In this latest podcast we hear about the disturbing situation in Mali, a country in West Africa. Pastor Charles Yabaga Diarra tells how Christians there have been given an ultimatum by terrorists – either help in their fight against the country’s military power and pay them a Zakat tax (an Islamic tithe) or leave their homes and communities.

I then talk about a medieval pilgrimage route opened in South Wales, stretching from Llandaff Cathedral on the outskirts of Cardiff to the Shrine of our Lady in Penrhys located in the Rhondda Valley. Rev’d David Lloyd (Dyfrig Lloyd), a Priest and Welsh Language Officer from The Church in Wales gives us more information about its history.

*You can read more about this topic by subscribing to our free Plain Truth magazine where I discuss my spiritual journey in Wales, or go directly to my article by clicking this link: To be a Pilgrim.

Finally, regular contributor Brother David Jardine gives us the background of James Hudson Taylor, a remarkable British Baptist Christian missionary to China and founder of the China Inland Mission (now OMF International). It is said that no other missionary in the nineteen centuries since the Apostle Paul created a more systematized plan of evangelizing a broad geographical area than Hudson Taylor. Brother David tells us why.

We begin the podcast by hearing about a performing arts group called Ny Ako from Scripture Union Madagascar who have been touring Europe and Wales during the summer months. Miara Rabearisoa, Mission Enabler from the Presbyterian Church of Wales, tells of Ny Ako’s deep Christian connection with Wales that all started way back in 1818 by two Welsh missionaries.

Then, we learn about how Christians living in Port Talbot are preparing for the likely closure of the UK’s largest steel works – and the profound social impact it will have. Gethin talks with Margaret Jones, a resident of the town, Andrew Saunders, the mission worker on the Sandfields Estate and his wife Tina Saunders, Manager of the local Baby Bank and Clothes Bank about the impact of up to 3,000 job losses at Tata Steel.

Finally, Brother David Jardine tells the story behind one of the most widely sung hymns in the world – ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus.’ He talks about its composer Joseph Scriven from Northern Ireland, who thought a poem he wrote for his dying mother would bring some spiritual comfort in her last days. Scriven’s life was full of hardships and trials, but, as Brother David points out, his hymn written 150 years ago is still relevant for Christians in every age and generation.

I speak with Colin Chapman, author of the ground-breaking book Whose Promised Land? which explores the troubled history of Israel and Palestine – and of the Jewish settlement in the region. Colin acknowledges the religious roots of the feelings on both sides and considers what could end the current situation in Gaza.

After this extended interview, our regular contributor and co-founder of Divine Healing Ministries (www.divinehealingministries.org), Brother David Jardine, explains what divine healing is. ‘Sometimes God does a miracle instantaneously’, states Brother David, ‘but today people are often healed gradually over a period of time. Through prayer, we can expect to find peace, strength and healing, and at least an improvement in our condition.’

By way of example, he takes us to an extraordinary encounter in a Methodist Church, located on Belfast’s Shankill Road.

Gethin starts by talking with Jim Stewart, Open Doors Lead Officer for Wales, who discusses their latest World Watch List – an annual report listing the fifty countries in which Christians face the most extreme persecution.

Jim highlights the changing trends of persecution with autocratic regimes gaining influence. He goes on to discuss Manipur State in Northeast India, where tensions between the Kuki tribe (who are majority Christian) and the mainly Hindu Meitei people have led to the burning of more than 230 churches and the deaths of more than 60 Christians.

We hear further details about the situation in Manipur from a Christian leader based there, followed by Sharon, a woman who fled Manipur and is now living in the UK.

The Open Doors report also covers the troubles in Iran, where authorities view conversion to Christianity as an attempt by the West to undermine Islam and the Islamic government of Iran. We hear from Dabrina Bet-Tamraz, a Christian who escaped from Iran and talks about the current situation in Iran for Christians and other minority religions there.

We end the podcast, as always, with a positive and inspiring message from Brother David Jardine. This time, he tells us about a remarkable Belfast lady who had three different kinds of cancer, but her peserverence in prayer has led to her being cancer-free for 24 years.

We hear first from Reverend Sara Roberts, pioneering a new role as a Community Chaplain, then Reverend Nerys Griffiths tells us of the challenges she has faced as a new minister, ordained in January 2023.

We then move on to interview Jonathan Ruffer, the philanthropist behind the recently-opened Faith Museum in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. Housed in Auckland Castle, the museum has been ten years in the making and offers an immersive experience spanning 6,000 years of faith.

Finally, Brother David Jardine leads us all into the mystery of prayer. He tells us about ordinary people – and how their extraordinary prayers were answered, then urges us to pray about the Israel-Gaza war, rather than merely watching the tv footage. He ends with poignant words from the Christmas Carol O Little Town of Bethlehem.

An historic ordination in Wales. Gethin’s second guest Rebecca Lalbiaksangi will be making history in Newtown, Powys, when the Presbyterian Church of Wales ordains her as its first female minister from the Presbyterian Church of India, Mizoram Synod. The mother-of-two worked as a missionary in Madagascar before moving to Wales in 2011, and will now take up her role in the East Montgomeryshire Pastorate.

The power of prayer. Brother David Jardine ends the podcast by reflecting on almost 50 years as a member of the Society of St Francis, a religious community in the Anglican Church, living under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Brother David considers how powerful prayer can be – and how it can make a big difference in the most seemingly intractable situations.



And to provide us with his usual inspiring food for thought, Brother David Jardine has a word or two to say about New York City, boxer Barry McGuigan, and the patron saint of Ireland.

It’s a shorter Plain Talking podcast this time (just 16 minutes), but we hope you’ll find it just as interesting!