Salt and Light in Oxford

November 2025

One of the many joys about training at Wycliffe, is being back in Oxford! Not only is it a world class university and fantastic city, but I am absolutely convinced that we are called to be salt and light, here and now.

In God’s grace, I started trusting Jesus as my Saviour and Lord, whilst in my final weeks as a History undergraduate at Regent’s Park College. Although I had applied to University College, God had other plans and sent me to a college packed full of Christians… 

Under Him, I owe my eternity to friends who were determined to be salt and light.

I played lots of college sport at Regent’s, and a friend called Richard occasionally invited me to Christian talks or church services. But for over two years I politely declined! However, Richard was praying, and God was softening my heart. So, I attended a Christmas service with him, a few events during the Hilary ’97 mission week and the follow-up Bible discussions (in one of the pubs).

Charlie, the group leader, befriended me, often called at my flat and encouraged me to keep thinking. Shortly before Easter, he asked whether I might be interested in reading Luke’s Gospel and suggested that I could trust his testimony. He generously gave me a Bible, and over the next few months I read, while Charlie prayed and the Holy Spirit worked…

One Sunday morning, I wandered down to Regent’s porter’s lodge. One of my fellow students asked what I was doing and after I explained I was joining them at St Ebbe’s, her chin nearly hit the floor! (I had quite a reputation for being a ‘lively’ undergraduate). It was during that Communion service, that I received the Gospel and came to Christ!

I am therefore, utterly convinced that we at Wycliffe must be active, friendly, generous and prayerful Christian witnesses. Not only, is this my story, but over the decades in schools, on summer camps and in church teenage and student groups, I have seen spiritually hungry young people coming to Jesus in faith, and others being strengthened. So, I believe these Wycliffe years are not simply for study and training, but also Gospel witness.

Last year, around 20% of the Queen’s College Boat Club were rowers from Wycliffe Hall, who built friendships on the river, hosted  at formal halls and helped at the Summer Eights BBQ. Other Wycliffe ordinands supported college Christian Unions during mission week, and others boldly offered Gospels to shoppers at the Westgate shopping centre (several hundred were given away!). Several of us were praying for evangelism and I am trying to re-energise our prayerfulness.

This year, I am hoping to Christianise the phrase ‘just one thing’ by encouraging us to be salt and light (beyond our church networks), building generous friendships and being prayerful witnesses. Wonderfully, some Wycliffe friends are now increasingly active in sports clubs and academic societies. 

As for me, in the last 13 months, I’ve had incredible conversations during (the gentler) training runs with the Cross Country Club, and at the Real Tennis Club, where invitations for prayer have also been warmly accepted. The latter is a new sport for me – for which I am an evangelist at Wycliffe, whilst being an evangelist there for Jesus!

Jesus often speaks in agricultural timescales and promises that the harvest is plentiful. My prayer is that we will prove diligent workers in His fields, and that, in His grace, the 2025-26 crop will be bountiful!

Jonathan Harber
CRC President Elect
Michaelmas Term 2025