BBC finally highlights unapologetic faith in action.

Alongside the triumph of the Ashers Bakery court victory comes news of the ongoing nationwide impact of Christians Against Poverty (CAP).

At a time when we are witnessing an ever-widening gulf between rich and poor, the CAP organisation founded by John Kirkby has swept across the country like a refreshing wave of compassion, setting up branches in many towns and cities and providing tremendous relief and support to countless people often feeling overwhelmed by mountainous debts.

The BBC’s sympathetic hour-long profiling of their work in The Debt Saviours documentary (BBC2) was as welcome as it was unexpected.

Inability to pay off arrears often leads to the most enormous pressures on families, and it is this that CAP workers understand so well as they combine their excellent debt counselling services with a generous dose of genuine care – and, yes, they do offer to pray for clients while respecting their wishes however they respond.

Unapologetic Faith

I was very struck with the TV programme and delighted that the BBC had for once shown Christians in a very positive light. It helped that the participants were boldly unapologetic about praying for people in the process.

They are in a sense fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission (that his disciples should spread the Gospel everywhere) in a double-track way – both by preaching the good news and by not forgetting the poor, as Christ commanded us.

At a time when we are witnessing an ever-widening gulf between rich and poor, CAP has swept across the country like a refreshing wave of compassion.

I had a bit to do with CAP some years ago when I was sports editor of the Selby Times in North Yorkshire. On the rare occasions when sporting issues did not require my immediate attention, I wrote a few stories about what they were doing including the testimony of how a family became Christians after they were helped out of debt.

I then organised a cricket match to raise money for them – and comedian Tommy Cannon played for my team, giving a pretty decent all-round performance!

As some of my colleagues at Prophecy Today have said, the situation of personal debt in the current economic climate is bound to get worse – Brexit or no Brexit – and there will be an increasing need for this inspiring work.

Faith in Action

The BBC2 programme followed the lives of some very brave CAP clients and frontline workers battling amidst the current UK poverty epidemic, and showed the wonderful work being done through the local Church.

CAP advisers were seen going into people’s homes and praying with clients. Many were helped out of debt and subsequently began attending church.

It’s this sort of focus on the work and motivation of Christians that could well contribute in part to a turning of the tide in the nation as the genuineness of a supernatural faith borne out of a real relationship with God is seen in action – and on the TV screen!

Perhaps there is hope yet for the BBC!

'The Debt Saviours' is still available on iPlayer: click here to watch.