Farming Christian Link (FCL) has its origin in 1934, when Free Church minister, the Revd J.C. Williams, whilst out walking, was caught in a storm and sought shelter in a farmhouse.
Mr Williams entered into conversation with the farmer and discovered that he knew very little about the Christian faith. When he arrived home he wrote a letter to this farmer, further explaining what it meant to become a Christian. The farmer responded with a friendly letter and asked Mr Williams to write similar letters to some of his neighbours. In this simple way the ‘Farmers Christian Postal Service’ was launched. The list of farmers grew steadily until handwritten letters were no longer practical and had to be duplicated.
Means of communication have changed dramatically since 1934. The website, email and Facebook are now used alongside the conventional postal service. To reflect this, the name has been changed to Farming Christian Link. However, the purpose is still the same, to reach people in farming and rural communities with the core message from the Bible, the good news of the gospel. In recent years farmers have faced enormous pressures – disease, weather, market forces, financial hardship, red tape, and long hours, have taken their toll. Families and whole communities have suffered as a result. For some the pressure has become too great. Many of the supporters of Farming Christian Link have first-hand experience of such situations and have turned to God’s Word, the Bible, for help and strength
One of the chief ways of reaching the farming community is by attending agricultural shows. In 2019, FCL, supported by members of Gideons UK, attended 32 such events across the country. A Gideon New Testament with a special agricultural design was produced and 11,600 of them were given out, along with more than 16,500 tracts and Scripture Text cards, 4,300 children’s packs, hundreds of free books and booklets and countless wristbands along with dozens of postal Bible Club lessons.
At the Honiton Show in Devon, it was hoped that we might distribute 250 or so Gideon New Testaments, but in the event 480 were given away. We offered wristbands with the words of the Lord Jesus ‘I am the Good Shepherd’ on them, to the children, and this often drew the Mums and Dads into conversation.
After Easter, the series of agricultural shows starts again. Please be in prayer for FCL, especially its indefatigable Honorary Secretary, Bernard Hicks, and also for the Gideons as they supply manpower to the shows. Both FCL and Gideons UK are sowing ministries. Please pray that the Lord of the harvest will bless the sowing of His word.
