GBM: a light in every city
JEB
Date posted: 1 Dec 2015
These days, the annual get-together of supporters of Grace Baptist Mission alternates between venues in London and the Midlands. On Saturday 24 October it was the turn of the Renewal Centre in Solihull.
Around 650 people gathered and the theme highlighted the needs of Europe under the banner ‘A Light in Every City.’ Graham Field, chairman of the Mission’s Council, began the day emphasising that our mission is determined by our master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Daryl Jones, mission coordinator, used a cricket analogy to emphasise the need for partnership in mission, especially between the churches and GBM.
9Marks in Richmond
JEB
Date posted: 1 Oct 2015
Christian conferences are often strong on the great matters of the gospel but offer little guidance as to the nuts and bolts of church life.
9Marks Ministries, headed up by Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C., majors on local church related issues and Tuesday 1 September saw the first 9Marks conference in this country. With around 100 church leaders in attendance, it was hosted at Duke Street Church in Richmond where the pastor is John Samuel. The main mover behind the day was Jonathan Worsley of Kew Baptist Church, himself a former intern at Capitol Hill.
Japan: Hiroshima and humanity
JEB
Date posted: 1 Aug 2015
In July I found myself in the city of Hiroshima in Japan.
This August sees the 70th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on this city from the US bomber named Enola Gay. There is now a Peace Park at the site under where the weapon was detonated 600m above the city. The museum has a scale model where the bomb is represented as a small ‘sun’ – which in some respects it was – exploding in the air at 8.15am on the morning of 6 August 1945. There will no doubt be ceremonies to mark the anniversary of this ghastly event, which in many ways sadly marks the advent of ‘the nuclear age.’
Carey: too comfortable?
JEB
Date posted: 1 Feb 2015
‘Afflicting the comfortable’ could be taken as
the keynote of this year’s Carey Conference
held at the Hayes, Swanick, 6-8 January.
The main
speaker was Professor Greg
Beale of Westminster Theological Seminary,
Philadelphia. He is the author of a landmark
and voluminous commentary on the Greek
text of the book of Revelation and he treated
the participants to a magisterial introduction
to John’s apocalypse. The book is meant to
be understood symbolically, according to its
opening verse. The dramatic word pictures of
the apostle will sedate the nominal Christian
but shock God’s true people
into action.
There are seven churches addressed in the
opening chapters of which only
two are
faithful. The others must change or be
judged with the world. Hence John’s writing
is addressed
first
to
the whole professed
church, but only the faithful remnant will
ultimately benefit.
