The London Christian Standard (LCS) charity #1092050 has been registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales since 15 May, 2002.  The LCS got its name from the small leaflet/paper started by Gabriel L. Mancino in 1992.

 

Gabriel and his wife, Esther, were married in 1979 and have lived in London since emigrating from the USA in December 1982, subsequent to his completing Bible College training earlier that year.

The Mancinos assisted in various ways, both spiritual and practical, in an American-based church from the time of their arrival.  Having already closed their ministries in other cities in England even prior to the Mancino’s arrival, the time came when that church decided to sell the work in London; much to the dismay of the Mancinos.  Gabriel produced and personally distributed literature for that church here since their arrival, which he took around the immediate area, as well as in five or six areas nearby. In 1992, Gabriel started the monthly LCS paper, which he launched in Holloway, but now distributes, bi-monthly, in five areas of North London, besides Marble Arch and Oxford Circus in the city, and outside their own local London Underground Station at Hendon Central; eight locations in all.

 

Regarding the LCS paper, personal feedback through the years, right up to this very time, has been gratifying.  As they have passed by, numerous people have volunteered their delight and appreciation with receiving and reading it.  On one outstanding occasion a man sent me an email to express his excitement with the paper, which happened to be the Nov-Dec 2016 issue in which I had used BREXIT as a theme.  I titled that article “BREXIT 1620” (not 2016…on purpose!) I will share his email (putting his words in quotes) in the following separate paragraph:

 

“Dear Sir, We met earlier today when I picked up a copy of the London Christian Standard outside Marble Arch tube.  Thought it was excellent and have shared the link on Twitter.  If you are on Twitter, please let me know your handle.”   I clicked on the Twitter link he supplied, and found the following entry to his followers: “Grabbed a copy of The London Christian Standard outside Marble Arch Tube earlier today.  It is superb.”   Such feedback and his subsequent sharing on Twitter are rather gratifying.  It was even more so when I saw that he is a New York Observer Columnist and Lobby Correspondent with over 43,000 followers!  Though this incident was two years ago, the great positive feedback “on ground level” still comes in.

 

Also in connection with the LCS charity, two area Nursing Homes are visited each week. The Nursing Home work has been going on since 1986 (prior to the LCS), to the joy of the elderly, their visitors, the staff and to ourselves.
The LCS also makes available a time for Bible reading and study and hymn singing each Sunday evening, thanks to the kindness of a local Church of England church that has permitted us to rent and use their premises since October 2003. We attend our local Salvation Army on Sunday mornings.

 

There are two Bible verses which Gabriel has repeatedly used to reflect the nature and spirit of the LCS work:

 

  1.  “And the Word (referring to Jesus) became flesh, and lived for a while among us; and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (St. John 1:14).  The application of this verse to the LCS is that though we appreciate many other types of ministry, we feel there is absolutely no substitute for revealing Jesus Christ to the people of this world than through the personal life (words and works) of those who have come to Jesus Christ, the only Saviour from sin, and follow Him in love and obedience.  As St. Paul said “You are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men.” (2 Cor. 3:2).

 

  1.   “For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). The fuller context (2:1-5) shows that Saint Paul wanted to be sure that the faith of the believers stood in the power of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit, and not in man.  I have often quoted those words: “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”  One day at Marble Arch, a man walked by as I was offering copies of the LCS.  He glanced…almost glared…in my direction and asked with a sceptical tone: “It’s just religion, isn’t it?”  I quickly replied, “No.”  He stopped in his tracks.  I told him “I am not here just for religion.”  Pointing to the paper, he retorted, “Ok, in five words, tell me what that is about.”  Words immediately flashed in my mind and I just as quickly counted them out on my fingers.  Perfect!  I answered: “Jesus Christ and Him crucified!” That is what St. Paul said:  “I am determined not to know anything except….” and the “except” was “Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

 

 

 

 

 

The beliefs of the LCS are in keeping with the beliefs of early Methodism. The “first love” (Revelation 2:4) and loyalty of the LCS  is to 1) the Lord God Himself and to 2) His Word as revealed in the Bible and as most-perfectly revealed through the only Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, “the Word become flesh”  (St. John 1:14), and to 3) God’s Holy Spirit who, in Person and being our only link to God and Christ, is the believer’s spiritual life-line to God, Christ, the Bible, salvation from sin and the Guide for life and truth that Jesus promised (St. Jn. 14, 16).