As we started this new year, Rosemary and I were astonished to realise that 2025 marks 50 years of our serving the Lord together in full-time ministry. It was 1975 when we, a young married couple with three small children, started a London- based church-planting work that we called “In Contact Ministries”. We also set about establishing a legal entity for the work, called “In Contact Trust”. The official documents were signed in 1976 and In Contact Trust was established as registered charity number 271602.

Many years later the charity’s name was changed to “The Barnabas Fund” and now it is “TBF Trust”. Looking back over half a century, we are humbled and filled with immense gratitude at what the Lord has done. We
are thankful for many faithful colleagues He has given us. Some have been with us for decades, including Caroline Kerslake who joined In Contact Ministries in 1985.

We are thankful for the prayer supporters, donors, wise counsellors, and many others who have shared the load with us. We have also faced opposition, but we know that this is a common experience for those in Christian ministry and ultimately reflects a battle “in the heavenlies”.

One of our early traditions at In Contact Ministries was to give our prayer partners and supporters an update about the staff, so let me revive this practice and tell you about the TBFT team.

Belvien, originally from the Republic of Congo, has been sent by the Lord to us as our General Secretary. He is responsible for everyday running and the development of the work of TBF Trust.

Wilson, originally from Pakistan, heads up our projects department. TBF’s administration and supporter relations are handled by Julia and Elizabeth. Our media department is run by Abhinav, who is from India. Look out for his short films on our website (tbftrust.org). Jorge is also from India; he and his assistant Ross oversee our finances. Sam sorts out the IT issues. Together the staff have over 100 years of Christian ministry experience. Rosemary and I praise the Lord for providing this team of skilled, compassionate and committed believers. We pray that their ministry will be an encouragement to you and to our persecuted brothers and sisters overseas.

A Chinese Malaysian colleague, who is a scholar of Old Testament Hebrew, told me recently about an interesting Jewish tradition: the highest form of giving is via someone else i.e. the donor and the recipient do not know each other. This fits with the emphasis that most eastern cultures have on “saving face” and maintaining dignity. The donation should therefore be transferred from one to the other by a trusted third party. Accordingly, the Jewish Temple had a room in which there was a pot of money. People could go into the room and either put money into the pot or take money out of it. When the person emerged from the room, no one knew whether they had given or taken.

The early Christians followed the same principle (Acts 11:27-30). I am thankful to the Lord that TBF Trust also uses this method, as we pass funds from Christians and churches to other Christians and churches who are suffering, persecuted and in need.

What TBF Trust is doing by God’s grace and your gifts

Bee-hives bring hope for rural Christians in Uganda

Fifty needy Christian families in semi-arid western Uganda, carefully selected by their local churches, have received bee-hives, with help from TBF Trust.

They have also been given training in bee-keeping and all the other necessary equipment such as overall, veil, bee- gloves, boots and various tools. At the time of writing, they are awaiting delivery of the bee swarms.

In this part of Uganda, rural people struggle to support themselves by traditional farming methods. The soil is exhausted and extreme weather events can be devastating. But bees are less sensitive to these adverse conditions. With five bee-hives per family and two honey harvests per year, each family should be able to harvest 100 kg of honey annually, if all goes well.

Please pray that the bees will thrive and the families can make a sustainable income through selling the honey. Christianity is the majority faith in Uganda, but Ugandan Christians are at risk from occasional Islamist terrorist attacks. The area where this project is taking place suffered a terrible attack in 2023 when 42 Christians were killed, most of them pupils at a Christian school. Pray for the protection of Christians in Uganda, especially in the area of this project. This area of Uganda also has many Christians who have left Islam to follow Christ. As converts, they face many problems from the Muslim community locally– please ask the Lord to encourage and strengthen them in their faith.

Training Pakistani Christians for ministry in a context of persecution

TBF Trust contributes to the running costs of a theological seminary in Lahore, Pakistan, which trains Pakistani Christians as church planters, pastors, indigenous missionaries, evangelists, women’s or children’s ministry leaders, worship leaders, teachers and Christian professionals.
Christians in Pakistan often encounter discrimination and hostility, so the seminary focuses its training on how to share the Gospel wisely and boldly in this context. Its vision is “to see churches planted in all the languages and cultures of Pakistan and to equip students to lead congregations boldly, often in the face of persecution”. Please pray for the students, lecturers and administration staff that the Holy Spirit will lead and guide them in everything.

Among the many courses is one on “Theology of Persecution”, which students find very relevant to their context in Pakistan. “This teaching reminded me that persecution is not a sign of failure but a reflection of living faithfully for Christ,” said Sohail. Mehwish commented: “It emphasized the importance of tolerance in the face

of adversity, teaching us to respond to opposition with grace, patience, and unwavering faith. Through Scripture- based discussions and case studies, we explored how forgiveness and resilience can transform persecution into an opportunity for spiritual growth and witness.” For Anila, the course “helped me develop strength and bravery in my faith by showing how the early Church faced immense persecution with courage and unwavering commitment to Christ.

Last December 55 students graduated from the seminary. “These men and women were released to proclaim the Gospel, plant churches, and serve the poor and persecuted Christian communities in Pakistan,” say the seminary leadership. Please pray for their guidance and protection and that the Lord will use them to accomplish His purposes in Pakistan.

How goats transform lives of Christians in Nepal

“Building a future of hope, dignity and faith.” That is how our Nepalese project partners describe the impact of a project funded by TBF Trust to provide goats for the poorest Christian families in remote areas of mountainous Nepal. These are believers who used to struggle to buy food, educate their children and pay for healthcare. But the simple gift of one goat, providing milk and offspring, triggers an ongoing cycle of financial growth to lift the family from poverty.

Our partners report that this very practical project is also having a spiritual effect on the families who were given goats. “The tangible help they receive strengthens their faith and trust in God, and encourages them to share their blessings with others.” Praise God for way in which these goats are creating a “cycle of giving and hope” as well as helping the families economically.

The Church has been growing fast in Nepal since the 1950s. But Christians who are active in sharing their faith face a lot of pressure. In fact almost any public Christian activity can potentially be an arrestable offence under a vaguely-worded law passed in 2018. Pray that Christians will have wisdom, courage and the guidance of the Holy Spirit as they live for Christ in this difficult context.

Urgent: Christians in Syria need your prayers

“Every Christian is afraid of what will happen in the coming weeks,” said a Syrian Christian leader to TBF Trust on 14 January 2025. “There is no law and order, no police or army,” he explained as he tried to describe the alarming situation in Syria. Christians see that everything is being Islamised and the whole of their beloved country is now under Islamic law.

In November- December 2024, Islamist militants from Hayet Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) moved swiftly across Syria, capturing all the major cities in ten days. President Bashar al-Assad fled the country, after being betrayed by two high-ranking colleagues. He had valued and protected the Christian community; who will protect them now?

Our contact said there are another 16 armed groups in Syria, as well as HTS. “They attack you and then say, ‘Oh sorry!’”

Their leaders are not keen to discuss with church leaders and they make promises they do not implement. Alawites – a Muslim minority group to which Bashar al- Assad belongs – are the main target of violence by the armed groups at present, but Christians and Druze fear their turn will soon come unless international organisations speak up on behalf of Syria’s minorities.

Christians would be fleeing the country if they could, but Europe does not accept Syrian refugees any more. Please pray that the Lord will protect His faithful people in Syria and all the other vulnerable groups.

The acceptance of Islamism in Syria by the West poses serious challenges to the Church, particularly in Africa where Islamist violence has seen many tens of thousands killed in recent years. Many Christians in Africa now wonder if they will be next, and will anyone come to their aid?