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Literature &
Theology
by post
Jackie Wilson
077 824 77 364
All types of
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and wood
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Tel 07850 574122
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Tel 01228 710 926
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Tel 01228 527 647
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Why replace what can be fixed?
Tel 01228 513 933
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through music
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Contact Tel: 01228 548550
Inclusion does not mean that the subject endorses the site.
Brief History of Bound Together
It began in the summer of AD 1994. The vision for it came nine months earlier but the editor felt un equipped to produce it. No confidence. No skills. No equipment. No knowledge of the local church. He had returned to ‘church’, to Jesus, a year earlier.
Prayer and encouragement enabled the magazine to begin. The goodwill of many people and the practical help and small financial seed allowed the germ of the vision to take root.
The editor was given God’s grace to step out in faith in all the aspects of production and circulation.
Most leaders allowed the newsletters to be left in their churches. Only a handful of leaders showed resistance to it.
The editor’s inadequacy was very visible in the early issues. Perhaps many people thought it a novelty that would fade.
It began as a page of A3 folded to A4. It grew it size through the months and early years and its biggest size was 32 pages of A4 and 3,000 copies distributed across churches between Kendal and Carlisle and Brampton and West Cumbria.
Some generous subscribers financed the equipment and the most of the circulation
has always been to non subscribers. The ethos from the beginning was to get the news
and information to as many people as possible -
As people were drawn to the vision, the editor could see even more vividly what God
had shown him after only a few months as a church attender. The Church had massive
untapped resources in the gifts and abilities of its people, but they were not being
mobilised because of leader fear, church politics and frankly -
In AD 1995 the editor decided to start a social club called ‘Christians Connections’ and people were encouraged to come along and perform their music. Many talented people became involved and the editor then decided to put together an album of music, that became known as the Unity album. See the Music page.
For a while life was good. The editor had devoted his life to Jesus. He decided that he would rather earn a pittance and get bye as best he could while serving Jesus on a full time basis, rather than chase the pound and fit Jesus in, as and when.
The Lord blessed him with tenants in his home and that allowed the editor to devote his life to Christian work and just helping folk as best he could. It was one day at a time and all needs were met through God’s grace. Of course he wanted more as we all do, but he never went without.
Things started to go a bit pear shaped around the time coming up to the Millennium, about AD 1998.
The magazine began to campaign against the use of a pagan god and a curse as part of the City of Carlisle’s Millennium Project. Others were campaigning against the erection of glass pyramids.
The editor was outraged that the city was using occult items to celebrate a time that referred to the birth of Jesus, but some Christian leaders could see no reason to object. The editor had not grasped how different some leaders beliefs were. Many had not received the New Covenant with God through Christ Jesus. They had a pluralistic belief in all ‘ways’ leading to God. Some had begun their ministry faithfully married to Christ, but ended up living in sin with religion, which had become their god.
It seemed that pressure was being put on some ‘Christian’ leaders to allow the occult items in the hope that some ‘christian’ items would be included.
The editor warned that the city was asking for trouble. He was right, but instead of being glad of his discernment, many well placed people have conspired to undermine him personally and misrepresent the message. The media, especially, have had a field day.
The sad truth is that because the media failed to represent the truth, evasive action has not been taken and the City of Carlisle has experienced many awful calamities that could have been avoided.
A book, prompted by continued press misrepresentation, has been written to provide in one place all the details needed for those who have the power and influence, to undo the offence to God. Only when what has been done, is undone will the City of Carlisle be blessed.
Some Christian leaders began to actively undermine the operation of Bound Together, after all, they were the ‘chosen’ ones and their flocks didn’t need to hear information that conflicted with their agendas.
In AD 2005 after the city was flooded, the media took up the editor’s campaign and ridiculed the reasoning and successfully misrepresented the truth. This allowed further condemnation from some ‘christian’ leaders.
After fourteen years of an extraordinary commitment by the editor, he found himself and the magazine increasingly isolated.
He received letters, emails and phone calls of condemnation from some church leaders and individuals. The condemnation was based upon inaccurate reports in the media. The media created a myth as regards the editor’s beliefs and then condemned him for beliefs that he did not actually hold.
Only two leaders actually took the time to speak to the editor personally.
One respected and influential leader referred to the editor as ‘bonkers’ when speaking to a reporter, to the amusement of tens of thousands of newspaper readers. The editor’s parents, brother and wife were not amused. This is just one small example of many, many incidences of abuse and ridicule the editor has had to endure.
Although many people had helped produce the magazine, 95% of it depended upon the editor who underwrote every aspect of production and circulation, as a labour of love. His life revolved around the magazine. He earned through casual work and renting rooms in his home to allow him the flexibility to produce the magazine.
After fourteen years he found himself with no salary, no pension, no paid holidays, no status and the condemnation from many he was serving in Jesus’ name. Indeed, his circle of friends and supporters had dwindled to
Today and through all the years, the average pew sitter has been more than happy to receive the magazine. Many of the leadership however, have made it very difficult for the magazine to continue and some have even banned it from their churches.
Yet continue it does.
The editor distributes the magazine directly into the hands of people attending churches, who do not want to be controlled by their church hierarchy and who feel equipped to decide for themselves what they read.
Personal problems, illness, financial problems, lack of faith, flooded out of home and office, ridicule, abuse, misrepresentation and a host of strange ‘coincidences’ have all done their best to stop the magazine.
We raised over £3,000 to buy a high volume Lanier printer that we were assured would
churn out a million A4s. It managed 28,000 and then developed faults that have kept
it with the dealer for 3 months and it may be un-
Thurnhams, our professional printers had printed the magazine for 14 years and they have just gone bust. Bless them all for their help over the years!
Yet we continue. We are presently compiling an evangelistic paper to be distribute to every home in Carlisle.
Ironically, we will be directing readers, even to the churches where the leaders oppose our ministry. After all, we serve Jesus, not religion. However, religion often helps people to meet with Jesus, Hallelujah!!