I first came across Cliff in the mid 1980s when I attended a Lydia prayer conference at which Cliff was speaking. I was enthused by the message he brought and also about the ministry which he was exercising. The magazine Prophecy Today was in its infancy and I began to subscribe to it on a regular basis.
It wasn’t very long after that first encounter that we moved from living in Yorkshire to London suburbia and that gave me the opportunity to offer help in the Prophetic Word Ministries office near London Bridge. I think I went in 2 days a week, most of which was spent stuffing envelopes and sticking on stamps, and it was during that time that I witnessed the laborious cut and paste process of putting together a magazine.
The wonders of Desk Top Publishing had taken the printing world by storm and it seemed fairly obvious to me that if Prophecy Today could be produced that way it would greatly reduce the time and hassle of its production So one day I ventured into Cliff’s office and suggested the idea to him. It had evidently been a tiring morning and he was looking harassed; ‘But how could we afford it and who would be able to use the equipment if we had it?’ was his response. Fortunately I’d done some homework on the matter and it seemed that £5000 would be required for the necessary Apple Computer and Quark Express software plus printer. In the 1980s that sounded like a huge amount of money for a small ministry but, rather weakly he said ‘Well we’d better pray about it’. As for the question of who would use this equipment – I certainly liked the idea and offered to take the necessary training if and when we were able to go ahead.
Not too long after that Clifford called me into his office. He had received a cheque for £5,000! It came from someone whose wife he had prayed for at a meeting at which Cliff had spoken some while earlier in Harrogate (I think), and this lady had been healed. The cheque was a thanksgiving offering from the husband for that healing.
And so I was given the go ahead and headed out to shop for the necessary items and to enrol in the relevant course – quite an alarming experience as at that stage all I could do with computers was use them like an electric typewriter! It was a 3-day course after which I returned to the office and was expected to be able to produce the next magazine – along with Gary, the assistant editor at the time. That was a pretty fraught experience and it took several months to get to the stage of being able to produce Prophecy Today without too much pain. Inevitably the main challenge was that now that additions and changes could be made to text with a bit of manoeuvering on the keyboard, articles could be changed or added to right up to the last minute before being sent to the printers. Then I understood why the printing world is so pressurised – changes and deadlines, changes and deadlines! Somehow, we always got through it and I certainly enjoyed those days of working in the PWM office, not just for the work but for the interaction of colleagues and especially for the regular prayer times that we had together.
Virginia Symonds
Former Chair of Issachar Ministries and Prophecy Today online
I had minimal contact with the ministry before 2014: printed PT came across my desk in the late 1980s when working for a Christian publisher and I visited Moggerhanger once for a Pardes Hebraic day conference held in a marquee - I think Fred Wright was the main speaker.
Prophetic Workshop
It was much later that I became involved in the ministry – my sister was Cliff and Monica’s guest at a Prophetic Workshop for a gathering limited to about 40 invited guests in October 2014 at High Leigh. Cliff and Monica were kind enough to allow her to bring me along too.
Cliff asked the gathering who might be interested in helping with the relaunch of PT online and a few of us volunteered. I wasn’t a supporter of the ministry but came straight in as a volunteer, attending several subsequent draughty church hall meetings (the inaugural meeting was 2 December 2014).
We had quite a large group of volunteers at the beginning, but the Editorial Board was eventually whittled down to a core of Paul, Greg, Chris, Clifford, Frances, Cliff, Monica and me.
PT launch issue
We launched web-based PT on the eve of Passover in 2015. In that first issue:
It is interesting that the themes have not changed that much over the years - we started as we were meant to go on perhaps.
I have a long on-going memory of them although I never knew them really well. I can’t recall when I first met them but probably in the 1970s. For a long time I was greatly helped by Clifford’s expositions on contemporary prophecy, so I suppose Prophecy Today may have been an entry point. I valued it highly as our local parish offered no help with spiritual growth or Bible study. I think it was then in the 80s that I went on a week’s prophecy conference with them. The Lord had virtually dictated a work to me which was treated sceptically by others, but Clifford took it away for 3 days and pronounced it sound. I seldom weep but I wept all those three days which was an extraordinary experience. I have never found anyone to take the work forward. As it has to do with the end times it may still be used by God. Since then, they have always been there, even if they have not known it, which has been a comfort.
In 1985 we were living in St Buryan, near Penzance. A magazine, Prophecy Today, dropped through our letter box. We hadn't heard of it, and certainly hadn't ordered it, - I asked Cliff, several years later, if they had done a mailshot to all clergy, - they had. I read it through and instantly felt that, although not easy, it was the truth. I went on the mailing list and still have every copy printed. I took Sword for a time but felt the editor had lost his way and it didn't have the same cutting edge as PT, under Cliff's leadership.
One of the comments in the first PT that really hit me, was the threat from Muslims. From 1976 to 1983 we lived in the Potteries. During that time, I think before 1980, during one of my quiet times, I heard the Lord say that the greatest threat to the world was from Islam. I shared it with our Bible study group. They all thought I was wrong, as there were very few Muslims in our country at that time and not a lot was known about Islam. To read what Cliff wrote witnessed strongly to me.
Charles Gardner
Journalist inspired by Cliff’s message
My first brush with Dr Clifford Hill’s ministry was shortly after I arrived in Sheffield in 1979 to take up a post as senior reporter with the Morning Telegraph. One of my first jobs was to ring around all our many estate agents for an update in our Saturday Property section. I was soon in conversation with one of the city’s leading businessman, David T Ward, and it was immediately obvious that we were both on the same spiritual wavelength, and we have remained friends to this day.
In due course, David invited me to a Christian businessmen’s breakfast at the YMCA and gave me a lift there. On the way he was greatly enthused by Cliff’s new book, Towards the Dawn, which affected me in a similar way (I believe he gave me a copy). Its warnings about the inevitable consequences of sliding down the slippery slope away from our Christian foundations chimed well with my thinking, especially as a journalist who saw political and other events through a biblical lens and was frustrated by the Church’s tendency to separate the sacred from the secular.
It was during the previous four years while working in Fleet Street for the South African Press Association that I was strongly envisioned with the idea of a national newspaper interpreting the news from a biblical perspective, and was much encouraged along these lines through Cliff’s message. I subsequently attended a meeting at which he spoke and soon became aware of, and started to read, the Prophecy Today magazine.
It was much later, in 1999, that I met Nick Thompson, who had worked for national newspapers at senior management level, and discovered that he shared my vision. So we got together and prepared a business plan for a Sunday paper which provoked a quick response from a millionaire Christian businessman, who effectively promised £300,000 (a tithe of the projected cost) if all the parameters worked out. In the event, they didn’t. But it was a great encouragement, nonetheless.
Shortly afterwards, through Nick’s Hebraic roots links with Clifford Denton, a close colleague of Cliff’s for many years, we were invited to share our vision with the PT team at Moggerhanger in Bedfordshire, where we had many meetings over the next few years. We also met with high-fliers in the City of London and in the Houses of Parliament, and a report about our ambitious project even appeared in a Sunday paper, causing much alarm among the senior management of Johnston Press, for whom I worked as Selby Times sports editor. In the end, after undertaking fairly extensive market research, we managed (in late 2001) to produce an impressive dummy copy of Life on Sunday.
In some respects, looking back, we seem to have come very close to launching our product, for which market research suggested we could expect a circulation of around 250,000! Interestingly enough, this was the circulation number of an 18th century newspaper produced by William Wilberforce in his bid to “reform the manners” of the British public, an ethos not dissimilar to our own. And Moggerhanger was the very place where Wilberforce and his Clapham Sect friends had met and prayed for breakthrough in such ventures.
But though the project failed to get off the ground, we channelled the not inconsiderable finances (£64,000) raised by supporters towards a more modest online version of what we had envisioned and called it Lifebite – not unlike PT today in style and content. It ran for two years and four months – until we ran out of money in effect – and I believe it served its purpose in alerting readers to the severity of our problems in the social, political and spiritual spheres, and it proved a useful training ground for what we are now doing with PT.
Within months of its closure in 2010, while holidaying on the Yorkshire coast, God spoke to me very powerfully as I read Isaiah, specifically calling me to be a ‘helper of Israel’, and I have since concentrated my efforts in this cause – helping Gentiles gain a better understanding of God’s purpose for Israel while also reaching out to the Jewish people with the gospel they first brought to us. I have also been a volunteer for the Church’s Ministry among Jewish people (CMJ) since 2013.
So it was that, shortly after the re-launch of PT as an online site in 2015, Cliff invited me onto the Editorial Board and I took up the baton of editor-in-chief in the late summer of 2020. I am hugely indebted to Cliff for his inspiration, encouragement and friendship which has spurred me on to help fulfil a much misunderstood calling valued by all too few of our church leaders – that of skilfully, wisely and concisely interpreting the great issues of the day in the context of what the Bible says.
“Thank you for all the teaching you have given me over the years – Prophecy Today was one of my main sources of teaching. Sadly I can no longer make use of it as I don’t have a computer, so cannot join in the Sunday services either”
“One very important guidance/help I received through reading articles in Prophecy Today in 1994 or thereabouts, was the insight into 'The Toronto Blessing', I know Clifford wrote some things and David Noakes, especially after visiting Toronto Airport Vineyard church, when he gave a very discerning account of what he saw. I was going through a searching time about it all, as I had friends who thought it was all marvellous.
I came across Yacob Prasch at that time also - who was definitely against the manifestations etc. and saying why. So this all helped me discern what was going on - and sadly the risk of losing friends/positions if I spoke out.
When David Forbes described how nasty some Christians had been towards him after looking objectively at the situation, this made me all the more sure this wasn't from God and there was certainly a deception going on.
I felt then it was preparing us for the End Times which we are nearing now, when we need even more discernment, especially with the present corona virus situation and vaccine.”
“I began following the Lord seriously at 19 years of age. Went to Prophetic Witness Meetings in Birmingham and have always believed in the prophecies concerning Israel and read the word as it is. Struggled in my faith for many years until I was prayed for to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Joined a Charismatic fellowship. Was agent for Prophecy Today in the 1980’s for a few years but left the fellowship eventually – was concerned over some mixture. I have attended an evangelical church locally since 2001. They do not see Israel as any different than the church but they do not preach anything flaky and would deal with anything immoral in the body. I have given the elders videos and books on Israel. I am very grateful to Prophecy Today for sharing the truth about the error in the church.
I have been receiving Clifford Hill’s update ‘State of the Nation’ CD’s for some time and I have bought several of his books. I attend the Issachar Ministries Sunday Services at 3.45 and am very blessed. So thankful for Zoom! “
“I thought I'd respond to your request in the latest edition of Prophecy Today and share a little bit of how the ministry has helped me since the mid 80's.
I became a believer in Jesus in 1982,
My first experience of the ministry was in the 80's when we were on holiday in Wales. We visited a church and there was a bookstall. I remember asking the Lord to help me choose a book and I picked up Clifford's book ’Towards the Dawn’. (I just looked at pages 174 and 175, so apt for today!). I remember reading it in one sitting, in the car coming back from our holiday. I was amazed and so grateful to God for putting this book in my hands! I still have that copy.
I then read Clifford's other books as they were released and still do. I discovered ‘Prophecy Today’ and it was a real help to me as I struggled when the Toronto Blessing emerged in the fellowship I was attending. I was the only one who did not think it was a move of the Holy Spirit, it was a lonely time, thankfully I did have other friends in other churches who were discerning, so that was a help. I asked the Lord about it and believed He led me to Jer. 13: 12-17 where the passage speaks of drunkenness and that the Lord's flock will be taken captive. I wrote to ‘Prophecy Today’ never thinking it would be published in Letters but it was! I still have that copy. I think it may have been before that, but there was another letter I sent about the fire at York Minster, (a lightning bolt from a blue sky!) I think the scripture was from Deut. 4.
I praise the Lord for this whole ministry which has help me so much in the last 35 years, there's so much more but I'll leave it there. I stand amazed at how the Lord has led me though the good times, and the bad. It's all of Him!
Every blessing to you all, and grateful thanks.”
“It was in 1985 that I first read a book by Clifford Hill, "Tell My People I Love Them". His writing made sense to me, especially his teaching about Gideon's Army. I wanted to know more, so soon read "Towards the Dawn" and "The Day Comes". Over the years I have read Clifford's other books (more than once) because I learn so much from his clear and honest writing. I have also listened to the Issachar Ministries Update messages since 2003 and have read "Prophecy Today" since it began publishing weekly online.”
I read the paper version of Prophecy Today from when it first came out until the final copy. I was so sad when we lost this fantastic resource. I used to pass it round lots of friends, both believers and nonbelievers!! There was always so much good, solid teaching and I always looked forward to the next magazine so much.
I had become a follower of Jesus on 3rd May 1981, and at that time I read only my Bible for quite a while. One of the first books I remember reading, which really impressed me was "Tell My People I love Them", it impacted my heart and mind. Was it in this book or a different one that Cliff shared a vision he had where he saw terrible judgement coming with one eye, while with the other eye he saw God's salvation coming. That picture has never left me and I think it is speaking about this time in which we are living.
I have found the State of the Nation CDs invaluable and loved your input Monica at the end of the recent CDs. I shared these with other friends too, who in turn passed them on to others.
Your whole ministry has so greatly blessed so many people, you are both such good and faithful servants of the Lord, and this nation is ver,y very fortunate to have you.
Every blessing and and love to you both.
“Back in the early 1990’s, I volunteered to proofread the manuscript of the book ‘Blessing the Church’ by Clifford Hill et al. At the time, there was great interest and excitement in the church we attended about the so-called ‘Toronto blessing’, and I had been to several conferences around the country connected with this phenomenon. Reading the contributions from the various authors and especially the history of this ‘new’ thing that God was supposed to be doing had a profound effect on me. I became much more discerning of what was going on and, since then, have been to several churches where this influence has crept in. In fact, it is hard to find a charismatic church which is untainted by it. Thank you too for the recent excellent article about the New Apostolic Reformation in Prophecy Today (February 2019) which summarises the issue and brings it up to date. I have passed that on to several people, not least the senior pastor of the church we have just had to leave because of the increasing influence of Bethel and other NAR groups. We now have ‘Beyond the Pandemic’ - it’s next on my reading list!”
I got to know Cliff and Monica through “Prophecy Today” magazine about 1980 when the Scottish Churches Renewal was very active and I was recognising that I was lacking a deeper relationship with the Lord, but I was wary of some aspects of the renewal. I read the magazine regularly, learned a lot and read Clifford’s books, but was always aware that I was a bit far away from the ministry - and I am no academic - and never became really involved. However, I have a great admiration for both Monica and Cliff. I admire their faith, trusting God Himself to take care of all their finances, even when it became difficult, and others didn’t always agree.
Having been associated with the ministry for many years, albeit in a very small way, I have been abundantly blessed by Cliff and Monica’s teaching and example, though they do not know it!!
After a nursing career, I was living in Deal in Kent, and got my first copy of PROPHECY TODAY magazine in about 1986 I think, I then started going up to London to help out in the office of that magazine at Naismith House, 175 Tower Bridge Road. I did that until I met and married my husband, Rev Robert Blackwood, but at that time because of my lack of relatives, I felt that Clifford and Monica treated me like a Mum and Dad. They didn't know it then, but for me it was the healing of an "orphan spirit", and I can't thank them enough for that, also that the Lord led me there as a volunteer worker. The only reason I was in Deal for 2 years was because I had discovered one of my mother's brothers lived there, and it was a long, lost family connection, I stayed in Deal until he died, then moved on again. I don't think I would ever have found and married my husband if I hadn't been there, as I met him through a missionary, Dr Lysbeth Duncan who was writing something for the magazine I think. She wanted a house sitter while she was in Ethiopia, so I went up to Scotland to take care of her house and it was while I was there that I met my husband, who gave me lifts to church. I don't think I would have been married if it hadn't been for that little volunteering job as I needed that healing "with some Mum and Dad figures" before I could cope with it. It's a long story but that's the gist of it. I also thank God for "The Children's Society” who helped me in my training as a nurse while in their care. They even employed me until I was old enough to start my nursing. It was a lovely children's home in Herefordshire. I now have a very large family of in-laws who are wonderful, and all because I worked with Cliff and Monica.
I first met Clifford Hill in 1986, when I was on the team helping to organise the Lydia Prayer Fellowship’s first International Conference in Stirling. He had recently returned from a gathering in Israel of people with a prophetic ministry and their intercessors. He shared a prophecy given by David Noakes, which had a profound effect on my prayer life. He also told us about the launch of a new bi-monthly magazine, ‘Prophecy Today’ which I immediately subscribed to (and subsequently received every printed copy that was published). With its sound biblical teaching and prophetic insight, it played an enormous part in helping me to cope with the new wave of teaching coming from America.
At the same time, in the early 1990s, John Wimber and the Kansas City Prophets were making waves in the UK churches. David Pytches’s book ‘Some said it thundered’ had being widely read in the charismatic community and produced a real sense of anticipation. John Wimber came to Edinburgh and the Usher Hall was packed with people eager to get to the front and be prayed for, including myself. There was such an expectancy that God was really moving in the nation.
Then the Kansas City Prophets arrived in the UK and Paul Cain came to Glasgow. He was pointing to individuals and prophesying over them and while the people from my fellowship were enthralled, I felt a real concern. I was so grateful to Clifford Hill and ‘Prophecy Today’ for advocating extreme caution, because I was finding it difficult to go along with all that my fellowship was accepting.
Fortunately, in about 1991 Clifford had come to Edinburgh, to say that Prophetic Word Ministries was launching a new ministry called Issachar, named after the tribe that had wisdom and understood the signs of the times. I was so grateful for the regular prayer letters supplying information and encouragement on how to pray for our nation.
Then in 1994 came the Toronto Blessing. For many of us, it became much harder to discern what was going on. John Arnott and his wife, Carol were lovely people who loved the Lord. At first it seemed unreasonable to say that what was happening in Toronto was not all of God. Many in my fellowship went over to Toronto and some were very blessed; their ministry did indeed seem to grow. However, the excesses displayed by other members of the fellowship were hard to ignore and it was a very unhappy time for many Christians, with some friendships not surviving. Clifford produced his book ’Blessing the Church’ (co-authored with other colleagues), which helped to clarify my own thinking, but not necessarily the opinions of those with whom I was trying to maintain a relationship.
It has been a difficult time for charismatic Christians, trying to stay in fellowship with those in their church, but realising that not all that is taught is biblical. It is particularly difficult at the moment, with the alluring type of Christianity coming out of the USA. I have been so grateful for the launch of the online version of Prophecy Today and Issachar Ministries in recent years, to help us discern what is right.
Whilst I have had no personal contact with Cliff and Monica (apart from prayer), their ministry and faithfulness has been remarkable.
I returned to the Lord in the early 1980s, following divorce and a breakdown. A couple of years later, I was at Colin Urquhart’s college near Horsham for three months. The teaching was sound and the worship was out of this world; but there was no pastoral or after-care.
Thus, when I was led to a new, called-out church, problems were inevitable. So a couple of years later, the Lord lead me out for my own protection. But thankfully, not before I had details of the results of that Conference at Carmel for all the prophets, in 1986.
It was David Noakes’ prophecy from there, which spoke loudly to me. And if 153 big fish, could believe it to be a word from God, then surely I too could hang on to this.
While I never subscribed to Prophecy Today magazine, because it was just so challenging; yet I found that I was usually at the bookshop to buy a copy. My files are full of pages extracted from there, especially the prophecies. But it was from here that I gained much knowledge and depth about the Bible.
Finally in October of 2009, I subscribed to Clifford’s State of the Nation CDs. I would share these with any who came to Bible-study in my home; but sadly most preferred not to listen.
In 2015, I was there in London for the launch of ‘Prophecy Today’ online. How challenging and inspiring to see all these high-profile people in the flesh! And every Friday I am eager to read the latest set of articles.
In retrospect – how grateful I am for their sound and consistent teaching. That and teaching from David Pawson and the articles in Barnabas Fund, has kept me grounded and hopefully prepared for persecution.
Mike Balmford
We first met Cliff, Edmund Heddle and David Noakes in November 1986 when they came to St. Helens on their tour. I was secretary of Mission St. Helens and Mission England. We had David spending the weekend staying in our home. I was taking the Prophecy Today magazine and have a complete set which was used for the relaunching online. I worked at Moggerhanger on the decorating with Steve Ryan and took on book reviews with John Robbins. Then I was part of the prophetic work group at High Leigh and the two Swanwick conferences .
Charles Gardner
LIFE ON SUNDAY
Charles Gardner looks back at the lofty vision of a national newspaper
My personal involvement with Clifford Hill’s ministry dates back to 1999, shortly after teaming up with Nick Thompson, who was boss at that time of Good News Broadcasting based in Bawtry, just south of Doncaster. I was sports editor of the Selby Times and had heard, through my friend and former pastor Tony Horsfall, that Nick shared a vision for a national newspaper reporting and interpreting news from a biblical perspective. I had a similar vision while working in Fleet Street for the South African Press Association in the late 1970s. Nick had held senior management positions on nationals including those led by Rupert Murdoch and Robert Maxwell.
Nick and I got together and had soon produced a full business plan which we duly sent to various prospective supporters including a Christian company in Clitheroe, Lancashire, who promised us £300,000 – a tithe of what we deemed as the necessary £3 million – if the project could muster enough backing.
We felt led to share our vision with Cliff and others at Moggerhanger, and subsequently gave presentations to leading financiers (known to Cliff) in the City of London as well as politicians in the Houses of Parliament where we engaged the support of a lovely baroness (Baroness Young, I think) and others.
Although originally aiming for a national daily, we downsized (for practical and cost reasons) to an initial stab at a Sunday paper, and so Life on Sunday was born (in our minds and spirits at least). We produced several dummies and had serious market research carried out, with the help of a lovely man whose name I can’t remember, which concluded that we could justifiably expect a circulation of some 250,000! That’s a readership of nearly a million people, and the same circulation of a paper apparently produced by William Wilberforce at the height of the 18th century awakening! Sometimes I wonder if we missed the boat!
In the end, we failed to raise enough cash or interest, but did have a significant pot of money to do something with, which is how we were led to found the Lifebite website, dedicated to the same vision of interpreting topical news from a biblical perspective, employing young Bible College graduate Luke Wilson on the technical side with an office in Bawtry Hall which I would visit every Wednesday afternoon after putting my own weekly paper ‘to bed’ (the sports section anyway). We paid a decent rate for articles produced by the many professionals involved and covered a wide range of subjects from the troubles in Ireland and the Middle East to the many woes on our doorstep, just hit by a serious financial recession.
Sadly, our efforts proved unsustainable in the long term, but I feel that we did make our mark for the kingdom over the two years and four months we published from 2008-2010. I had considered packing in my secular job and going full-time, but the Lord wouldn’t allow me as he obviously had other things in mind.
During our early efforts around the turn of the millennium, I was going through a particularly stressful time, with my late wife Irene in the last stages of a long battle with cancer. She passed into the Lord’s presence, her faith undimmed, on April 5 2000. One of the special blessings of meeting Nick and his wife Deborah, who both met Irene, was the part they played in later introducing me to Linda, who prayed regularly with Deborah as part of a Lydia group. We met on a blind date at their home, and the rest is blissful history!
I probably should add that the first I heard of Cliff was back in 1980 when I read his book Towards the Dawn, recommended by a Christian businessman friend in my early days at Sheffield’s Morning Telegraph. I was stirred by his heart for a nation on the slippery slope, and was galvanized all the more to try to do something about it. Thanks, Cliff and Monica, for all you have contributed to the kingdom over the years.
Nick Thompson
Here are my memories of Life on Sunday.
Charles & I first met with Clifford, both Hill and Denton, in 1999, I cannot recall the trigger for it.
However, I do recall Clifford Denton recommending a meeting with Richard Teideman.
On 2nd February 2000 Charles & I met Dr Brian Mawhinney at the Houses of Parliament, it was the first all even number date in over 1100 years.
John Huckett made contact through the first coverage in PT, he was a Professor of Business Studies at Warwick University. Sadly he later suffered from dementia and passed away about 10 years ago. His son Richard was also part of the group.
I also spoke on Life on Sunday at a UCB conference in early 2000 in Belfast.
There was a German brother called Ulrich who lived in London engaged with us. He tragically died when a fish bone lodged in his mouth.
There was also a designer guy that Charles introduced who lived out in Greece with his Greek wife, only came to the UK every so often if I remember right. He conducted our design work which was outstanding.
We met with Tim Green of Mastercard, Malcolm Matson of Colt Communications fame, the gentleman who ran Ultraframe up in the North West, Eddie Stobart Snr, the stockbroker who was involved in premier Radio - I do not recall his name among others.
Clifford, myself and I think Charles spoke at the Moses Room in the Houses of Parliament.
We came very close to raising the funds through a Christian Tech Entrepreneur in late 2001/early 2002, but he went bust in the Tech Stock Crash in February 2002.
That was on the back of producing a dummy edition on the back of 9/11. It was an impressive piece of work, made possible by some individual brothers and sisters whose generosity along with our own funds covered those costs and the starting of an internet Life News, edited by Charles with some contributors providing material.
John Widdows, FD with News International worked/walked with us for a while.
Around 2010 we began talking around an online news site that would lead into a print edition. Clifford, yours, got Nat Wei involved and we had a number of meetings with us but again the funding did not come through.
I often reflect on where we were out of step, I believe recent events have demonstrated the need for such a news vehicle, but The Lord did not see fit to progress the idea and so we submit to His will and continue walking.
Cliff’s reply:
Your memory is excellent and it is such a help to recall the steps we took and all the efforts that you and Charles put into life on Sunday. You were holding a vision for a Christian newspaper before I joined you and then we had regular meetings up in Bawtry. Dear John Huckett used to drive me in his Volvo and we had wonderful fellowship.
You were right about Tim Green who was the man who developed credit cards for NatWest, but I don't think we ever asked them for money – that was HSBC – you and I went to see the head guy at Canary Wharf – I forget his name – I think it was Stephen someone but I must look up my records – we asked him for half £1 million to get us going. I do remember that it was Rowan Williams who put us in touch with him – I was a personal counsellor to Rowan at that time.
I remember we produced a mockup of life on Sunday. I think it was Charles who did that, and I think I still have got a copy somewhere in the garage.