30 INTERVIEW
I BECAME A CHRISTIAN IN A BRETHREN ASSEMBLY IN LINCOLN AND WE WERE TAUGHT THE WORD OF GOD. WE WERE EXPECTED TO MEMORISE A VERSE A DAY, AND WE’ D HAVE TIMES OF QUOTING THE BIBLE, OUR FAVOURITE VERSES.
‘ Do you find a corresponding apathy or lack of joy among safe and comfortable Christians?’ I asked.‘ Do you find it discouraging preaching in English churches?’‘ Not at all,’ Stuart said adamantly.‘ When I preach and teach in churches here in England people pick up that passion and respond. I preached on one occasion at a church in Essex. I’ d just come back from Northern Nigeria. We had been to Kaduna and Jos, where there had been churches burnt, four pastors killed and there was a curfew. We had to sneak out because there were barricades. It was just after the Miss World competition in 2001, and a journalist had written an article saying Mohammed would have enjoyed it. 30,000 Muslims rioted, burnt down 100 churches … We were told by a friend of a Methodist minister who was killed how it had happened. He’ d gone out of Kaduna the day before to meet one of his parishioners, and on the day of the riots he had got into a taxi with a good Muslim taxi driver who he knew and two Muslim friends, they’ d driven back and when they got to the barricades they were stopped. The question was asked,“ Are there any Christians in this car?” The driver wanted to protect his friend and said,“ No, we’ re all good Muslims in here.” With that, the Methodist minister said,“ Excuse me sir, but I’ m a Christian.” With that, they dragged him out of the car and beat him to death on the pavement. Who cares? When you tell that story and ask that question with passion in a church, you always get a response. This is the heart of God. God heard the cries of the afflicted in Egypt. He raised a man. The Spirit is always on the move. Everywhere I’ ve been, I’ ve seen God moving.’
I asked Stuart whether preaching is valued in the persecuted church. I find it hard to see how and where biblical teaching can happen when meeting for a religious purpose can get you killed. His response is another story.‘ Let’ s look how the Holy Spirit and Bible ministry equips a person. So here’ s a man in the persecuted church, a Muslim convert, Edi Dibaj. He’ s standing before the court in Iran. He’ s been sentenced to death.’ At this point Stuart ' s voice breaks and I see a tear fall slowly down his cheek.‘ He’ s before the court and he gives his testimony. That’ s a product of biblical teaching in the persecuted church. It was like parts of the Acts of the Apostles. It was a phenomenal sermon about how God had led him in his life, how he’ d seen miracles, and how could he possibly turn away from the living God, who had sent his son to die for him, had been his saviour and who he’ d walked with? He said,“ No, I’ d rather trust in the living God who will never turn against me.” That’ s how we find believers in the persecuted church: well taught, well-grounded and they know their saviour. Teaching is very important. There are never enough Bibles. It really is important. They continue steadfastly: the Apostles’ doctrine, the breaking of bread, prayers and fellowship.’
Stuart is very enthusiastic about
Preach and all we are doing to encourage preachers around the country. He says as he leaves,‘ I love preaching, and I travel all over the country for engagements in all sorts of churches. My biggest problem with Anglican churches is that they’ ll only allow me to speak for twelve minutes. I drive up to four hours to get there and they give me twelve minutes! I think people should get forty minutes to an hour: a really good sermon. You’ ve hardly got time to say‘ hello, God bless you’ in twelve minutes. Baptists are a bit better.’
It is his view that young people are ill-equipped for the preaching task.‘ Why would you say that is?’ I ask.‘ Why are young people today so illequipped? Because they don’ t know the word of God. And I have my own opinions about that. I became a Christian in a Brethren assembly in Lincoln and we were taught the word of God. We were expected to memorise a verse a day, and we’ d have times of quoting the Bible, our favourite verses. And the hymns contained so much doctrine. Hymns today are rubbish. Wesley hymns are amazing. The Redemption Hymnal is a wonderful book – I take it with me. One of my favourites is this:
I’ m rejoicing night and day As I walk the pilgrim way For the hand of God in all My life I see And the reason for my bliss Yes the secret all is this That the comforter abides with me
That should be our experience. That should be the life we live. That’ s the life. I get depressed when I take funerals and see people with living faith who don’ t seem to have any sense of the reality that we’ re going to dwell with Christ forever.’
By this time we’ re draining our second cup of coffee, and the grumbling in my stomach is telling me it must be lunch time. I ask Stuart if he’ d like to stay for food, but he has somewhere to be. Soon he’ s on his way and I have no doubt he’ ll have an adventure or two by the end of the day.