"...one man's mission to change thousands of people's lives": We review the exciting story of how Christians Against Poverty (CAP) was founded.

'Nevertheless' by John Kirkby (Christians Against Poverty Books, 2014, 229 pages, RRP £6.99 with proceeds going to CAP, but also available free from the CAP website)

In 'Nevertheless' we have the exciting account of how John Kirkby founded Christians Against Poverty (CAP). Both he and his family had gone through the experience of debt and dire poverty themselves, which meant he was both well qualified for the task and compassionate towards those he was seeking to help.

Faith in Adversity

In 1996, Christians Against Poverty was started in Bradford with few financial assets but with an incredible example of faith and trust in God. With encouraging words from Scripture and the assurance that God was leading him, the first centre was set up to deliver people from the misery of debt. Through much adversity and many hard times John and his team persevered and in 2001 CAP purchased Jubilee Mill in Bradford as their headquarters. John has kept a diary (set out in the book) of the faith shown by CAP staff through financial problems along the way.

It is wonderful to read how this was achieved and the way that the staff supported a network of church-based debt centres throughout England. Thousands of lives have been changed and there are amazing testimonies from people who have become free from debt – and many are also now Christians.

Growing Network

As well as changing lives in the UK, CAP has now an international ministry with centres established in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. In 2008 the CAP Money Course was formed to teach people how to manage their finances. By 2014 there were five thousand trained CAP Money Coaches from churches and an estimated thirty-two thousand people had been through the course.

As John says in his acknowledgement at the beginning of the book: "I have always known that it is not about me, and as CAP now helps more than 30,000 individuals worldwide each year, it is still all about bringing glory to God" (p7).