Grace Mason
22, Moreton Close
Bishops Cleeve
Cheltenham
GL52 8AW
20 July 2005
Dear Grace
Thank you for your letters to both Lyndon Bowring and myself, dated 20th June 2005 and 1st September 2004 respectively. Lyndon is now travelling for the next few weeks and so I am responding on his behalf.
I do apologise for not responding to your letter to me which raises many issues related to our work. Thank you for speaking up on the issues that you feel so strongly about in God and for bringing them to our attention. We acknowledge that your intention in writing is quite evidently a positive one.
We know it is vital that we continually and prayerfully consider our attitude and approach to these issues. We are grateful for your reminders. We have taken notice of all the points you have raised, revisited them and made some adjustments in the light of the task that God has given us to do as CARE Centres Network.
I do not believe there is a need for us to defend or justify our work to you. We have had assurance in God that we are following Him and fulfilling His purposes in the way to which He has called us. We do not say this arrogantly but remain mindful that our path is fraught with difficulty and that we need humility to learn from God and change where needed. We remain accountable to God for the work that we do and believe that the fruit of our work shows in part that God is with us and blessing the work of our hands. Without God in this work, we would have achieved nothing, but we know that lives have been saved through our approach.
We do not accept all the things that you believe, Grace, but have no wish to enter into any conflict with you. We hear you, we listen, but we shall not argue with you. We must get on with the work that God has called us to do - it is not right for us to stop working and debate with you. It would be better for you to take it up with God in prayer.
Jesus came in grace and truth, not just one or the other. Out of your great concern for CCN, please pray for us that we will walk in both grace and truth and fully reflect Jesus to a broken world.
With love and respect,
Joanna Thompson
Head of CCN
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