By Ken and Lois Gott
Hodder & Stoughton
189 pages. £5.99
ISBN 0 340 66515 7
Since August 1994 Sunderland has been an influential centre for the 'Toronto Blessing'. Subtitled, 'How the Holy Spirit invaded one British Town', just over half this book is an account of the coming of the 'Blessing' to Sunderland, and of its results, including the impact of the gospel on the criminal fraternity. The Gotts emphasise that the fruit, not the manifestations, are sought, and it was good to see an attempt to answer the frequently-raised question of manifestations and self-control.
In the earlier chapters the authors (who describe themselves as 'the pastors' (!) of Sunderland Christian Centre) report their experience of God over the years. One chapter sets recent events in the context of Sunderland's history: in the opening decade of this century the city was at the forefront of the emergence of Pentecostalism in Britain.
