The roots of Newfrontiers – a personal reflection pt 3. Black and White to Colour

Screen Shot 2017-02-17 at 14.28.07Body Life
The weekend after Terry visited out home and prayed successfully for people to be healed we were to attend a Stewards Trust conference for people at a similar stage of life to ourselves. What a turning point that proved to be. The speaker, Barney Coombs from Sarum Hill Baptist Church in Basingstoke, and founder of the Salt and Light Screen Shot 2017-01-27 at 10.52.33stream of churches, oozed love and a knowledge of the scriptures we had not previously encountered as he ministered on body life, and on the importance of exercising the gifts of the spirit to bless and edify other believers. He also introduced us to scriptures set to music as a vehicle for worship. At that stage our worship experience included singing many of the fine old hymns, and we greatly appreciate them to this day. But something new was happening, particularly with groups like Scripture in Song (David and Dale Garratt) from New Zealand who were writing contemporary music to accompany scripture. Powerful stuff! Our church experience was changing from black and white to colour.

Terry offers to help us
On the Monday after our return Janita phoned Terry on behalf of a friend who was seeking prayer for her baby daughter who had been born with a congenital dislocation of the hip. After expressing a willingness to pray for her Terry asked about our weekend away. Janita told him of the excitement we felt but also of the frustration that we would have to wait another year before we could attend such a conference again. At that point Terry offered to come and help us. “Do you really mean that?” “Yes” was the generous response.

Screen Shot 2017-01-26 at 22.21.28We did not know it at that time but a few weeks previously Alex Buchanan (click for a remarkable video tribute), a man with a proven prophetic record, had preached at Terry’s church. Following revelatory words of knowledge, the accuracy of which only Terry and Wendy could confirm, he prophesied over Terry that he would be used to travel outside the boundaries of Seaford to help other churches.

We now had such a need, so, from the first week in May 1973, Terry started visiting our rather pedestrian Bible study group. He brought us into new life in the Spirit by teaching about worship, the gifts of the Spirit, grace not law etc.

The need to realign
Soon after this it seemed right to leave the local Anglican church we had grown to love. We were clearly now feeding from Terry’s ministry more than from that church. As a boys’ Bible class leader and member of the church council (a democratic decision-making body) I felt continuing as members lacked integrity. So we left as inconspicuously as possible – we later found out not very successfully – and joined Terry’s church in Seaford.