Missionary Broadcasting.com

Advocates of “Christian” political activism in the United States spend a lot of time telling us how the deck is stacked against them. They are correct. A secular society is never friendly to Biblical viewpoints, and rarely even sympathetic to the concerns of Bible-believers. Consistent and vigorous evangelism is a far more effective means of social change. A continuously growing population of righteous and faithful Christians will have dramatic effects on any local community. While I always advocate the communication of Biblical truth on public and political policy, I prefer to spend the majority of my time and money on evangelism and discipleship.

For every ounce of hostility to Christianity we find in America, there is a pound in the UK. One of today’s daily Telegraph editorials considers belief in the Bible dangerous, comparing it readily with radical Islam, and insisting those that affirm it be excluded from the political process. Make no mistake, similar opinions now find a home in America too. I consider them to be the fault of “Christian” political activism rather than the enemy of it. A particular segment of Christianity has become so unalterably preoccupied with political change, their witnessing and discipling responsibilities have been almost totally ignored! Consequently, conservative activism has grown while Biblical Christianity has declined. Am I wrong?

I wrote a provocative headline because I wanted you to read an article from Sunday’s daily Telegraph. It is one of the most disturbing stories you will ever read regarding abortion. A UK woman named Lucy Cavendish tells an appalling true-life story of magnificent disregard for human life and relentless commitment to self. I believe we can be fairly certain Lucy is simply a lost, sinful, deceived woman in need of Christ, but her views reveal something about the condition of Western society today. It is long past time for believers to wake up, speak up, and refuse to back up until we’re taken up on eliminating the legal murder of the unborn!

While I enjoy debating the weighty matters of theological conservatism, I fear I do it all too often on this site without also offering something simple, interesting and fun. Today I found myself surfing BBC London for information on the upcoming mayoral election. (I’m fascinated by the British political system.) As a side journey, I decided to visit In Pictures, which led me to a series of fantastic photo galleries.

Over the past few years I have become increasingly interested in learning more about life and culture in Britain, and have collected a series of web links to UK political, cultural and photography sites. The BBC is one of my chief sources, along with the Telegraph, and the Independent. Anyway, you don’t have to be nearly as intrigued as I am to enjoy these photos of London.

• Night Fantastic - Night shots from around London.
• Big Ben - Go inside the famous Westminster clock tower.
• London Bridges - A collection both historic and modern.
• Aerial Photos - Much of the city seen from the air.

I have taken a few decent London shots (including the one above), which you can see in our England 2007 gallery. Most of the others were captured in either Bedfordshire or Buckinghamshire this past October.

Those interested in pictures from my UK trip last month will be happy to know I have posted eighteen new shots since my last update. That’s still only ten percent of the total number I kept, but I think I have provided a good enough variety to keep your attention. Visit the Gallery, then select England 2007.

It has been another long stretch between Harper family updates; this time a little over four months. In our last letter, we left you in the dark about the specifics of our future plans to visit the Baptist Mid-Missions work in England. While we had been praying for an opportunity to take a ten day trip to the country for over six months, we were unable to confirm the details at that point. The fact is, I had not accrued enough leave time from my job, and was not certain traveling 27 hours with two toddlers was a wise choice. After learning we were expecting our third child (due January 27th), things got even more complicated. In early August, we decided to book a trip for October 3rd through the 16th, and determined I would travel alone.

I spent my first five days in the UK with Stan and Paula Boelman, who planted Fellowship Baptist Church in Luton nearly 26 years ago. My second five days were spent with Ken and Dawn Houghten, who also have around 25 years of experience, and currently minister at Buckingham Evangelical Church in Milton Keynes. Both provided wonderful hospitality, and did their best to give me a varied and informed experience in the UK. Their years of practical ministry to English people was invaluable in our process of considering missionary service there. We had a great time talking and traveling around their respective areas taking in the British countryside and history.

Some of my favorite moments were spent at church services and activities, as I had a few moments to talk with attendees, and observe how they fellowship and worship. One of the main highlights was an ordination and installation service for Bro. Paul Milner at Reynard Way Evangelical Church in Northampton. Pastor Milner spoke to my heart as he related his call to the ministry and concern for the spiritual condition of his country. He observed how few men of his age group had chosen a life of service to Christ, and wondered how God may use him; then chose to leave a terrific job and study for the ministry. I had never felt more comfortable or unified with any group of believers than on that day.

In short, this was a wonderful trip, which added a bit of knowledge to my fascination with British society and culture. Though I missed my family very much during my 12 days away, I left England with a desire to learn more. Therefore we continue to consider details and pray about what God may have us do. I hope you will join with us in asking God for wisdom to consider, and strength to do anything and everything He desires.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment here, or contact us by e-mail. We are always happy to hear from you, and respond with answers or more information. You may also want to check out our England 2007 album in the Gallery, where you will find a number of pictures from the trip.

We would ask in closing that you pray for a specific unspoken request, and remember Deborah as she looks forward to the delivery of our first son this January! We are so very thankful for your prayers and encouragement. You have been immensely patient as we have walked an uncertain road together. God bless you in your lives and ministries for the Savior.

After some significant planning, reworking, updating and picture-taking, I have finally posted an updated photo gallery. There are only fifteen photos available today (from my recent trip to England), but plans are in the works to have a lot more online soon. Keep in mind it took me almost a full two hours to resize, label and post this group, so I can imagine it will be a few weeks before other albums appear. (Dial-up internet is often frustrating.)

A few notes about the England 2007 album:

1. This is a very limited sample of the over 300 photos I kept.
2. Generally speaking it was too dark in the Churchill Museum for anything other than night-shot; hence the black and white, grainy look.
3. I will be adding fifteen or twenty more pictures in the next few days, and will hopefully also write a separate entry with trip details.

Access the Gallery any time by clicking the link at the top of the page. Select an album, then a photo. Navigate to the next or previous shot by moving the cursor to the left or right and clicking on the ‘Next’ or ‘Prev’ label. Sorry for the lengthy explanation; enjoy!