One only needs to have a cursory knowledge of English history to know that the English reformation went hand in hand with Government Parliamentary Legislation. Great leaders such as John Wesley and William Wilberforce have had a profound influence upon the nation to name just two of a multitude of such people.
Great missionary societies came out of England not least William Carey who took missionary Gospel to India and Hudson Taylor to China. Books such as Five Great Christian Leaders of the C17th illustrate the breadth and depth that the Christian message had upon the nation.
The Welsh revival is another. Famous cricketers became missionaries and Bishops. Chariots of Fire celebrated the life of Eric Liddell the 1932 Omypic 400 metre Gold medallist who later died in a Japanese prison camp during WWII in China. The great London preacher of the late C19th Charles Spurgeon was so influential that copies of his sermons were sold the next morning on the streets of London and on the docks.
England and freedom to express the Gospel of Jesus Christ go hand in hand and so when London was awarded the 2012 Olympics, many Christian churches, mission agencies and missionary groups saw an open door for evangelism of such moment the world has never seen previously.
The Olympics is when the nations of the world come together in a dedicated time of political non-militarism so as to compete with each other through the talents and skills of their peoples.
Media reports indicate an open door
These are just some of the hundreds of media reports indicating how broad and accepting the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been presented:
A praise bus following he torch
Youth With A Mission band tours during the Olympics
Hundreds of Olympic Opening Night events run by churches throughout Britain
The Olympics is about Champions
Throughout England churches utilising London Olympics
Olympic Athletes runs to honour God
Athlete family housing – More Than Gold
The list goes on and on plus there is radio and television, IPTV and social media, and it's huge and breathtaking as to how the freedom to present the Gospel allows such astonishing evangelism.
The Press Service International London Olympic Media Team is just one many such media groups getting this message throughout the world so even those from the far flung quarters of the world might be engaged in the Gospel through these London Olympics.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html