The miracle continues!

36 years ago, my vicar Peter Lawrence asked a life-changing question at a meeting of our support group, EBRG. He asked, ‘Do you think God may be calling Roger and Mary to give up teaching and go into full time Christian Music Ministry?’

After a period of prayer and consideration, consulting many friends and associates, we met together once more to see where we thought the Lord was leading. Peter posed the question again, and one by one each member of the group said ‘Yes.’

Peter turned to me with a twinkle in his eye and said, ‘There you are, if it all goes wrong you know who to blame!’ A year later, I gave up teaching and 35 years later, by God’s grace I am still in ministry. I still remember in the early days a £5 note arrived through my door every month in an unmarked envelope – it was a wonderful reminder of God’s constant care and attention.

But 2019 isn’t just my 35th anniversary in full-time ministry with CMM. As I write this letter my wonderful colleague Annie is celebrating 25 years at CMM, having originally only had a 2-year contract! Helen, too, has now been with us 14 years.

Looking back to that night in 1983, with Sally just a babe in arms, we would never have thought that the ministry might still be going in this way in 2019.

The Lord has provided through you – through your prayers, your participation and your financial donations.

But now it is time to look ahead to where God is leading in the future. For a number of years my musical ‘The Torn Curtain’ has been out of print for various reasons, and we feel that now is the time to refresh it and bring it right up to date. We published the setting of Holy Communion separately, and have added three songs to the first eight songs of the original musical to make it more complete. I am so thrilled by the finished product – we were even blessed to have my good friend Jonathan Veira singing solo on two of the tracks on the album.

To buy a new vocal score and CD click here

We are launching Torn Curtain on October 12th at the Coton Centre in Tamworth. You are all invited! We will be learning the musical in a day with a scratch choir and orchestra, as well as our wonderful CMM soloists. Arrive from 10.30am to sing or play, or for the performance at 5pm to watch.

To book click here.

We have also, on the advice of the Trustees, decided to make the launch a Gift Day for the ministry. It will be a celebration, praising Him for all that is past, and trusting for all that is to come (I might have just set that old hymn to a new tune!). I have slowed down my workload a little, but have no plans to retire. I still have lots of energy and enthusiasm to keep going, and as the Lord still seems to be presenting me with plenty of doors to open, I intend to follow wherever he leads. Please be praying that the Lord leads people to continue to give generously so that the ministry can continue.

If you aren’t able to be present on the day, please prayerfully consider whether the Lord is calling you to contribute to the Gift Day from wherever you are:

Click here to find out more and donate


CMM hopes for 2019-20:

• Using ‘Torn Curtain’ to minister to choirs and audiences through performances and music weeks. This is a musical that is very clear with the Gospel, but is also a wonderful discipleship tool, encouraging people to come closer to the Lord in worship.
• Introducing the ‘Torn Curtain Communion Setting’ to groups and churches.
• Adding Torn Curtain and Angel Voices to our house-group notes series, and bringing out small group leaders’ notes and sermon series ideas for Worship Works.
• Using the numerous invitations for musicals we have in the diary to share the gospel and bring a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit – we currently have 7 musical-in-a-day invitations, 4 other musical invitations, as well as a Rock musical tour in Abu Dhabi!
• Continuing to lead Worship Works and Spirit Works events – we are particularly excited by the Spirit Works week at Lee Abbey in June.
• Continuing with the wonderful ministry that is the ‘Heart & Soul’ radio show. This is a terrific opportunity to share the gospel and make contacts with others in ministry across the country (and beyond!).
• We don’t currently have any ‘Musical Man’ events in the diary, but we are open to invitations. These evenings are an opportunity for me to share some songs, and a little of my testimony.
• Helen and Tim are working at making sure the musicals are available into the future by establishing our presence on various sheet music websites – this is an important work that will take time to complete.

I would like to thank you, for myself as well as on behalf of the trustees, for partnering with us in ministry, some of you for so many years. We really appreciate your continued support and look forward to seeing where the Lord leads us in the future.