2:2 says, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

The question really should be: What will it cost me to bestow honour and place value on someone by acknowledging their cultural tradition? Nothing. What do I have to gain from placing value and honour on others? Everything.

Whether we like it or not, committing to honour secures our destiny and demonstrates Godly character. It says to the complete stranger: you are valued and special. This then opens doors of relationship, and the possibility of divine encounters that could change our lives forever.

This got me thinking about the subject of honour, and that perhaps in the Church we may have forgotten what it really means to show honour to others.

As I watched Kate Middleton bow to the Queen, two things came to my mind. If she didn’t understand honour and respect, she could never have married the future King of England; if she felt that bowing and curtseying were beneath her, she would have been disposed of quite quickly and would have forfeited her destiny.

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I’ll never forget a trip to South Africa I did, when working as a TV producer. I shared a room with a colleague whom I knew nothing about, but had always been courteous to whenever I bumped into her in the office.

Unbeknown to both of us, this was a divine encounter. My colleague had just given her life to Christ, but I didn’t know. She noticed me reading my Bible before going to sleep, and felt safe to share her recent conversion with me.

Fiona and I are still friends ten years later.

But more importantly, she introduced me to someone that enabled me to change my career path. I left a career in TV for a career in international development, and have ended up travelling all over the world as a result. Had I not been kind to Fiona in the office, she may have chosen to share a room with someone else on that two-week trip, and the end story could have been quite different.

‘‘

Committing to honour secures our destiny and demonstrates Godly character. It says to the complete stranger: you are valued and special.

‘‘

Esther Williams

I think we struggle with Godly honour because we have humility issues we have not dealt with.

The Bible says in Proverbs 22:4, “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honour and life.” Humility comes before honour. Speaking for myself, I think sometimes we don’t esteem and show preference to others, because we think we know better. It’s hard to acknowledge that there are still areas in our lives where we need to die to self, but we must.

I am going through a season of honouring people on purpose. Praying and giving random gifts to people in church that I don’t know; seeking out the mothers and the children who catch my eye. It’s been fun, and guess what?

I have seen a wonderful return of blessings in the form of new relationships, and my prayer life has taken a new direction as God lays people on my heart in church to pray for that I don’t even know.

God’s Word is the answer to every relational issue we face. 1 Peter 2:17 says, “Honour all people (not some people or just our friends).

Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the King.

This just about covers it all. Honour is God’s command to us, so I dare you to show honour to someone today. Buy flowers for a work colleague who has been getting on your nerves. Or chocolates for the lady that cleans the church who no one notices. And honour those in authority, as by doing so we are fulfilling the will of God. Esther Williams is an International Development Journalist

INSPIRATION

Let go of the past to enjoy the future We sometimes can’t move forward in life because we’re still affected by past hurts and negative experiences. Rachel K Brown shares how to leave the past behind to enjoy life Rachel K Brown

‘Forgetting the things behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead’ is a life-changing statement that was made by St Paul in Philippians 3:13. It’s a Scripture that has rolled off my tongue with ease on many occasions, yet in reality, it is something that has been so much harder to do.

As we embrace the newness of the Spring season, however, it is a good time to stop, reflect, renew our minds, and see if there are painful and destructive things we have experienced in the past that we need to forget, so that we can enjoy the present and future.

Forgetting what is behind us is not about pretending that we haven’t had painful or difficult experiences, or blanking them out of our minds, but it is about how we remember them, and whether we feel peace or torment in that memory.

There is a common phrase that says time heals.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case, hence the reason why there are relationships, families, congregations and countries that remain broken and separated for many years because of past hurts, abuse and injustices. When emotional wounds are left untreated, they can fester and become infected with anger, resentment and unforgiveness, but we don’t have to remain in this state and can truly be healed and restored to complete wholeness.

I have been Katie Piper watching and have been inspired by the recent Channel 4 documentary, Katie Piper: my Beautiful Face, about a beautiful 25-year-old woman who experienced the trauma of having acid thrown in her face by an ex-boyfriend. It completely disfigured her face.

32 keepthefaithmagazine

From the early days of experiencing her attack; will feel like forgiving someone, but it is a conscious choice that we make because we needing 24-hour care from her parents; wishing are commanded to, and also because God will she were dead, and undergoing numerous hear our prayers and forgive us of our operations, Katie is now independent sins when we forgive others. and has set up her own foundation, the Katie Piper Foundation, “We cannot We often hear through the in which she is able to help always avoid the cruel media of people being others who have various types circumstances that find of disfigurement. This has their way into our lives, but murdered or abused, and been a great achievement. there are things we can do to their families saying aid our healing process, and “We will never forgive them for what they have There was a huge shift help propel us forward done”. Alternatively, I heard forward in Katie’s thinking. to pursue new dreams of a couple whose son was She moved from a negative to a and goals.” murdered in an unprovoked positive attitude, which encouraged attack, and when asked by the her to believe that she could turn a reporter how they felt about their son’s tragic, deliberate attack into something fruitful attacker, they were able to say “We forgive and beneficial to herself and to others. Having him”. Whatever stage we are at in terms of come so far, she was actually able to now forgiveness, God will meet us there, but we accept what had happened to her, because need to make the first step in the right direction. she says it changed her into a better person.

However careful we are, we cannot always avoid the cruel circumstances that find their way into our lives, but there are things we can do to aid our healing process and which can help propel us forward to pursue new dreams and goals, as well as experience peace and wholeness on the inside. In order to achieve this, you should: Acknowledge what has caused your pain don’t bury it or deny it.

Remember that you cannot undo what has happened or change others. You can only allow God to transform you.

Confess any wrongdoing you may have committed in connection with the situation, and ask for God’s forgiveness.

Embrace God’s forgiveness. Don’t keep beating yourself up!

Daily meditate on positive and fruitful things (Philippians 4:8).

Shift the focus from yourself and onto the needs of someone else. There is pleasure and fulfilment in helping others.

Use your painful experience as a tool to carve out a good attitude to life.

Pursue your dreams and goals.

Forgiving others is another key component to ensure our healing. We need to remember that when we forgive someone of an offence, it is for our benefit, not God’s or even theirs.

There will probably never be a time when we

You may feel that you require help and support to get through this challenge, as it is a process of learning to let go. There are people who can help you to achieve healing, such as: Your pastor, or someone in leadership within your assembly, should be able to offer you or direct you to someone who is discreet and confidential and able to listen and pray with you.

A close friend or mentor with good listening skills and a positive attitude to life.

A trained counsellor, who is also able to offer a Christian aspect in their approach, can be very helpful in being objective and help to bring restoration.

Whatever route you may choose, remember that God desires for us to be healed and made whole in every area of our lives.

Our healing process may be instant, or it could take some time, but be assured that God wants us to have that peace in life where nothing is missing and nothing is broken. So take the opportunity of letting go, ditching the old, and embracing the new things God has in store for you. God’s plan for your life is to give you peace not evil, and a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

Rachel K Brown is the author of ‘What Is Hanging On Your Branch?’ For more details visit www.yadahpraise.com

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www.keepthefaith.co.uk 33

GOSPEL NEWS

GOSPEL Meet the Artist: Son NEW cia Dix

By Mar

Helen Baylor at talent quest final Helen Baylor

NEW

Samuel Moore Samuel Moore’s new CD, The Message, is now out, and he’s shared a few things about life, music and worship.

KEEP THE FAITH (KTF): You’ve gone for a very eclectic sound with your second album. Why? SAMUEL MOORE (SM): I wanted to create something that was fresh, vibrant and a marked difference from my debut project, Splendid Isolation, but more importantly as a fisher of men, I wanted to create a net that was wide enough to draw people through the ministry of the music to Jesus Christ.

KTF: You’re a hidden UK gospel gem. Share something about yourself that would surprise people.

SM: Oh, OK.... Well, I went to boarding school (Giggleswick School, North Yorkshire) and in my days of being a choir session singer, I've actually appeared in the background on ‘Stars in their Eyes’ and with The Spice Girls!

KTF: You’re a worship leader at your church. How do you marry that with being a gospel artist?

SM: Giving God the glory is what I'm about, so it comes naturally to me. Therefore being a worship leader and an artist is one and the same for me - it's not about performance, but about ushering in the presence of God and declaring His glory amongst His people!

Award-winning gospel artist, Helen Baylor, will be the special guest artist at the Time2Shine Gospel Talent Quest final, taking place at Westminster Central Hall, London.

KTF: Sum up Sam Moore the gospel artist in five words SM: Blessed, Highly-favoured (this counts as one word!), Married, Father, SAMUEL!

Other artists performing on the night include Lurine Cato and Faithchild. BBC TV presenter, Josie D’Arby, will be the host.

Since May, the Time2Shine judges, YolanDa Brown, Mark Beswick, Guvna B and MercyB, the brainchild behind the search, have been on the lookout for some of Britain’s brightest talent.

Having gone through auditions and music camp, the final 16 will perform in front of judges to find out who’s got what it takes to win the top prize worth £50,000. It promises to be an exciting event. For ticket details visit www.time2shineministry.com

For more details visit www.samuelnow.com Lurine Cato

34 keepthefaithmagazine

GOSPEL NEWS

Gospel at Hyde Park Atim Obot is a young believer who desires to take gospel music to the masses, and is doing so by organising the first ever gospel music festival to be held in Hyde Park.

NEW

ARTIST WATCH

Scheduled to take place on July 24, the UK Gospel Music Festival (UGMF) will feature a stellar line up of artists, including New-Ye Fam, Faithchild, CoCo Dupree, Noel Robinson & Nu Image, Victizzle, John Fisher and IDMC, and special guest US artists, the Shekinah Glory Singers.

Noel Robinson

It’s set to be one of the UK’s biggest gospel events for 2011; provide a platform for a range of artists, and, more importantly, Atim is giving young people a chance to be part of the event by joining the army of volunteers who’ll help to make UGMF a success.

So, whether you want to attend and enjoy the music, or work behind the scenes, visit www.ugmf.co.uk to find out more about this event, and how your presence, in either capacity, will help to make this event a success.

Shekinah Glory SIngers

Stephanie Sounds has music in her blood. The youngest daughter of gospel pioneer Bazil Meade, she’s part of the new breed of Christian artists whose songs cover all aspects of life and faith.

Stephanie has taken her first step in sharing her talent with the world as a solo artist, with her rock-influenced debut single, ‘I Don’t Deserve You’, which is available on iTunes.

As well as promoting her single, Stephanie is busy working on her debut album, which is scheduled for an autumn release.

She’s obviously a young lady who believes in keeping things in the family, as her album is being produced by her husband, Ayo Oyerinde, otherwise known as Ayce DJ. To hear this cutting-edge Christian artist for yourself, visit www.stephaniesounds.com or follow her on twitter @stephaniesounds

GOSPEL NEWS BITES Gary Smith, a gospel DJ on BBC Radio Oxford, recently embarked on a mission to raise money for the victims of the recent earthquake in Japan, and raised £824 in the process. Gary achieved this by playing music for a 24-hour stretch, and by encouraging people to log online to watch. His radio show, broadcast every Sunday between 7pm and 8pm, has a reputation for featuring the most cutting-edge gospel music around. Tune in.

NEW

‘Rejoice and Shout’ is a brand new documentary chronicling the history of gospel music. It features interviews with pioneers of this celebrated art form, as well as unseen footage. Artists featured in ‘Rejoice and Shout’ include Mavis Staples, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, Andrae Crouch and Shirley Caesar. Visit www.magpictures.com/ rejoiceandshout/

Gospel tutor and John Fisher choir director, John Fisher, is gearing up for his 4th Summer Song Gospel Music festival, where he brings together young singers from schools, academies, youth groups and youth choirs from throughout London to perform at Fairfield Halls on June 29. Over 500 young singers are set to take part in this year’s event. Visit www.idmcgospel.com for more details.

www.keepthefaith.co.uk 35

GOSPEL NEWS

Gospel talent competitions:

Good or bad?

Juliet Fletcher looks at the rise in gospel talent competitions, and wonders if they are a positive development or whether competing does more harm than good Juliet Fletcher

I

don’t know about you, but I like to think I handle criticism well. Would I say that all the criticism I receive is constructive? No. Has that criticism made me more determined to succeed?

If I am like you, the firm answer is YES! In arts and media, criticism is generally seen as a natural part of working in the creative industry.

‘Criticism’ and ‘comparison’ are meant to act as an important measurement for all forms of creative persons to gauge what they do. We, as the audience and consumers, are counted daily via units, viewing figures, clicks, downloads, etc, and this is how artists (for example) know whether we like or don’t like what they do.

COMPETITION AS A PROCESS IN LIFE Firstly, let’s not be pretentious or hypocritical; we are involved in competing processes every day of our lives. Consciously or subconsciously, we participate.

When we make decisions - either for or against someone has to be on the ‘losing side’ of our choices. And if we are the ‘losing choice’, we still have to find a way to move on towards our intended goal(s).

One competitive life example is going for a job: your CV is all set - no lies on it; you know you can do the job; prepped-up by reading about your potential employer, and you do the most significant thing you feel will give you the best advantage: you pray! You believe God is on your side. You do the interview and… don’t get the job! What do you conclude? ‘God didn’t want me to get that job’, or ‘There’s something better somewhere else’. You may also decide that you learnt something from the experience anyway, and will probably improve yourself ready for the next time.

TALENT COMPETITIONS Talent competitions run as a parallel process to competing in the job market. Pop Idol, X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent are all brands that have turned mass talent scouting into a multi-million pound marketing art. The old method of A&R (Artist and Repertoire) visiting countless clubs is not so common now. These talent competitions 36 keepthefaithmagazine

help people in the music business provoke wannabe talent to come forward, while at the same time engaging the participation of the public (who will also be the end consumer).

Clever really.

Beverley Trotman

Gospel is also experiencing a surge in these music competitions. In the US, BET’s Sunday Best and Verizon’s How Sweet The Sound give national exposure to soloists and choirs respectively. Presently a smaller market footprint over here: Just Out Of This World, Time2Shine, Gospel Rock and Premier Gospel’s online TuneBreaker are raising the competitive aspirations of fresh hopefuls. It is a way of keeping the music alive.

Talent competitions are, at least notionally, nothing new in our churches. In the early days of church, during big meetings, people would be encouraged to go up and recite or sing in front of everyone, and people paid to keep you up there or get you off. Some individuals developed a great reputation for doing well, all in the name of raising Convention funds.

Light and nice-humoured some would say, but for others it was sometimes a serious thing! At least everyone knew the stakes, and when I speak to people of those times, they are fondly remembered. NTA has included such an event as part of their Fiftieth Anniversary Celebrations.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

On talking this over with Adam Brooks, co-founder of the increasingly popular website www.m-briomusic.com, his view on Christians competing was, “If we compete for money and fame - bad news, but if it’s competing to reach souls and influence people for the better, then let’s go for it!” Actually, I agree with him.

Talent competitions are a way of testing if one has a genuine tendency to artistic development.

Beverly Trotman, as a Christian, went through the X Factor crucible, and made it through to the TV finals. All her interviews afterwards express that it was a difficult but rewarding experience.

It’s obvious that her character won through, and she has emerged stronger, better and wiser than when she first entered.

Modern talent shows have two key essential changes from the past: (i) upping the stake of Gospel competitions are not the route for the judges’ role, and (ii) the business/sponsor everyone, but there is something enjoyable about approach. Erstwhile judges’ views were only it, particularly if you do find someone fully expressed behind closed doors; special through it, like Raymond & now they have become a part of Co, who won the GMTV Gospel the talent show entertainment “If we compete Challenge of 2003. experience. Sponsors also see for money and fame I think it’s important to their inclusion as part of a bad news, but if it’s business investment and the competing to reach souls remember that the judgments are not about the procuring talent part of that and influence people Jesus they are singing about, business deal. So, getting ‘the for the better, then but their presentation, voice best’ and ‘the most’ become let’s go for it.” and techniques. People enter critical outcomes to keep the these competitions, knowing this is overall business going. what they face, and by and large take it By its very nature, competition is very intense, in the right spirit. In any case, whether one and, dare I say, within the talent competition wins a competition or not, one is never far process there are many realities of learning the from ‘competing’ for the affections of one’s fans. lessons of life - the good, the bad and the ugly.

In a very short period of time, young talent has Juliet Fletcher runs Greentree, a gospel music a chance to ‘grow up’, ‘develop a backbone’ development company. Phone 07535 964 442, and ‘true grit’. or email contactgreentree@googlemail.com

LIFESTYLE

Heart toHeart

Esther Fenty

Esther Fenty is a qualified psychologist and pastor’s wife, who provides godly and practical advice on a wide range of issues...

I am the subject of malicious rumours because I’m a successful female preacher

I

You can take comfort in knowing that Jesus Himself had to upbraid the religious leaders of His time for their unbelief. He felt that the works that He did should have convinced them, but there was no pleasing some people. We will always face criticism, but 1 Peter 3:16 encourages us: ‘Keep your conscience clear.

Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ’ (New Living Translation). Although we know that Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, faced false accusations, it still hurts when we experience them ourselves.

am a dedicated single Christian woman who God has blessed with the gift of preaching, teaching and soul winning. In recent months my pastor, and other ministers within my denomination, have given me opportunities to preach at major services and key events, and to the glory of God, He has You can choose to ignore them and follow what publicly blessed my ministry. People have Jesus said, ie. “Pray for your enemies and for been saved, delivered and healed at meetings those who persecute you”, and as the apostle where I’ve ministered. I’m glad, particularly Paul said, “Do good to them so that you heap as there are so few female preachers in my coals of fire upon their heads”. To ignore, church, but in recent months my success however, does not mean ‘the silent has caused jealousy and envy treatment’. If you are feeling angry You can choose amongst some male ministers in on the inside, this can lead to to ignore them and my denomination. There are some bitterness and will harm your follow what Jesus malicious lies being spread about said, ie. “Pray for your own relationship with God and me, accusing me of being a bitch enemies and for those your own ministry. (sorry to use that phrase), arrogant who persecute In choosing to confront, you and, worst of all, accusing me of you” need to be clear whether you want sleeping with my married pastor. This revenge, or to identify, clarify and find lie has upset me the most, and has caused a solution to a problem which is affecting me to shed tears. I don’t know how to deal not only your ministry but your pastor’s, and with these accusations. Do I confront my consequently the life of the church. As a first accusers, or do I ignore them? I don’t want this step, I would suggest that you take a conflict negative talk to cause anyone to stumble or think badly of me, as I am committed to serving resolution approach: non-judgmental, humble and willing to listen. A person experienced in the Lord and keeping His commandments. mediation skills may be useful in helping both Name withheld sides to listen to each other.

Esther Fenty replies There are some people who will cite Scripture to show that women are the weaker vessels and have no place in ministry. Thus, for them, it is difficult to conceive of women being called and anointed by God on equal terms as men. If the people within your church hold these views, one would have hoped that, having seen the power of God demonstrated in your ministry through deliverance and healing, it would have caused them to reconsider their views. It is one thing to believe that women have a lesser role to play in ministry than men, but it is quite another to try and publicly destroy another person’s ministry. To resort to that sort of behaviour raises questions about whether they are true ministers of the Gospel.

The decision you make will come with the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you prayerfully commit the situation to Him.

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Share your problems with Esther. Email editorial@keepthefaith.co.uk 38 keepthefaithmagazine

Since I got engaged, my son’s mother won’t let me see my son I have just met a wonderful woman that I would like to marry and spend the rest of my life with. My problem is that ever since I’ve publicly announced my engagement, all hell has broken loose. The mother of my son from a previous relationship has made my life difficult. She’s accused me of deceiving her, by giving the impression that I wanted to marry her (I didn’t), and now won’t allow me to see our son, and I don’t know what to do. I’ve always treated my son’s mother with respect, but also made it clear to her that there was no future for us. I don’t want to lose contact with my son, so I’m wondering if you can give me some advice on the best way to handle this situation.

Joseph, Bedford

Esther Fenty replies I feel like there are more questions than answers to this problem. I would like to know how old your son is; why there was no future with his mother, and what you think will make this relationship with his mother work. However, in response to your main question, try to understand the position from your son’s mother’s perspective. While you may have made it clear that there was no future for both of you, while you were single and kept visiting your son, or doing things jointly, she would have been hopeful that you might change your mind. Your engagement has dashed her hopes, and she is now an angry woman. She probably knows - more than anyone else - that using your son as a weapon is not a good idea. She might need time to calm down.

You could try writing to her, explaining that the ongoing relationship with your son is valuable not just for you but also for your son, and that her actions are hurting her son. She needs to be aware of the importance of sons being in contact with their fathers. You may also need the church or an outside organisation to mediate, and as a last resort, consider the legal route.

LIFESTYLE

What it means to be equally yoked The subject of being ‘equally yoked’ causes great debate in the Christian community. Steven James Dixon unravels the misconceptions, and shows what an ‘equally yoked’ relationship should look like

Steven James Dixon

S

imple question/complex answer: “What Does It Mean To Be Equally Yoked?” ‘Equally yoked’ is a phrase referred to in the Christian community, which is oftentimes used to justify a decision made about a relationship or marriage.

I have heard people say that they were not equally yoked with someone because of a different upbringing, decision-making process, beliefs, finances, education, location and even appearance. That stuff has nothing to do with being equally yoked!

What’s funny is that the phrase ‘unequally yoked’ does not specifically refer to marriage.

Actually, the phrase ‘equally yoked’ is not even in the Bible. 2 Corinthians 6:14 (KJV) says, “Be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers. . .”

It doesn’t say in relationships, it doesn’t say in marriage, but its implication is that of any relationship with another person. A relationship with another person could be a marriage.

I want to answer the question at hand in a manner, which provides couples with the information necessary to determine their ‘yoke status’. To get to that answer, the first thing we have to do is have a look at some scenarios that have absolutely nothing to do with being equally yoked.

If two people go to church together, that does not mean that they are equally yoked. If two people don’t go to church together, that does not mean that they are unequally yoked. If one person goes to one church, and the other person goes to another church, can they still be equally yoked? Well, maybe. If one person goes to church and the other person does not go to church, can they still be equally yoked? Well, maybe.

Both people have to be Christians.

Being equally yoked does not apply to unbelievers.

Unbelievers don’t have a yoke. Reading the Bible together does not make you equally yoked, but we are getting warmer! Being in love does not mean that you are equally yoked. Being married does not mean that you are equally yoked.

Having a great friendship does not mean that

you are equally yoked. Having things in common does not mean that you are equally yoked. If you are not equally yoked, can you still get married? Yes ... if you take 2 Corinthians 6:14 out of the Bible. If you determine, while married, that you are not equally yoked, can you get a divorce? No. I will explain why later. If you are equally yoked with someone, do you always stay ‘in yoke’ with them? Maybe. Maybe not. Can you not be in love with someone and still be equally yoked to them? Yes. Can you be equally yoked to two people at the same time? Yes. I will explain later... On second thoughts, I’d better explain that one right now.

Being equally yoked initially doesn’t have anything to do with your love for another person or your relationship or marriage to another person. The first thing you have to do is be a believer in God’s Word. Two people who are believers and who are in a relationship or marriage ARE equally yoked. Don’t celebrate just yet, though! Being equally yoked does not guarantee any sort of success for your relationship or marriage.

Confirming that two people are equally yoked is what we should do at the beginning of a relationship. Confusion sets in when we are trying to figure out what it means to be equally yoked. In my humble opinion, being equally yoked is about two believers sharing a spiritual connection with God. For example, one person can go to church and another person may not be attending church, and they could still be equally yoked if they are both believers who share a spiritual connection with God. (The person that does not go to church needs to be in fellowship with other Christians at some capacity on a regular basis.) I am a relationship expert, but I can’t tell you if you are equally yoked to another person because I don’t know how you know God. I don’t know how your partner knows God. I definitely can’t tell you anything about the spiritual connection to God that you share with your partner either. Two couples could have two different levels of spiritual connection with God. Couple A could be on ‘Spiritual Connection Level 8’ together and be equally yoked. Couple B could be on ‘Spiritual Connection Level 4’ together and be equally yoked. Let’s say that we have an individual on ‘Spiritual Connection Level 7’ who wants to marry an individual on ‘Spiritual Connection Level 5’.

Should they get married? It depends. They will

Michelle and Barack Obama

need to agree on what level they both can share a spiritual connection with God. Maybe they can meet on Level 6. I know what you are wondering! “Is this spiritual connection stuff in the Bible?” The answer is NO, but the problem is that if I had said Yes, too many people would have believed me. That is actually kind of funny.

I cannot define for you what ‘Spiritual Connection Level’ you are on, because… Well, I made it up. If you didn’t know that I made it up, you need to get that anointed oil in your life.

I have travelled the country talking to Christians and unbelievers about relationships and marriage. I have disappointing news from my travels. I have found that marriage is just as difficult for Christians as it is for unbelievers.

I believe two things about marriage that I need you to tell a friend to tell a friend about: 1. Marriage Is For Everyone - You are to be married, celibate or fireproof.

2. Divorce Cannot Be An Option - The institution of marriage is perfect. God created it. I am not suggesting that people stay and be unhappy; I am saying that God hates divorce, so figure out how to be happy!

Steven James Dixon is a Christian, and author of ‘Men Don't Heal, We Ho - A Book About the Emotional Instability of Men’.

For more details visit www.relationshipbeast.com www.keepthefaith.co.uk 39

LIFESTYLE

CharityAffairs

Lara Rufus

Lara Rufus keeps you informed of developments within the charity world; details of funding available, and events that will broaden your knowledge

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Think Big Lottery Fund In 2004, the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) was launched to give out millions of pounds from the National Lottery to good causes, and is now responsible for delivering 46 per cent of all funds raised for good causes (ie. about 13 pence of every pound spent on a Lottery Ticket) by The National Lottery.

Since June 2004, BIG has awarded over £3.6bn to projects supporting health, education, environment and charitable purposes - most of which has been awarded to voluntary and community sector organisations. BIG is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

That said, arguably, the Big Lottery Fund is not for everyone. Many churches and Christian-based organisations are averse to applying to the Big Lottery Fund, as they equate this with gambling and believe this compromises their faith. As a Christian fundraiser, I personally have no qualms about fundraising from the Big Lottery.

Full Cost Recovery What is exceptional about the Big Lottery Fund is that it is one of the few funders who promote Full Cost Recovery, which came about as a direct result of extensive consultation with third sector organisations. Full Cost Recovery is a term used to describe the process of recovering or funding the full costs of a project or service. Full Cost Recovery is thought to lead to better planning and strategic direction for any one organisation.

Historically, third sector organisations have struggled to secure funding for their overhead costs and day-to-day running costs.

BIG will fund all overhead and direct costs in proportion to the amount funded by them for a project. For example, if they fund 50 per cent of any one project, they promise to also provide 50 per cent of the overhead costs, such as lighting, heating and any other day-to-day costs towards that project too!

BIG Lottery schemes will now work to a 5-year period, which ensures sustainability.

A new round of funding was launched in 40 keepthefaithmagazine

2010 and expires in 2015. These funding rounds are highly competitive. For instance, in 2010/11, 5,730 outline proposals were submitted to BIG’s Reaching Communities Programme, requesting over £1 billion in funding (many of whom were not eligible). BIG awarded 500 grants totalling £124,127,283 in the same year. The average grant size was £248,255. Further cuts in government funding are likely to mean a further increase in competition.

In addition to this, in 2007 the Government ‘diverted’ £425 million in Lottery revenue, which should have been distributed by the BIG Lottery Fund to help pay for the 2012 London Olympics. This was on top of the £213 million it had already taken from BIG to support the Games. Rest assured, we are promised that these funds will be paid back after the Olympics are completed in 2012.

As part of ‘People Powered Change’, BIG will also be supporting the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund, with up to £1 million of funding. Grants of up to £10,000 will be available for projects working to lift people out of poverty in London.

Some of the current programmes being run by BIG are:

1. Improving Futures Programme Funding to help give vulnerable young children across the UK a better future by supporting their families.

2. Awards for All - Small grants of up to £10,000 for community groups. Quick turnaround period (8 weeks). Rolling Programme.

3. Reaching Communities - Funding of up to £500k available and, from December 2010, community buildings within targeted urban and rural settings will be eligible for funding between £100,000 and £500,000 through the Reaching Communities programme.

4. International Communities - The Big Lottery Fund has launched this programme, which is open to projects tackling some of the causes of poverty and deprivation among impoverished communities overseas.

They also have a range of new programmes in the pipeline, visit http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/london Why not think BIG this summer?

Lara Rufus, BA, MSc, Fundraising Consultant and Chair of the Black Fundraisers’ Network.

Email - lararufus@bfn.org.uk

Funding Focus for your Ministry Heritage Lottery Fund Young Roots Young Roots aims to involve 13-25 year olds in finding out about their heritage, developing skills, building confidence, and promoting community involvement. Young Roots projects should stem directly from young peoples' interests and ideas, and all projects must be delivered by a partnership.

Youth groups must work with at least one heritage partner (for example, a local wildlife trust or museum) to deliver the project. Grants from 3,000 to £25,000 available. The Young Roots programme is aimed at organisations that already work with young people - for example, community youth groups, local authority youth clubs, and groups such as Guides, Scouts and Sea Cadets.

Further information and documents are available from the HLF website at http://www.hlf.org.uk

Dates for your Diaries: Event: Charity Fair Date: 27-28 June 2011 Venue: The Hotel Russell, 1-8 Russell Square, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 5BE Time: 9.30am – 5.00pm Cost: Free Affordable, high quality training for everyone in the voluntary sector, with a FREE resource area, packed with coaching, talks, bookshop, exhibitors, networking and much more. See www.charityfair.org.uk Entry to Charityfair is FREE, and you can access high quality training for as little as £25 per session and £50 for masterclasses, depending on how many sessions you book.

Contact 08450 77 77 07 for further details.

DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT THE ARTICLES IN KEEP THE FAITH? Let us have your thoughts editorial@keepthefaith.co.uk

LIFESTYLE

CyberCorner Web consultant Keno Ogbo brings you the latest information on web trends, social media and digital technologies to enrich the online activities of your church, charity or business Keno Ogbo

Knowing what you want The secret key to finding a ‘good web developer’ Reading a discussion thread in a LinkedIn group prompted me to write this article. The post simply said, “I have gone through several web developers but have not been satisfied with the results. What is the best way to find good web developers?” It proved to be a really popular post, with 66 comments from a variety of people. The conversation did go off-track a few times, and a number of people were simply self-advertising, but there were quite a few comments that were relevant and useful, and would help business people, churches and organisations who are looking to develop or improve their websites.

After reading through the discussion, I wanted to express my take on the question and share it with our readers.

goal is not really to have a ‘good’ website, but the goal of having a website is to achieve a ‘purpose’, and once you can define what that purpose is, then you can search out the skills that can help you.

But let’s stick with the question asked: ‘So you want a good web developer?’ In an attempt to answering this, let’s look at what you want the web developer to do.

Firstly, however, we should take a step back in order to go forward. Various people are involved in putting together a website, depending on the size and complexity of the web build. The key roles are the web designer, web developers, copy writer, usability expert, project manager, business advisor and the client. A fundamental error that people make is expecting a web developer to design a website, or a web designer to write the copy for the website. This does not work. Web designers and developers use two entirely different skill sets. A designer is creative, has a strong sense of colour coordination, balance, symmetry and is visual. A web developer is logical, analytical and thinks in a straight line.

A web designer may have excellent design skills, but poor writing and editing skills.

So, you may not need a web developer after all; you may need a business advisor with online experience to help you think through

the objectives of your website; the return on investment, and the best approach to the website. You may require a social media consultant to help you utilise the various social media platforms to extend your brand. (You may not even need a website, maybe a blog would do.) Alternatively, you may need a brand consultant to help you define your web presence.

Coming back to our question, we could help you find a great web developer, but you might still not be satisfied with the results, simply because these are not the skill sets you require. (A word to web developers: if you have a client with a vague sense of their requirements, it is better to work hard to clarify what they really want before you take the job, and if the specification is not clear, maybe send them away with a few questions, which must be clarified before you take the job!)

The client is an important part to the web creation process, and his part is to know what he wants. This is the secret key to ‘finding a good web developer’. Remember, once you know what you want, you may not need a web developer.

Keno Ogbo runs a web design and internet consultancy business. Phone 07958 004739 or email keno@spiralwebsolutions.com for details.

Follow her at www.twitter.com/spiralwebs.

FINDING A WEB DEVELOPER So, what is the best way to find good web developers? Well, the obvious answers are the simple ones: ask a friend, get recommendations, visit Business Link, see a website you like and contact the developer, search the Internet and contact developers online, etc, etc. You can find a very good web developer using these methods, but is that really what you want? Then how come our enquirer above was dissatisfied with the results he received?

Do you think he pulled a name of a web developer out of the hat box? No, neither do I. I am sure he used one of the approaches above, but it did not work, hence the question on LinkedIn. My addition to the conversation is simply this.

Maybe it’s the question that is wrong! The goal is not really to find a ‘good’ web developer; the

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Call 0945 193 4431 for more information or email advertising@keepthefaith.co.uk www.keepthefaith.co.uk 41

MISSION

FINDING LIFE’S PURPOSE THROUGH MISSIONS Since launching into missions work in The Gambia last year, Pearl Jarrett, founder of the Jarrett Foundation, has found her calling. She spoke to Keep The Faith about her work and her desire to help the world’s poorest communities believe that I have found my place in the Body of Christ. I believe that I can be proactive in the Kingdom without words, through a practical demonstration of the love and compassion of Christ.

Keep The Faith (KTF): What inspired you to set up the Jarrett Foundation?

Pearl Jarrett (PJ): I’ve known for a very long time that this is what I wanted to do, so in 1996 I started the Jarrett Foundation…. and then I sat on it for 15 years. I kept telling myself, ‘When I get some funding, contacts, opportunity, etc, I’ll start.’ In September 2010 I heard the Holy Spirit shout at me, “What are you waiting for???” I got scared and jumped up, and sent an email that very moment. Two weeks later I was in Africa, and I haven’t looked back since.

KTF: When and where did you go on your first mission trip?

PJ: My first mission trip was to The Gambia, Africa, in September 2010. I contacted a Ministry there and asked if I could come out and help.

KTF: What did you achieve on that trip?

PJ: The Ministry wanted to start a primary school, and they also wanted to start some businesses so that they could be more self-sustaining. As I was running my own business consultancy at the time, this was easy for me, so I gave some advice and assisted with an application for funding for two businesses. When I came back, I started a campaign to collect school resources so that these could be shipped to the Gambian school.

KTF: How did the people respond to you, and how did their response make you feel?

PJ: Every time I have been to Africa, I have come back with a much lighter suitcase than when I left. I would see such poverty that I would just end up giving away my own personal stuff.

They were always so grateful for the smallest thing. For the first time in my life I felt useful.

Whenever I go to Africa, as much as I am helping them, they are helping me, as they give my life purpose.

42 keepthefaithmagazine

KTF: How valuable has sharing details of your trips on Facebook been for you?

PJ: I really didn’t understand Facebook and resisted it for a long while, as I didn’t want to chat about nonsense. I eventually started a campaign asking people to donate items that they will never use again. I’ve been shocked at how much people have responded. Most of what I have collected for the shipments has come via Facebook. I needed somewhere to store it all. I got sponsorship-in-kind from Big Yellow Self Storage, and filled three large rooms in a matter of weeks. I had to hire a van driver who has been collecting almost on a daily basis - adults’ and children’s clothes, shoes, trainers, school bags, TVs, books, videos - even a Sony Playstation.

KTF: What are your hopes for the future where the Jarrett Foundation is concerned?

PJ: The Jarrett Foundation is now my main focus.

Even though I still have other business interests, they exist purely to finance the Foundation.

I would like to go back to Sierra Leone and start work on spearheading a housing project, which will see the slum people re-housed.

I have already started talks with a firm to build some social housing, and have had talks with a funder who has agreed to build a new school.

The Foundation will ensure that a new church building is also provided. All I need are the funds and some land. I’m not worried; God will provide!

KTF: Since embarking on your mission trips, which countries have you visited, and what have you done there?

PJ: Since The Gambia, I have travelled twice to Sierra Leone. I am now working with government ministers in Sierra Leone. I spent time in the slums with people who live on a rubbish dump, and who have a sewer in their back yard. They have no running water, no flushing toilets, and when the rains come, the sewer floods their makeshift shacks, so they have to sit on the roof until it subsides. There’s a tiny church that runs a primary school/orphanage on the dump.

This is my next project.

KTF: How does your faith in God come into play when you are out on mission?

PJ: I don’t preach, teach, and have no interest in climbing the ministerial ladder, however I do

For more information about Pearl’s work, visit www.jarrettfoundation.org

MD Public Relations Sharing good news can raise the profile and awareness of your church, ministry and events. MD Public Relations exists to help churches share those stories. Our wide range of PR services includes: • Producing newsworthy press releases for local, regional and national media • Promoting your conventions, conferences and concerts • Writing copy for your church brochures, newsletters and press packs • Organising book and CD launches • Providing crisis management MD Public Relations clients have included Muyiwa, The YMCA, Street Pastors, The Metropolitan Police, Christian Aid, Global Day of Prayer, Noel Robinson, World Vision, Tearfund, Bishop Wayne Malcolm and many more.

MD Public Relations is run by Marcia Dixon, who has over 20 years’ experience working with the media and the church community.

For more information and enquiries, phone 07946 207881, email marciatdixon@aol.com or visit www.marciadixonpr.com

USE MD PR TO SHARE GOOD NEWS ABOUT YOUR CHURCH

www.keepthefaith.co.uk 43

MISSION

Ugandan farmers show UK school children how they can change the world Laura Martin writes how Ugandan farmers, helped out of poverty by Christian charity Send A Cow, shared their experiences with UK children Five Ugandan farmers were in the UK recently, inspiring thousands of schoolchildren and giving them a greater understanding of the vital issues of climate change, poverty and food security.

As part of a programme funded by the Department for International Development, and run by the African development charity, Send a Cow, these farmers have been brought to the UK to show children, through hands-on and practical demonstrations, how they, as individuals, can change the world.

Each of the farmers has endured a life riddled with poverty, and has known the true meaning of struggle. Now, thanks to the practical assistance they have received from Send a Cow, they are well on their journey out of poverty, and have hope for the future. Every day they want to fulfil their God-given potential, and share their story with the rest of the world to highlight the importance of understanding and giving.

she could sell, bringing in much needed money to the household. But the biggest change came when, in January 2005, the Christian charity gave Jane a cow. Providing a regular supply of milk and manure for her vegetable garden, the cow, which went on to produce two calves, represented a complete transformation for the whole family.

The sale of one calf alone brought in enough money to send her children to school - something Jane had previously only dreamed about!

After a time, her husband returned, and Send a Cow’s training allowed them to work through their problems and learn how to better support each other and work together. Their relationship has now greatly improved, and they live together harmoniously. Send a Cow is about more than simply the giving of livestock; it’s also about supporting families in every aspect of their lives, to make them stronger and lead them down the path to self-sufficiency.

Jane’s story is truly inspirational and shows how the hard work she put in, with assistance provided for by the UK public, can change lives for good.

Jane Apolot with her family

One such farmer is Jane Apolot, from Uganda, who has suffered tremendous poverty. She is married with a large family of eight children to support. Her relationship with her husband was once very strained, and the pressures of poverty became too much for him. He left Jane and their children to fend for themselves in a dilapidated home; struggling to find enough food to eat and clothes to wear. Jane was left to beg for food and scrape together anything she could.

Life changed for Jane when she began working with Send a Cow. She learnt how to farm her land better, and to get the most out of the soil.

Suddenly, she was able to grow much healthier fruit and vegetables, and this made a dramatic difference to her family’s life. Her children received better nutrition, growing stronger each day, and she even began to grow a surplus which 44 keepthefaithmagazine

As a charity proud of its Christian roots, Send a Cow is guided by its ‘Cornerstone Values’. These include: ‘sharing and caring’, ‘accountability’ and ‘full participation’. These are at the heart of the Charity’s work, and are passed on to every person who is helped, allowing families and whole communities to work together to create a better future for all.

Bringing farmers like Jane to the UK to share their stories gives so many the opportunity to learn from her, and to thank God for her transformation. By meeting with UK farmers on their farms, where the school visits take place, farmers from different backgrounds are able to impart experiences and learn from one other.

Many of the farms, that Send a Cow’s African beneficiaries have visited, have adopted a number of the techniques they have seen. These include Keyhole Gardens, a circular African plot with a central area for compost and water which nourishes and protects the soil, whilst needing less water than other gardens - perfect for the harsh conditions of rural Africa.

When the schoolchildren visit the farm, they are shown how to construct such gardens and learn techniques like building a ‘Tip Tap’. This simple device uses readily available materials

to create a hand-washing device, which can dramatically cut down the spread of disease especially diarrhoea, one of the biggest killers of African children.

Hearing first-hand from an African farmer, who can passionately talk about poverty; the importance of sustainable food sources, and the effects of climate change, really gives children the opportunity to comprehend how they can truly make a difference in the world.

For more information, visit

www.sendacow.org.uk

Jobfile vacancies Welcome to our recruitment page, brought to you in partnership with Christian Vocations - ‘releasing God’s people into God’s work’ Team Member With Rydal Hall, Ambleside, Cumbria Rydal Hall is the Anglican Retreat and Conference Centre for the Diocese of Carlisle, situated in the heart of the Lake District. The Hall is run by an ecumenical group of Christians from around the world, providing hospitality and welcome for all. We are looking for people from the UK and overseas to join the team. You would be working/volunteering on one or more of our teams (tea shop, food service, housekeeping, administration, estates/maintenance). We are looking for people who are willing to serve others and grow in their understanding of the Christian faith. You would be expected to participate in our teaching programme and social activities. Accommodation provided together with salary/allowance.

For further details and an application form please contact: Mark Strand, Rydal Hall, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 9LX. Telephone: 015394 32050 Email: administrator@rydalhall.org

Director of Children’s & Family Ministry With St John’s Church, Harborne, Birmingham We wish to appoint a committed Christian to this role to take overall responsibility for the children’s ministry and to develop work with families. You will have considerable experience of working in the 0-11yr old environment with a demonstrable ability to communicate and inspire.You will be able to motivate, lead and develop staff and a large team of volunteers. You will have received appropriate training. Salary: £24,319-£28,495. Closing date: 20 June 2011.

Please request an application form from: Steve Foster, St John's Church, High Street, Harborne, Birmingham B17 9PT. Telephone: 0121 4274601 Email: stevefoster@stjohns-church.co.uk; Website: www.stjohns-church.co.uk

Apprenticeship in Youth and Schools Ministry With The PAIS Project The Pais Project offers free apprenticeships in Christian youth and schools ministry, for one or more years. Join a movement of enthusiastic, committed young adults who seek to impact schools, local churches and the wider community

by making missionaries among young people.

If you have a passion for God and a love for young people, this apprenticeship is for you!

All transport, accommodation and food is provided for the year - and the apprenticeship is FREE to join! Apprenticeships are available in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Eire, Germany, USA, Canada, Poland and Ghana.

To apply please contact: The Pais Project, Burnley, Lancashire.

Website: www.paisproject.com/apply

Ministry Apprentice With Highfields Church, Cardiff We have positions here at Highfields, Cardiff for dedicated Ministry Apprentices commencing September 2011. The role incorporates event organising, practical care, pastoral work, mentoring and includes plenty of opportunity for ministry experience and structured study of Christian Life and teaching through the Network training course here at Highfields.

You can expect a fun year of hard work and growth in service and plenty of opportunity to make new friends.

Please request an application form from: Jenny Turner, Highfields Church, Monthermer Road, Cardiff CF24 4QW Telephone: 029 2065 0740 Email: office@highfieldschurch.org.uk Website: www.highfieldschurch.org.uk

PHP Web Programmer With Edit Websites Ltd, Solihull, West Midlands We currently have a vacancy for a full time PHP Web Developer based in Solihull, UK. Your main role will be developing the content management system used by churches, businesses and charities around the UK. The CMS is continually being developed so you will be adding new features and developing the product further to an agreed requirement.

You will also be involved in planning the future features to improve and enhance the product.

Please request an application form from: Kyle Cottington, Edit Websites Ltd, Central Boulevard, Blythe Valley Park, Solihull, West Midlands B90 8AG. Telephone: 0121 320 2530 Email: recruitment@editwebsites.co.uk Website: www.editwebsites.co.uk

For more jobs, visit www.christianvocations.org If you would like to advertise in our recruitment section please call 0845 193 4431 or email advertising@keepthefaith.co.uk

Pastor With Baptist Church in Lavendon, Buckinghamshire Are you capable of leading this mixed age fellowship forward? The position is part time and would be for 3 days/20 hours per week.

The successful applicant will be required to plan and lead local evangelism initiatives.

Pastoral visiting, preaching, leading biblestudy and prayer meetings will also be required.

The church regularly runs a childrens holiday club and joins with other churches in outreach activities.

The church has its own premises in the centre of the village. Ideally the pastor should live in the community and the church can offer a salary in line with the requirements of the position.

Accommodation is not provided.

To request an application form, please contact: Rob Webb, Rural Ministries, Wellingborough Innovation Centre, Church Street, Wellingborough, Northants NN8 4PD. Telephone: 01933 303050 Email: office@ruralministries.org.uk Website: www.lavendonconnection.com/ Baptist_Church.htm

Contact Services Team Member With RBC Ministries, Sandside, Cumbria This office position focuses on providing a quality service for our contacts. Training will be provided, but a reasonable level of computer literacy is required.

Responsibilities: telephone support for contacts; maintaining contact database; other general office duties. Ideally you will be able to communicate with our Chinese contacts in their own language. Other responsibilities may also be incorporated into the role dependent upon the gifts that the Lord has given to the individual.

RBC Ministries is committed to Equal Opportunities. However, it is a genuine occupational requirement that the post-holder be a Christian, and exemption under Regulation 7 of the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) regulations 2003 is therefore asserted.

If you meet the requirements, please forward your CV with covering letter to: Kevin Gregory, RBC Ministries, PO Box 1, Carnforth, Lancashire LA5 9ES Email: kevin_gregory@rbc.org www.keepthefaith.co.uk 45

MISSION

The Farthest Ends of Fatherhood Through its work in 26 of the world’s poorest countries, child development charity, Compassion UK, often encounters two extremes of fatherhood - it’s as if poverty brings out both the best and the worst.

In all cases, writes Jemima Lewis, Compassion tries to meet the needs of children whilst empowering parents to provide the best possible care for their own.

O

ne brave, devoted father, who Compassion works with, is John Bosco Kazibwe from Kisoga, Uganda.

He has been the sole carer of his little daughter, Gloria Namirembe, since his wife left without a word. “I was very confused,” he explained. “Why did she abandon a young suckling child? How would I cope? I purposed to do my best to raise Gloria single-handedly, but I did not have money to buy her milk or medical help. Gloria was attacked by malaria fever because we used to sleep without mosquito nets. I was worried that very soon this child would die.”

But thankfully, John and Gloria were discovered

by Compassion workers looking for families to join their Child Survival Programme - a scheme aimed at supporting caregivers and their children up to age four or five. John is now the only male among 57 mothers in the project, but he is not deterred. As well as receiving practical help in terms of food, bedding, toys and medicine, he has also benefitted from business start-up advice, which has enabled him to establish a small pig farm.

He is also developing as Gloria’s spiritual role model, leading worship at meetings and praying with Gloria every night before bed. He is absolutely devoted to his role as a father: “I wish to encourage fathers that bringing up a child is not a woman’s role alone. The child belongs to the two parents and both parents should share the responsibilities of raising the children.”

Gloria Namirembe & John Bosco

But many sponsored children aren’t as fortunate to have fathers like John. For example, Rugarama Ziade’s father abandoned his mother while she was pregnant. Not long after, she herself was killed in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. As Ziade describes, “My mother was cut and thrown in a hole, along with many of her relatives.”

Left all alone, he was passed around relatives for many years, staying with a total of seven different families. Eventually, at 10 years old, Ziade met his father for the first time. “He bought me clothes once. He later died of HIVrelated sicknesses, leaving behind a sick wife and two children, ages ten and seven. They are my family today.”

When Compassion resumed its work in Rwanda, Ziade was enrolled as a student and began a long restorative process. It culminated with him being chosen for the Leadership Development Programme, an initiative aimed at school leavers who excel spiritually and academically. Today, Ziade is in his third year at the School of Management and Finance, pursuing a degree in Accounting.

Despite the bad example of fatherhood he’s known, Ziade wants to break the cycle. He uses his pocket money to pay his younger half siblings’ school fees and to help his stepmother with rent.

“My family includes my siblings that my father left behind. In LDP we learn about cherishing family. I shall love them, provide for them, and take care of them as my very own. Like Christ chose me from many children, I want to show this love to others,” Ziade shared. “I want to take care of my wife and children, contrary to my father. I want to do for them what I was given.

I was never loved by my father but I want to love my family.”

However, the good work, which set Ziade on the right path, started way back in the village of Gakinjiro when he joined Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Programme. By attending the project, Ziade had all his economic, social, physical and spiritual needs met. The support and letters from his sponsor abroad showed Ziade just how much his Father in heaven loved him - a message which has helped him understand that he doesn’t have to follow in the footsteps of his own father.

There is also a positive effect when a man sponsors a child and becomes an encouraging male presence in a young life. This is especially precious for those children who may not have

46 keepthefaithmagazine

Rugarama Ziade as a little boy

Rugarama Ziade

fathers of their own. The letters from these sponsors can make all the difference. As Kwizera Dieudonne who attends a project at Maranyundo, Rwanda explains, “I like how my sponsor sees me; his attitude and feelings towards me; his encouraging comments all the time. I like that he receives my letters; responds to my questions, and prays for my prayer requests.

I really appreciate my sponsor and his family”.

To find out more about how you could sponsor a child, please visit www.compassionuk.org or call 01932 836490.