Reading an advert in The Argus for a concert on Brighton beach on Saturday, July 15, in connection with the Church of God of Prophecy Annual Conference, I strolled along the front to the Eclipse on the beach facing the Brighton Centre.

Although I am a staid old Englishman with conservative tastes in church music, I soon found myself clapping my hands and doing a little dance in time to the gospel and rap music.

I was thrilled to find a concert of such high quality not fuelled with alcohol and drugs but with the joy and exuberance of people who knew the joy of the Lord and evidently seemed to have a living relationship with God.

The concert was free of "gay bashing" and attacks on other religions and spread a spirit of love and hope.

Although those taking part were mainly black, many white folk were, like me, inspired to clap and dance.

I was also thrilled to see a number of delegates from South Africa waving their flags to the sound of the music.

Only 12 years ago in their land there would have been no contact between black and white and their new-found freedom owes much to those Christian churches which made a brave stand against apartheid and ushered in a new society without undue bloodshed.

My prayer is that other Christian groups which use our conference centre for their conventions will have the boldness and the faith to hold similar concerts and meetings on Brighton beach.

-Rev John Webster, Hove