By Tom Shanklin

In May, the Lord sent me to England and Wales to bring encouragement, link arms with His Church, build relationships, and to pray. 

On my flight to London, I sat with a man from England who was returning home after a week of work in the U.S. I asked him if he was a Christian, and he stated that he, like many other British people, is an atheist. I was able to share the Gospel with him and my testimony. I told him about the miracles that are happening in our meetings. He stated that the people who were coming to our meetings must have an emptiness and are very needy, but that he was fulfilled in life, and did not need God. This is a very common attitude in England, where the natural life can be good, and people do not feel a need for spiritual things. I praise God, however, for the Gospel seeds I was able to plant. I believe that there will be a time when he will see a need in his life, those words come to his remembrance, and he will find Christ. 

United Kingdom, England, and Wales

United Kingdom—Last national awakening was in 1859-69; Non-religious now 34.5 percent; Evangelical 7.91 percent; 1,500 missionaries are there from America, Africa, and Asia.

England—Church attendance 6 percent; inner cities are becoming physical and spiritual wastelands. 

Wales—Experienced revival in 1904-5; weekly church attendance now 7 percent; most churches are 25 or less. 

-Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide for Every Nation

My first stop was in Wiveliscombe, Somerset, England, where I stayed with our friends, Brian and Pauline Johnson, and visited two churches. I had wonderful fellowship there and was invited back to both places to minister in the future. The first was a home church led by Andrew Kelly. The second was Scarr Chapel, an old Congregational chapel near Lydeard St Lawrence, which was built in 1875. Bill and Mandy Caines were led by the Lord to restore the old chapel and to hold services there on Sunday afternoons. Most of the old rural chapels, which are a part of the rich spiritual heritage of England and Wales, are now closed. We had great times of prayer in both of the churches, God joined my heart with the people, and I was invired to return and minister in those two churches. I trust we will return again to minister in that area. 

Tom at Gwennap Pit, Cornwall, where John Wesley preached to the miners.

IGO Conference in Cornwall

The next stop was an IGO (International Gospel Outreach) Conference at the Emmanuel Full Gospel International Church in Pool, Cornwall, in southwest England. This is an area with a rich history and great local pride. It was once a great tin mining area. John Wesley preached to the miners there, along with many other places in the British Isles. We visited one of the places where he preached, Gnennap Pit near Redruth, Cornwall. 

Unbeknownst to any of us, three American preachers were led by the Lord to the Cornwall Conference—Doug Pitman (a missionary to Europe), Ken Mandley (a pastor from Turtle Lake, Wisconsin with a great heart for Europe), and myself. It was a relatively small conference, but very powerful. The fellowship, worship, preaching, and hospitality were absolutely outstanding, and I believe that God did a powerful work in everyone who attended.

I spoke on “Re-digging the Wells of Revival” from Genesis 26, exploring the roots of revival in the British Isles and Wales, and stirring all of us to get back to the basis truths which facilitate the awakening of hearts to the Lord Jesus. I said that as Isaac needed to re-dig the wells of his father, Abraham, we also need to re-dig the wells of our spiritual fathers. The world owes a debt of gratitude to the fathers of faith from the British Isles who opened up wells of revival in the past. I believe that the Lord is calling His Church in the UK to once again see themselves as a great light to the nations, and to move into a position of spiritual leadership in the world.

I shared on seven wells of Revival and noted some of the fathers of faith:

1. The Authority of the Word of God (2 Tim 3:16) John Wycliff
2. Justification by Faith (Roman 1:16-17) Martin Luther
3. The Call to Holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16) John Wesley
4. Evangelism (Mark 16:15) George Whitfield
5. World Missions (Matthew 24.14) William Carey
6. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) Evan Roberts
7. Divine Healing (Mark 16:20) Smith Wigglesworth

It’s not really that we need some “new” revelation to have revival, we just need to re-discover the ancient truths on which our faith is built. Too many Christians have strayed from the truth, and that is why the Church in general is so weak during these times. But I see revival coming as we dig deeply into the truth of God’s Word and give ourselves to living and abiding in Christ and His Word. Charles Finney said that revival is nothing more than a fresh obedience to God’s Word, and I believe that there is a great deal of truth in that statement. 

From Cornwall, I traveled with our friend and co-laborer, Stan Strunc, who is a missionary to Europe. Stan, who is Czech, and his English wife Sarah live in Gloucester, England. Stan and I had a great time of ministry, fellowship, and prayer. As we travelled the roads of England and Wales together, we prayed for awakening in the Church, for an outpouring of the Spirit, and for a flood of souls to come into the Kingdom. 

One of our stops was Stinchcombe, home of reformer, Bible translator, and martyr, William Tyndale. We stopped in a pub to ask about William Tyndale. The people there were totally oblivious to the spiritual history of their community and laughed at us and went on with their drinking and conversation. We visited a small chapel there, where William Tyndale had preached, and also visited a larger Anglican church. A woman was cleaning the building as a community service, but she did not attend services. I shared the plan of salvation with her. She was confused about God, because of all the problems that are in the world. So I explained to her that Satan is the source of evil, NOT God … and that the problems are here, because of man’s choice to follow the devil. 

Evangelist Marilyn Harry, director of Love Wales, teaching at the Revival School of Ministry.

A Visit to Love Wales Headquarters

We traveled to Ebbw Vale, southern Wales, to visit a Revival Ministry School at the Love Wales Headquarters there. Headed by Evangelist Marilyn Harry, Love Wales is a missions organization dedicated to re-evangelizing Wales and reaching the world. Our visit there was a powerful experience and also a great inspiration concerning our Believers School of Ministry and the work of evangelism that God has called us to do. 

We received some great teaching there, shared with the people about what God is doing in our ministry, and received some powerful and encouraging prophetic words about the future of our ministry. I also was invited to return and minister there in the future. Wales is known as the land of revival, with a history of tremendous moves of God which have touched the world. But now it is sometimes called the land of empty churches. May God bring a great awakening to Wales and the world. Lord, how we need the manifestation of your presence in this hour to shake the Church from her apathy and to usher many into the kingdom. One day this age of grace will be over, and those who do not receive Christ will be lost forever. 

Maria received a wonderful healing from the Lord at the Roma church service.

Miracles of Healing with the Roma Gypsy People in Derby

From southern Wales, we traveled to Derby in the Midlands of England. Derby is the one of the early sites of the beginning of the industrial revolution. Today, it is the home to many immigrants from around the world. At Derby, I ministered to the Slavik/Roma congregation (sometimes called Gypsies).  With the help of Stan Strunc’s translation into the Czech language, I preached the Gospel there and prayed for the sick. I spoke on “Truth versus Lies” from John 8:31-32, where Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

God did many miracles of healing of body and soul, and there was a great spiritual blessing on the service. We have two of the healing testimonies on video which you can view on our website, but many other people were healed, and there were some deep spiritual and emotional healings as well. This was my second visit to the precious Roma Gypsy people in Derby. They were very warm and welcoming. Their only complaint was that I didn’t bring Susan. 

There are many chapels like this in Wales. Built by fiery non-conformist Methodist revivalists, most are empty today. This one in Llangefni has the name of Welsh revivalist Christmas Evans engraved in stone on the front.

Back to Wales, the Land of Revival

From Derby, we traveled to north Wales to spy out the land and connect with some pastors on the Island of Anglesey. I sensed a strong spiritual connection with the area and the people. We had some great times of fellowship and prayer with several pastors and received invitations to return and minister in the future. 

I sense the call to return to Anglesey, Wales, and England to help bring revival and encouragement to the church and to evangelize. We go, not because we have all the answers, but because of obedience to the call of God. I see that there is a  great need for the ministry of the evangelist in that part of the world, especially to help the church to refocus on the priority of evangelism and to encourage God’s people to know that they can reach their neighbors for Christ in the power of the Spirit. There has always been a divine connection between the Church in America and the Church in the British Isles, and I believe that we are called to work together, pray for one another, encourage one another, and shake this world for Jesus Christ together.

While traveling in Wales, Stan and I visited with a clerk at a church museum. She was a believer in Christ and watched some American ministers on television regularly. The day before, her son’s girlfriend had committed suicide. We were able to console and encourage her and pray with her. There were other one-on-one spiritual encounters on this trip as well, and I strongly sensed God’s hand on my time in England and all the connections that we made. 

I want to thank all of our partners and supporting churches for your faithful support which enables us to take the Gospel to the world. I have had the sense for some time that the Lord was going to send us to various nations, sometimes on short notice, to go and do a work for Him. Before leaving for England, I had a prophetic word that God was sending me to England and Wales as an ambassador for Him, that I was under commission, and that the ground would be softened under my feet as I went. I saw that prophecy fulfilled before my eyes on this trip. I saw the grace of God on every part of this trip, whether visiting with an individual, preaching the Gospel in a church, or praying as we traveled the roads of England and Wales.

Thank you for standing with us and praying for us to be led by the Spirit as we go, so that we can accomplish a work for Him. With your help, we are carrying the message of Christ and His presence to the nations. Susan and I are praying for you every day.

Prayer Needs

Pray for revival in the churches of England and Wales, and that God would heal the land, and once again send forth a great missions movement from Britain to reach the world.

Pray for the translation of “You Can Touch the World” into French, which is underway, for our upcoming mission to Benin, West Africa.

Pray for our mission to Benin in January 2019, for many souls, and for laborers to be sent into the harvest.

Pray for the Lord to continually guide us to the harvest fields in the U.S. and around the world and to give us much fruit. 

Letters from Our Friends

Another Jump-start

Thank you for your visit. Blessing to you both, Tom and Susan. I think I neglected to tell you what an awesome sermon you shared yesterday! We all need a pep talk once in awhile, and a time to rev up for the Lord again! Another quick JUMP-START to keep plugging on. Praises to our Lord! (Minnesota)

Preaching, Teaching and Healing

A big thank you for your ministry. Keep on being led by the Holy Spirit. Your ministry is what Jesus called you into, and called all His followers Matthew 4:23, Jesus’ ministry—teaching, preaching, and healing. I love you Bro. Tom and Susan. (Wisconsin)

The Time to Be Alive!

Dear soldiers of the Cross, God just does bigger and bigger with each year. “The Word” is spreading at unimagined speed. You homecoming picture (thanks to Susan), was proof that yo gave you all with God’s power immeasurable harvest took place only to be increased. The young evangelist is additional proof that “The Revival” will be led by the young. That is exciting to me! At the 100th anniversary of Azusa St., I heard that for the first time by Cindy Jacobs. The revival MUST have the veteran leaders, You, to guide, undergird. This is the time to be alive. God had it all in hand at the beginning!! Praise God!!!! (Illinois)

Take the Gospel Out!

Thank you Thank you for coming to Prairie Faith! I don’t think you know what an encouragement you both were to all of us. We know the Lord is leading us to become bold and to take the Gospel out, and He sent you to us for such a time as this … to get us ready. Please come back when you can. (North Dakota)

Soak it Up!

Hi everyone!  My name is Teresa and I attend Church at For His Glory Church in Spring Grove, MN.  On May 6, 2018 when Pastor Tom was there I received healing in my shoulder which was causing pain and difficulty in my neck. He told me to take a deep breath and soak it up like a sponge.  It was so amazing to feel the pain leave my shoulder and neck.  I am so grateful that I have a Father in heaven who wants us well and sees us well.  All we have to do is believe.  By faith, I believed and was healed through the anointing of Jesus. Thank you, Lord Jesus.  Amen.