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AN EVENING OF GOSPEL AND FAITH

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Kevin Reardon / 2010-03-09 10:03:36

When, with my wife and friends, I committed to going along to the Torrevieja Christian Fellowship last Saturday night to take in an evening of gospel music and entertainment with Paul Jones and his wife Fiona Hendley, I dont think that any of us quite knew what we were getting in to.

Ninety minutes later, as we walked back out into the less than hospitable weather, I think that we all agreed that we had experienced an evening that we would long remember. From the sincere welcome that we all received on the door, the anticipation on the faces of the almost 400 strong crowd and above all, the genuine earthiness and non star status of the evenings top ‘performers’, Paul Jones and his gorgeous wife Fiona Hendley.

Of course Paul is a highly respected musician with a string of hits to his name. He had many years of success with Manfred Mann and the Blues Band not to mention a solo career and many notable performances as a serious actor on stage with the Royal National Theatre, on TV and in film. He also currently presents a BBC Radio 2 show. So I was very surprised not to be met by an entourage of managers and hangers on, and do you know, there wasn't even anyone around to carry their bags.  Paul and Fiona arrived at the TCF totally unaccompanied.

There were no airs and graces and both of them seemed more than pleased to talk and pose for photographs. Paul told me that the couple tour the UK giving talks on their faith, doing about 30 a year.  Their presentations can take all forms, some include full blown laying-of-hands-on healing, others a talk with music and singing which was the theme at the TCF.  He also proudly told me that Manfred fans go along to see him but often end the evening choosing to follow not him but God.

Paul and Fiona were at the Torrevieja Christian Fellowship to give a talk about their faith and how they found God.  The event, organised by Pastor Roy Davies, also featured songs from their gospel album ‘Personal’.

It was when they were cast in the lead roles of 'Guys and Dolls' at the National that the two met and, in 1984, after giving up the stage to devote her life to Christianity, the pair went along as a Guest of Cliff Richard to the White City Stadium, where they saw the American evangelist Luis Palau. "Cliff took Fiona and I out to dinner after going to see Luis who made quite an impression on us all. 

That was our night; the night that we gave our lives to the Lord."  Since those early days Paul and Fiona have now established themselves as evangelists in their own right recording gospel albums and performing regularly at church events.

Paul and Fiona’s testimony is entertaining, humorous and compassionate. Paul came to the faith from a background of intellectual arrogance whereas Fiona sought God from an early age. Thinking that she was a Christian, but surrounded by deception, she too hoped that success in show business would bring her happiness.

Their witness tells how each of them found true happiness and real faith. As they brought their testimony to the TCF on Saturday night, they sang songs from their album while clearly explaining the Gospel message along the way.

As we were promised by Pastor Roy Davies at the outset it really was en evening of entertainment not to be missed, and for a very pleasant change it was presented by one of showbiz’s more mature, more articulate and higher profile Christian couples.