Following Jesus where the need is greatest
Bishop Harold recently joined Tearfund’s Board of Trustees. Below, he tells Gemma Brown from the Northern Ireland office about how he came to be involved in Tearfund’s work, why he believes in integral mission and how we can play an important role in following Jesus where the need is greatest.
Tearfund works in over 50 countries across the world: have you seen their work first–hand?
Yes, I went to a place called Poipet, on the border of Cambodia and Thailand, which the ‘Rough Guide’ says you should drive through as quickly as possible. It was an amazing experience, and showed me how carefully and strategically Tearfund works, and spends its money.
What struck you most about your time in Poipet?
It struck me that what happened there turned everything on its head. A Christian man was called with his family to go and live in a town which had almost every social issue possible, including child trafficking. He gave his life to serve those people, and to enable them to know they were valued by God. There was no ‘church’, but, as people were converted to Christ, they then had to train pastors and establish churches. Those churches didn’t have to do courses to learn to engage with their community – they emerged from the community!
That re–taught me a lesson which I learnt years ago in Southern Sudan – that there are many situations where the Church can be the most effective aid agency. The Church is on the ground, knows the situation, and will be there long–term. I am so glad that the genius of Tearfund is to support aid and development through the local church, and to connect those churches to one another worldwide.
That is so powerful. Tell me about your current involvement with Tearfund: what does that entail?
I had been a vice president for some years, which was a largely honorific role, where I would speak on behalf of Tearfund, do photocalls, and things like bake–offs and water–carrying challenges. Now, I am a Trustee, or member of the Board, and that means getting to grips with what is going on in a deeper way. I am also on the Global Fundraising Committee, at a time of great encouragement in our giving.
When did you first come across Tearfund?
I first came across Tearfund in the early 1970s, at University in Trinity College Dublin, and then when training for the ministry in St John’s College Nottingham, which was an evangelical college where Tearfund was the ‘default’ Developing World agency.
And why did you choose to get involved?
Because Tearfund in those days bridged the gap between the sometimes narrowly–defined understanding of the Gospel in the evangelical world, and the ‘social gospel’, as it used to be called. We would say now that it enabled evangelicals to begin to grasp ‘integral mission’, and that was really exciting, and strongly led by people like John Stott.
That is really exciting. Why do you think integral mission is important?
It is important because it is the way of Jesus. Mission is everything God sends us to do in his world. We cannot divide people up into separate bits. Human beings need to find wholeness in body, mind and spirit, in relationships, and above all, in becoming the people God intended them to be. We are interested in the lot!
Tearfund believes its call is to follow Jesus where the need is greatest. What does that mean?
That is a really tough question. When I first heard the new strapline, I thought it was simply obviously right, and interpreted it in a safe kind of way. I now think it is really challenging, because it is hard to identify the greatest need in a very needy world. It certainly means that we will find Jesus already present among the poorest of the poor, and to follow him there may be difficult, even dangerous, but it will also bring amazing blessing.
You are currently based in the North of Ireland, but what about your relationship with churches in in the South of Ireland?
My wife is from Kilkenny, and I have been to university in Dublin and ministered in Cork for 8 years, so I have an appreciation for the dynamics of church life in the south. I am a big supporter of Tearfund Ireland and the Dublin office sometimes call on me to help them with national events. The Church of Ireland Bishops’ appeal, operating both north and south of the border, also supports the work of Tearfund.
Wonderful. How can we pray for you in your new role at Tearfund?
Pray that I may have a real overview of the work, lots of energy, and the compassion of Christ. Pray that I may be a good ambassador to churches in Northern Ireland.
And finally, how can we pray for Tearfund?
We should pray that Tearfund will be focused on what God wants us to make our priorities, that evangelicals especially may be really aware of what we do and supportive of our work, and that Nigel Harris, Tim Magowan and the staff would continue to be both passionate and strategic, and blessed by the Lord.
Discover more about Tearfund by visiting www.tearfund.org/ni
This article first appeared in the Church of Ireland Gazette, 29 July 2016