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The
ministry in Ireland is one of the most rewarding.
 The
reason I think is because of the presence of the Holy Spirit. In Ireland
Dr. Mays' ministry continues to bridge the gap between the Protestant
and the Catholic communities. On the right are the smiling faces of three
Irish Catholic believers. They are filled with the love and Spirit of
Christ and pray feverishly for revival in their land and churches. During
the year 2000 NationaLight needs to return and do more in Ireland.
 To
the left is a part of a family of 20, eighteen children of Travelers,
Gypsies. They are all Christians. They have invited Brother Mays to join
them in their prayer meeting. Here they lift up the work of the Lord among
the travelers all over Great Britain and Europe. God is moving among the
Traveler people, thousands are coming to Christ and the Lord is performing
many signs and wonders among them. When you support NationaLight, your
gifts help us to continue to strengthen this ministry to the Traveler
people around the world. QUICK FACTS
ON GYPSIES
NationaLight
ministers in IRA Territory
in IRA territory....Brother Mays has preached often in his church,
bringing the gospel of peace and reconciliation to the community.
The
IRA is a secret military organization that has long sought to unite the
independent country of Ireland with Northern Ireland, which is a part
of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland is made up of six counties in
the northeastern corner of the island of Ireland. Ireland, officially
called the Republic of Ireland, is made up of 26 counties that occupy
the rest of the island. The IRA and its political wing, called Sinn Fein,
also oppose the current government of Ireland.
The IRA was formed in 1919 as an unofficial military force that aimed
to gain independence for Ireland. At that time, the combined area of present-day
Ireland and Northern Ireland was a single country ruled by the British.
Most of the people in what is now Northern Ireland were Protestants, and
most of those in what is now Ireland were Roman Catholics. The British
government had proposed that Ireland remain united with Britain but take
control of its own domestic affairs. However, most of the Protestants
in the northeastern province of Ulster opposed this plan because they
did not want to be a minority in a Roman Catholic nation.
In 1919, the IRA began a guerrilla war for independence from British rule.
The IRA harassed the police and military with ambushes and sudden raids.
In 1920, the British government passed the Government of Ireland Act.
The act divided Ireland into two states, each with limited powers of self-government.
Under the act, the six northeastern counties were separated from the rest
of Ireland and became Northern Ireland. The southern Catholic majority
rejected the act and demanded a single, united Irish republic. The guerrilla
war continued until July 1921, when British and Irish leaders declared
a truce and agreed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty. This treaty, which was signed
on Dec. 6, 1921, made Ireland a dominion--that is, a self-governing country
owing allegiance to the British Crown. The dominion was called the Irish
Free State.
The treaty split the IRA. One group, led by Michael Collins, accepted
it and became part of the army of the Irish Free State. The other group,
led by Eamon de Valera and called the Irregulars, rejected the treaty
because it did not provide complete independence from Britain and union
with Northern Ireland. Early in 1922, civil war broke out. The Irregulars
were defeated in 1923 but continued as an underground organization.
In 1937, Ireland adopted a new constitution and changed its name to Eire.
In 1949, Eire renounced its dominion status and declared itself an independent
republic called Ireland. But Northern Ireland remained united with Britain.
From 1956 to 1962, the IRA periodically raided British installations in
Northern Ireland, trying to reunite Ireland and Northern Ireland and embarrass
both the British and the Irish governments.
In the late 1960's, Catholics in Northern Ireland began to protest against
discrimination by the Protestant government. Fighting broke out between
Catholics and Protestants, and the IRA took up the cause of the Catholics.
Britain sent troops to restore order, and the IRA and British soldiers
were soon fighting each other.
During 1969 and 1970, a deep split developed within the IRA over strategy
and tactics. The dominant group resulting from the division was called
the Provisional IRA. The other group became known as the Official IRA.
The Provisional IRA has young, aggressive members. It is supported by
funds raised at home and abroad. The Provisional have carried out many
bombings, ambushes, and assassinations in Northern Ireland and in Britain.
The Official IRA consists of older members chiefly committed to social
change. It poses little threat to British security forces or to the Irish
population.
The use of violence by the Provisional IRA and other militant groups has
often disrupted life in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Britain. In September
1997, formal peace talks began that aimed to end the violence over Northern
Ireland. The talks were the first negotiations to include all parties
involved in the conflict. The talks concluded in April 1998.
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