"Take Heed" Ministries

Cecil Andrews, 29 Edengrove Park, Ballynahinch, BT24 8AZ, Northern Ireland

Telephone/Fax 028 9756 5511. E-MAIL - takeheed@aol.com

WEBSITE - http://www.takeheed.net

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An ‘open email’ to William Crawley – presenter of Radio Ulster’s ‘Sunday Sequence’ programme:

For quite a few years now it has been generally accepted by the genuine Evangelical Christian community in Northern Ireland that the cause of The Gospel of The Lord Jesus Christ is not well served by the Radio Ulster Sunday morning programme called ‘Sunday Sequence’. The presenter, William Crawley, a former Presbyterian minister but now full-time broadcaster allows the programme on a regular basis to be a propaganda platform for many issues that are ‘anathema’ to genuine Evangelical Christians and destructive to the cause of The Gospel of The Lord Jesus Christ.

There have of course been occasions when genuine Evangelical Christians have been afforded an opportunity to ‘speak their corner’ and I myself have on a number of occasions been afforded such opportunities but it is clear that such views do not sit comfortably with the overall ethos and intent of this programme and indeed the BBC in general.

As a rule I do not usually listen in to the programme but as providence would have it I tuned in on Sunday morning 11^th July 2010 and ‘caught’ part of the programme. I was totally shocked and infuriated by what I heard and in consequence was moved to pen an ‘open email’ to William Crawley.

It is reproduced herewith and of course should I receive any reply it will be added to this article. [Further emails of 22^nd and 23^rd July 2010 now included]

Cecil Andrews – ‘Take Heed’ Ministries – 12^th July 2010

‘Open email’ sent to William Crawley 11^th July 2010

Dear William,

It's 9.46am as I start this email - as regards your programme, Sunday Sequence, currently being broadcast, thus far I have caught the latter part of the discussion on 'evangelism', the item on the Anglican rejection of an amendment by their 2 leading Archbishops and the interview on the upcoming Roman Catholic beatification of J H Newman.

Do you really appreciate what a non-programme for Christians this Sunday Sequence has been?

1. The discussion on 'evangelism' featured an atheistic humanist, an active Jew and a Roman Catholic Bishop but NO faithful Christian/Biblical input.

2. The Anglican item majored on 'women bishops' and the 'gay' Jeffrey John controversy with again NO faithful Christian/Biblical input on either subject.

3. The Newman beatification item again had NO faithful Christian/Biblical perspective but focused rather on the whole ridiculous, unscriptural notion that an earthly, non-Christian organisation [The Vatican] can 'create' saints.

Having returned to listen to the programme what do I hear?

1. A discussion on the possible banning of the Burkha in France - sensible enough but again NO Christian input on the wider and underlying issue of the attempt to Islamise Europe.

2. More discussion on perverted, abusive priests with a Roman Catholic contributor but again NO Christian input.

3. Finally the start of the review of papers with I suspect as usual NO Christian voice being included in this section.

This programme and many of its predecessors speak volumes about the spiritual standing of all involved regularly in its presentation and demonstrate the blatant BBC antipathy towards faithful Biblical Christianity.

It's now 10.06am - time to prepare to meet with fellow Christians for true worship of the true God - what a blessed prospect.

Yours, so glad to be securely in Christ,

Cecil Andrews

'Take Heed' Ministries

Ballynahinch

PS This email is being sent to you as an 'open email' as it will be posted to our ministry web site. If you choose to offer anything by way of response it will of course be added to the web site article.

Email reply from (Rev) Bert Tosh, producer of,

Sunday Sequence, received 22^nd July 2010

Dear Mr Andrews,

I am writing in response to your e-mail to William Crawley concerning the edition of Sunday Sequence broadcast on 11 July 2010.

Sunday Sequence is a programme which deals with a wide range of religious and ethical issues - about which there can often be a considerable variety of opinion. It is broadcast to a general audience which includes people of many religious faiths and those of no faith. It has never been and, for practical reasons, could not be the policy of the programme to attempt to include every theological opinion on all of the subjects under discussion.

It may be worth noting that the 11 July programme included an interview with Professor David Wenham, a distinguished New Testament scholar, and an evangelical Christian, who defended the integrity of the Pauline letters against claims that Paul invented Christianity. The report on Protestant identity also included evangelical Christians, such as Jeffrey Donaldson MP, speaking about the importance of connecting with New Testament themes and the authentic message of Christ. The item on marriage, relating to new Institute for Fiscal Studies research, was an interview with an advocate of traditional Christian marriage who argued against any perceived attempt to downplay the importance of the institution of marriage itself.

Thank you for writing with your feedback on this edition of Sunday Sequence. Comments, including those which are critical, are always welcome.

With every good wish.

(Rev Dr) Bert Tosh,

Senior Producer, Religious Programmes, BBC NI

Email reply sent to (Rev) Bert Tosh, 23^rd July 2010

Dear Bert,

Thank you for affording me the courtesy of a reply to my email of 11^th July.

My problem was not that there were no items with input from a faithful Christian/Biblical perspective such as those you detailed in your response but rather that in the items I mentioned in my email the faithful Christian/Biblical perspective was either totally ignored or, particularly in the ‘evangelism’ panel discussion, it was identified and dismissed out of hand. ‘The broad road’ was trumpeted triumphantly by all 3 contributors and ‘the narrow road’, taught clearly by the Lord Himself, was ridiculed and rejected out of hand by all 3 contributors.

This unbalanced bias against the faithful Christian/Biblical perspective is a regular feature of many items included in Sunday Sequence and hence my assertion about what a non-programme for Christians it has become. Overall Sunday Sequence contains a majority content that quite simply ‘grieves the spirit’ of Christ’s people and hence for them it is a total turn-off.

Your servant for Christ and His truth

Cecil Andrews

‘Take Heed’ Ministries

Ballynahinch