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Issue 23
intouch
Spring 2022
News of ministries
within the
Affinity Family
The most dangerous
countries to be a
Christian in 2022
FEATURING
How Africa Inland Mission A conversation with the
is responding with you to Free Church of Scotland
God’s call 04 07
Affinity is a growing network of 1,200 Bible-centred churches and Christian organisations throughout Britain and Ireland. We declare and demonstrate the unity of Christ’s Church for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom.
Director’s Desk
Since our last edition, we have substantially We are grateful for every opportunity,
emerged from two years of Covid restrictions however hostile the environment, please
which have affected us all in some way or pray for us every time we speak up. We
other and has been a very challenging time would love to have more interviews on a
for churches and church leaders. We pray for wider range of topics.
churches to be united to be re-energised in
gathering, praising God and serving together Already this year we have had the joy of
under Christ. welcoming new members to Affinity, one
of whom, London City Mission, is featured
Europe had hardly caught its breath from in this edition. Also featured is one of
Covid when Russia started a war in Ukraine. our oldest members – in fact, a founding
We’ve witnessed on our TVs and newsfeeds member of Affinity – the Free Church of
a brutal war with large scale destruction Scotland. I had the privilege of speaking
in cities, resulting in many casualties and with Andrew and David about their aim
displaced people. Many of our churches are for ‘a healthy gospel church for every
involved in prayer, material support and in community in Scotland’. We also have
some cases offering homes to refugees. If articles from two Affinity mission partners,
you have any stories of your connections Africa Inland Mission and Barnabas Fund.
and support of Ukrainians we would love to
hear from you. We trust you will find this edition of InTouch
encouraging and informative and we would
We know pandemics and conflicts are all love to hear from you with any comments
part of living in the last days before Christ or questions.
returns so it is no surprise and should
make us more dependent on God and Wishing you God’s richest blessing
eager to spread gospel hope with others. I
think for many of us the pandemic has not
prompted the spiritual hunger we hoped it
might but we pray on for fruitfulness on our
front lines. Graham
Nicholls
Affinity and our partners have continued to
speak up in the public square with many
interviews on radio and TV. We have been
at the forefront of making representations
to the government about the proposed ban
on so-called ‘Conversion Therapy’. We
deplore any abusive, violent or coercive
behaviour but we believe that explaining
what God’s word says about sexuality and
gender and encouraging people to follow it
is not abusive or harmful.
3
Responding
with you to God’s
call in Africa
127 years ago Africa Inland
Mission’s (AIM) founders
set out from Mombasa on
the East African coast with a
vision to establish mission
stations all along the way
to Lake Chad and take the
gospel to Africa’s unreached
‘inland’ peoples.
Today, it’s estimated
some 48% of the African
population claims the label
of Christian and the growth
of the church in much of
sub-Saharan Africa is a cause
of praise to our God who
loves to save and will see
his glory made known across
the whole earth.
Africa Inland Mission serves
and partners with churches
to fulfil the Great Commission
and advance the gospel
among Africans who have the Join us in praying
least opportunity to hear about for more people in
Jesus. Find out more about AIM North Africa to be
open to the Spirit’s
by visiting: eu.aimint.org leading.
4
From holding AK47s to leading
bible study groups
This is not the end of the care has to be exercised. some teaching from a local
story of the spread of Looking to engage in Muslim religious leader.
the gospel across Africa’s conversations that point My sister is very good at
people. A few years ago, a to the real hope that is asking questions or making
group of South Sudanese found in Jesus, with those comments, and these
men, from the Laarim who become friends have in the past caused
people group, sat watching over time, is how our disagreement with the lady
the Jesus video with AK47s workers spend their days. who teaches.
across their laps and were It’s a long hard slog to
astounded that Jesus rose learn the local language ‘Recently the lady stopped
from the dead. This was and build relationships teaching. After some
something they had never with individuals and time, she approached my
heard before. Today, Laarim families – often alongside friend to discuss the fact
believers are leading bible professional work or that she had been having
study groups among their running businesses that dreams, some of which
villages as the gospel has enable us to be in-country. she was being told to stop
taken root and the Holy This is interspersed with teaching as she was not
Spirit has given new life. wonderful accounts of speaking the truth. My
This is just one of the many the Holy Spirit working in friend has delighted in
unreached people groups unexpected ways, brave speaking to and directing
to be found in sub-Saharan local believers boldly her colleague to Google
Africa that is moving confessing Christ in their certain phrases, which has
towards being reached communities, and Jesus led to her reading portions
– having a viable church meeting people in their of Scripture of her own
established that can reach dreams to draw them to seeking and returning
out to its own people – himself. He is building his to my friend with more
despite the resistance and church but generally, our questions.’
enmity from those who work is slow and hard. >> Continues on next page
hold fast to their traditional
animistic religion and One of our workers in North
Angelo is a Laarim man who
beliefs. Africa recently shared, has accepted Christ, and who
‘I meet for fellowship is sharing the gospel within his
Move into the almost regularly with a local sister community.
entirely unreached Islamic who has been a believer
world of North Africa, for many years. She has a
where a group of men great knowledge of the
or women sitting down Bible, especially Jesus’s
to watch the Jesus video words, and a determined
together is a rare and conviction to live out these
risk-laden occurrence and, words. In her workplace,
if it does happen, great each day begins with
5
every community in Scotland
Together we can help take the gospel
A healthy gospel church for
to the remaining 1,000 unreached
African people groups
AIM is privileged to still a relatively well-off western
be involved in sharing church to work alongside
the gospel in Africa, with an African worker whose
some 700 missionaries church members simply
across 25 African countries don’t have the finance to
and diaspora – the spread support their pastor, let
of people beyond their alone a missionary? Who
homeland – ministries has the power in such a
beyond the African relationship and how do
continent. The world has we honour the work and
changed and the church in ministry of all? How do we
Africa has grown since our keep our historical and
Anglo-American founders cultural baggage from
first followed God’s call. getting in the way?
Listening to and keeping
in step with the Holy Spirit The effort is worth it. Jesus
as he raises up workers calls us all to serve and
from all over the globe – share in his mission to
particularly from Africa build his church and make
– is increasingly shaping his salvation and glory
and restructuring our made known to the ends
organisation. The church of the earth. This call to
of Jesus Christ is glorious his mission is not primarily
in its diversity and to to AIM, or other mission
reflect that in the make-up agencies, but to the church
of our teams of workers – God has simply raised up
contending together for organisations like AIM to
the faith among unreached serve and support churches
peoples is a powerful to realise their call to go
demonstration that we are and make disciples of all
his disciples, as we love one nations.
another over and above
our cultural and racial Together, in partnership
differences. with churches across Africa
and other places, we can
Pray for us in this, it’s not help take the gospel to the
easy, but it’s right to do. remaining 1,000 unreached
Not just on a theoretical African people groups.
level but practically too: for
example, how do we deal
with placing a worker from
6
How did the FCoS begin and tell us a little bit
about its history up until now?
David: I could be cheeky and say it began
in Acts 2! Currently, the Free Church
of Scotland is the largest evangelical
Presbyterian denomination in Europe. We
have about 115 churches spread through
six presbyteries in Scotland and one in
North America. We essentially split from the
Church of Scotland, the main Presbyterian
denomination, in 1843 in an event called
‘the disruption’. A robustly reformed
evangelical denomination was formed and
the ‘free’ bit means free from state control.
At the beginning of this year the Free Church
We talk about the FCoS in terms of three
of Scotland, a founding member of Affinity,
C’s: we are confessional – we subscribe to
launched their new vision. Their primary
the Westminster Confession of Faith; we
aim for each church in Scotland is not simply
are complementarian – we only appoint
to grow the number of churches or church
males to public leadership positions; we’re
members but that they might be thriving
contemporary – we like to engage with
spiritually.
culture. And of course, dominating it all, I
hope that we are Christ-like.
We spoke with Andrew Giffen, CEO, and
David Meredith, Mission Director, with the
purpose of digging into this vision statement,
we asked why even write one and what it
practically looks like.
7
Tell us more about this vision the FCoS has
just launched and help us to understand its
purpose.
Andrew: Our vision is: ‘a healthy gospel
church for every community in Scotland’
and although we’re launching it as our
focus this year I would hope you could say
this is something we’ve been committed
to before and something we will hopefully
be engaged in for many years to come.
Launching it this way is a reminder that
we’re concentrating on seeking spiritual
health in Scotland. There’s been a lot of talk
over the last while about physical health
and mental health but we want to promote
spiritual health and we want to grow
healthy gospel churches that are a blessing
to the communities around them. It helps
to focus again on seeking God’s will and
direction for us as a church.
It’s really a call to say, actually, what would it
mean for us to grow in health, whether it’s What does a ‘healthy church’ look like?
individuals growing in spiritual health or as
whole congregations? What could we do Andrew: A healthy gospel church is
to improve our health and be that bit more one where the word of God is faithfully
effective in advancing God’s kingdom and proclaimed and explained, where people
following his leading for what he wants to are growing in their relationship with
accomplish in Scotland? And it’s not just God and where people are coming to
about us growing healthy FCoS church faith. We want to see God glorified in our
congregations, we want to partner with worship together and be intentional about
other denominations and networks. mission and evangelism and a little more
intentional in our conversation with people
David: There are three strands to what we’re around us. We also want to see exemplary
hoping to achieve: we’re aiming to plant 30 leadership developed so we’re making it a
new churches by 2030, we want to revitalise priority to train leaders well, helping them
congregations and have 20-25 churches to be good leaders for the future.
that are intentionally trying to refresh. We’ve
also revamped our global mission.
8
How can we pray for the Free Church of
Scotland?
Andrew: Please pray for people to join us,
whether it’s church planters, ministers in
training or experienced church leaders.
Pray also for the finances involved, planting
churches is not cheap and training
ministers is not cheap but actually, it’s
money well spent in terms of kingdom
purposes.
Pray also that there would be that sense
of God moving by his Holy Spirit to bring
What is the Free Church of Scotland doing to people to faith and grow people in their
help support healthy churches? relationship with him. Pray that we faithfully
proclaim the gospel message and that we
Andrew: There is a group who are looking see lives transformed and communities
for new opportunities and identifying blessed as a result of that. It has to be God
people who can lead church plants so at work, therefore please join us in praying
we work with the Board of Ministry and for God to do all that he intends in this land.
particularly with Edinburgh Theological
Seminary to train our own ministers. We’re David: Join us in praying that we see a
also bringing training to ministers and movement of God and our hearts will burn
Christian leaders throughout Scotland within us as we get excited about Jesus. We
using a new ministry training model want to be God’s ambassadors taking his
that combines theological study with word into every community in Scotland.
placement in a church throughout their
entire time at seminary. So by the time Well, Andrew and David, thank you
they get to the end of their studies they are very much.
better equipped and ready to help build
healthy churches. We also have in place
central financial support structures.
David: We support church planters through
peer-to-peer support and coaching – we’re
well on the way to getting 20 to 30 of our
ministers into mentoring relationships.
You can watch the full interview on
We’re also running boot camps where we’re
the Affinity Youtube channel:
identifying young leaders. We know if we’re
www.affinity.org.uk/youtube
going to have 30 new churches in the next
ten years we need to have at least 70 new
To find out more about the Free Church
ministers – we’re working hard to reach this
of Scotland and its vision visit:
ambitious goal.
www.freechurch.org
9
The countries
where it’s most
dangerous to be a
Christian in 2022
Barnabas Fund stands sources, and affects severely persecuted, their
alongside our Christian different Christian followers incarcerated in
brothers and sisters where communities in distinctive harsh labour camps and
they suffer discrimination ways. This complexity prisons where sometimes
and persecution by providing means that it is a rather they die, while other
aid through their partners fruitless endeavour to try Christians face almost no
on the ground encouraging to rank countries in order harassment? What about
prayer, telling their untold of severity of Christian Nigeria where the violence
stories and speaking out on persecution. How do you against Christians in certain
their behalf. compare Pakistan, with parts has been described
a Christian community as a ‘Christian genocide’?
The return of the Taliban to of about five million, It is conservatively
power in August 2021 led living their faith openly estimated that almost
to Afghanistan becoming and freely albeit with 10,000 Christians have
an even more acutely discrimination, where at been killed by Islamists
dangerous land for its least four Christians have since 2015 in the North
Christians, all of whom are been killed in the last six and Middle Belt, but in the
converts from Islam or their months, with Mauritania South, where Christians
children. Like the Christians where there have been no are dominant, there are no
of Somalia, they are being known deaths of Christians such incidents?
hunted down by those in recent decades, but the
who seek to eliminate tiny number of indigenous Despite some liberalisation
‘apostates’ from the country Christians are secret in other areas of life,
completely. believers whose lives Saudi Arabia – home to
would be in grave peril Islam’s most holy sites,
Anti-Christian persecution if their faith was known? Mecca and Medina and
can take many forms, What about Eritrea where to ultra-strict Wahhabi
comes from various some denominations are Islam – remains extremely
10hostile to Christians. The of Christian converts from
fact of Christmas trees and Islam has mainly taken the Barnabas Fund is
decorations openly on sale form of imprisonment or thankful to the Lord that
in December 2021 may internal exile on various we can provide help to
seem trivial, even irrelevant pretexts. persecuted Christians in
to the real Christian many countries around
faith, but is actually a Large numbers of the world. Our aid
momentous move in a Christians have died at the has reached suffering
country that previously hands of the Buddhist- Christians in more than
banned any public sign dominated government of 100 countries providing
of a non-Islamic religion. Myanmar (Burma) in the food parcels, medical
Conversion from Islam last six decades. Attacks supplies, schooling
is still a capital offence are still being launched by and higher education,
although no Christians have the military on the towns disaster relief, vocational
been executed for apostasy and villages of Christian- training and income-
in recent years. majority ethnic groups. generation projects,
practical support for
In Iran, too, the state Last, but by no means the victims of violence,
can execute apostates, least, we must mention Bibles and other
Rev. Hossein Soodmand communist North Korea, spiritual resources, and
was hanged for this in where Christians continue support for full-time
1990. In the following to face imprisonment, Christian workers
few years, a handful of torture and death, where ministering in their
prominent Christian even praying or reading own contexts. For more
leaders died in mysterious the Bible can lead to whole information, visit
circumstances, but since families being sent to cruel www.barnabasfund.org
then the persecution of the labour camps, where they and www.food.gives
rapidly growing number may die from the hardships
endured.
11A story One in three people in London is unlikely to have
a Christian friend. During their lifetime, they are
unlikely to be invited to church or to hear the best
about three news ever – the life-giving gospel of Jesus. This is
a tragedy.
people. At London City Mission (LCM), we want to reach
everyone in communities least likely to hear the
gospel. Everyone living on estates, everyone
And three from other religious backgrounds, everyone who
is homeless and on the margins of society, and
million
every young person.
people.
Ann and
Shane
Giving church a go
Ann has lived on the same estate in Ann kept coming. Sundays became her
London for more than 30 years. She’s favourite day of the week, and she started
known as ‘the mum of Vauxhall’ – to read the Bible with Shane. ‘Jesus went
everyone knows her, and she loves through so much torture, all for me. I felt
getting to know everyone. ‘I always like he really wasn’t asking much, so I
believed in God, but I never felt gave my life to him. Jesus is my life now!’
connected to God or the church,’ said
Ann. ‘After a while, I didn’t even want Now Ann can’t keep quiet about her
anything to do with the church.’ new life, ‘God’s helping me to get out
and speak to people about him. Even if
Then Ann met Shane, an LCM missionary, I’m on the bus, I chat about Jesus,’ says
and a friendship grew between them. Ann. ‘And I pray others will do what I have
Conversations often turned to life’s bigger done and turn to Jesus.’
questions and one Sunday, Ann took a
big step. ‘I was sitting in my flat, looking Ann’s story is unique. But there are
at the clock and saw it was 11 o’clock, millions of people like her across London.
I decided I’d give church a go. If I’m People who unlikely to have a Christian
being honest, I was so nervous. But they friend, and unlikely to hear the saving
greeted me with so much warmth.’ news of Jesus.
12Rob
Building friendships
with people
Every Friday morning, Christians from
Journey Church Harrow have been
visiting the local estate with missionary
Is the task too big? Emmanuel Gill. ‘We’ve been knocking
Imagine if everyone in London was on people’s doors and just offering
invited, personally and lovingly, in a prayer,’ says Rob, a church member.
language they understood, to enjoy “Coming out of COVID, people really
an eternal, life-giving relationship with want to talk. We’re getting to know
God. It would mean reaching one in people, and we’re becoming friends.
three people, in one of the biggest The first time I went out, I was nervous.
cities in Europe. At LCM we believe But this is what we’re commanded to
this can be achieved by building up do – go and make disciples.’ Rob and
and equipping the most precious Emmanuel met Angela.
and powerful thing on earth, the local
‘I don’t remember ever praying when
church.
I was growing up,’ says Angela. ‘So,
There are hundreds of gospel- when people from the church asked
proclaiming churches across London what I believed, I said: the universe – I
and hundreds of thousands of send out what I want to get back.’
Christians with the potential and desire Angela started studying the Bible
to share their faith. The problem is that with Rob and Emmanuel. ‘I realised
sometimes we don’t feel confident my life hasn’t been great without
or equipped to speak about Jesus, Jesus,’ said Angela. ‘At church, I can be
particularly with people who are myself. I can be at ease. If something
different to us. But imagine what worrying is happening, like a doctor’s
would happen if all these churches appointment, the whole church will
across London were motivated to pray for me, which is amazing!’
lovingly and confidently share the good
We long to see more stories like that
news of Jesus with those around them.
of Angela, of Ann and of ordinary
Those who hear this good news will
Christians like Rob being used in their
start telling people around them about
weakness to build God’s church.
it, just like Ann is doing, and the gospel
spreads.
London City Mission is equipping local
churches to step out in faith, build
connections with the communities
around them and lovingly share the
amazing news of the grace found in
Jesus Christ. To find out more about
how you can partner with London City
Mission, go to: lcm.org.uk
Angela 13Book
Review
REVIEW BY
Tim Dieppe, Christian Concern
Christian Focus Publications, 2021, 208pp, £3.99 10ofThose
This review was originally published in our Social Issues Bulletin, Issue 49 - March 2022.
14In today’s upside down, topsy-turvy, In the chapter on religious freedom, we
confused, and increasingly anti-Christian are reminded of the biblical basis for the
culture, people actually believe Christianity separation of church and state, and the
has been bad for the world. Not only do they role that Christians played in establishing
believe it, but they actively teach it to our the principles of freedom of conscience
children. and freedom of religion. In the chapter
on justice, James explains the biblical
Christianity is taught as outdated, foundations for Magna Carta, with a helpful
backward, superstitious, discriminatory and table showing how biblical teaching is
dangerous. It is believed that Christians are reflected in this historic charter of freedom
obviously on the wrong side of history. As (p64-66). A chapter on the dignity of
a consequence, Christians often feel like women shows how much Christianity
they are on the back foot, having to defend improved the rights and freedoms of
the track record of the church or making women, and how various Christians
excuses for what Christians have done. campaigned for women’s rights through
church history. The advance of Christianity
Sharon James turns all this on its head dispelled sexual slavery, but now that we
and the right way round in this handy little are turning away from our Christian roots,
book. Christians have a lot to be proud this trade is increasing again (p98).
of when it comes to what the church has
done for society. Christians should not be Christians founded hospitals, hospices, care
on the back foot, but on the front foot for the mentally ill, schools, universities,
when it comes to the track record of their and all sorts of charities and philanthropic
religion. Far from being on the wrong side organisations. There are lots of helpful stats
of history, we are very much on the right and quotes in the book. One that stood
side. out for me is the appalling track record of
Marxism, killing nearly 110 million people
The book contains ten short chapters between 1917 and 1987. This compares with
covering topics like freedom, religious all the domestic and foreign wars of the
liberty, justice, protecting life, philanthropy, twentieth century which were responsible
and education for all. James explains that for around 35 million deaths (p24). James
‘the liberties and rights that we value in free also brings the various subjects right up
societies are to a great degree based on the to date with contemporary examples and
biblical conviction that all humans, made cases like that of Dr Mackereth who lost his
in God’s image, are equal in dignity (Gen position for his belief that sex is immutable
1:26-7)’ (p22). She reminds us that ‘Where (p53-54).
no God is acknowledged, the State can all
too easily “become God”, with appalling Each chapter has recommendations for
consequences.’ (p23). Only in Christianity, for further reading, and there is also a list of
example, did the idea develop that slavery further resources at the end of the book.
was sinful and must be abolished. All other There is a foreword by Baroness Cox who
cultures, with all sorts of other worldviews warmly commends the book. I join her
and religions, accepted slavery as justified. commendation. The message of this book
is one that Christians of our generation and
the next desperately need to hear. I hope it
gets a wide readership.
15SAVE
THE DATE
Affinity
Theological CONTACT
Graham Nicholls, Director
Study
director@affinity.org
Joel Upton,
Executive Assistant
Conference
office@affinity.org.uk
PO Box 905
Haywards Heath
RH16 9TJ
www.affinity.org.uk
8-10 March 2023
@AffinityTalks
King’s Park Conference
Centre, Northampton
InTouch is the biannual magazine of
Affinity, it is edited by Joel Upton.
Theme: © 2022 Affinity. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of this publication
‘A Firm Foundation’ is prohibited without written
permission from the Editor.
Priorities for the It is assumed that contributors are in
Rising Generation sympathy with the aims of Affinity.
However, the views expressed in
this magazine are strictly those of
individual contributors and do not
necessarily reflect the opinions of
the Editor or of the Advisory Council
of Affinity.
More information will be announced
over the upcoming months.You can also read
