“So how are things going in South Wales?” an American colleague recently asked me.
“Well,” I said, “the number of Christians in Wales has grown by leaps and bounds over the past four years.”
“Really?” he asked. “Do you think God’s bringing revival like He did in 1904 and many times previously?”
“Ummm. No. It’s not like that at all.” I knew my response would raise his curiosity level, but I didn’t know how he would react when I explained the situation.
“But it sounds like people are getting saved all over the place, according to you! I guess I’m a little confused. What’s happening then?” my friend asked.
“Actually, I was being a little tongue-in-cheek with you, but you took me literally and started talking about revival,” I said.
It was really difficult to put my feelings into words, but I explained that my first two years in Wales was sort of like living in a bubble—a very strict Reformed evangelical bubble that drew very tight boundaries around who they considered “evangelical.” There were a couple of groups—mostly charismatic—that they would recognize, but I got the distinct impression that there were very few churches and Christians in Wales that met their standards of orthodoxy.
Those brothers and sisters in Christ looked to D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones as the human instrument God used to call them out of the crumbling mainline denominations in the late 1940′s, but I just wish they would embrace more of the doctor’s gracious spirit concerning biblical ecumenism. I finally realized it was time for me to go. The process of severing that relationship was painful and costly, but I just couldn’t see myself living within such narrow parameters of fellowship and ministry.
So I just observed my one year anniversary “outside the camp” and it’s been a wonderfully uplifting, enlightening, and joyful twelve months realizing that God is definitely at work across the whole of Wales! I assured my American friend that, while we’re not seeing mass conversions all around us, we are greatly encouraged that there are a LOT more followers of Jesus in Wales than we originally thought.
Please pray for us! The Christian bookshop ministry (run by my wife) has continued to see steady growth over the past three years. I am working three days a week with a local church, in addition to my work with a national church planting ministry known as Waleswide and continuing to interact with prospective church planters in our North American ministry, Grace Church Planting Ministries. We will be seeking permanent residency at the end of May 2008, which will lift restrictions on my employment and allow me to use my tentmaking skills to supplement our income. When I resigned last year, my home church withdrew their financial support (as a result of my decision) and that left us in a really tough situation; although God has provided for us in ways that continue to amaze us each month. We give thanks to Father for those who continue to support us with their prayers and finances!
