With a sell-out UK tour shortly to start, DON FRANCISCO demonstrates again his enduring popularity in the UK. Tony Cummings spoke to the veteran Christian music minister.

Don has a very real burden for Britain.

"One of the most formative periods in my life was when my wife and I attended a church in South Chard in the 70s. It was a very, very alive house church. In fact at one time we were seriously considering moving to Britain in the late 70s. But God had other plans for us."

How, I asked, did Don cope with the parochial Mickey Mouse Christian music scene in Britain? Wouldn't he like to see an expansion of Britain's CCM scene?
"Not if it duplicates the CCM scene in the States," Don laughed.

"Now I recognise that not enough finance and investment in the arts in general and music in particular is a problem. But I think that paradoxically one of the things that has kept the Christian music scene - such that it is - fairly healthy in Britain is that there is not the opportunity to make any money in it! When one looks at the problems that America's CCM scene has at the moment, many can be attributed to the fact that you can become financially rich through Christian music, so motives can become very blurred."

Don is really looking forward to his UK tour. But this time rather than coming with a full band he's playing with only two others, fellow American Mike Banta and British keyboard maestro Dave Bainbridge.

"I've really struggled since the numbers at my concerts in the UK have gotten so large, and we've had a tremendous sound system, a lighting rig and a band. In my own ministry I've come to realise that the more musicians I have on stage the more there's a tendency to rely on the power of music rather than the power of God. And above everything else on this tour I want to help bring people closer to our Lord."

This journalist for one is certain that this American singer/songwriter will do just that.