Clifford Pond 1924 –2015
Malcolm MacGregor
Date posted: 1 May 2015
Clifford Pond grew up in Welwyn Garden
City, his father was an itinerant preacher and
Clifford came to faith at quite an early age
and had a strong impression that one day he
too would be a minister of the gospel.
He left school at 14 and worked as a messenger boy for the GPO. At the start of the
Second World War he
joined St
John
Ambulance Brigade and then transferred to
the RAF Medical Service.
Banner brilliant
Malcolm MacGregor
Date posted: 1 May 2015
The Banner of Truth Leicester Conference,
13-16 April featured a galaxy of speakers.
Alongside Kevin De Young from Michigan
the main speakers were Stuart Olyott and
Michael Reeves ably assisted by Alan Davey
(SW
France), Geof Kingswood
from
Canada and Gary Brady and Geof Thomas.
The
theme was
‘The Suffering of
this
Present Time.’ Kevin De Young set out the
rational behind our suffering in the suffering
of Christ and our identity with him. There
was a mind blowing sermon focussing on the shame of the cross. Stuart Olyott took the
pattern of ministerial suffering set by Paul in
2 Corinthians. This included some remarkable words of personal testimony which were
both humourous and profound. Michael
Reeves spoke on Puritan teaching concerning suffering and suffering
in the
life of
Spurgeon. Alan Davey covered the cost of
commitment on the mission field. Father
and
son-in-law Geof Thomas and Gary
Brady provided the opening and closing sermons. At first glance the theme may have
appeared gloomy but the speakers handled it with wisdom, warmth and scriptural integrity. It was a particularly affecting time of fellowship. Well done Banner!
CHURCH — BORN AGAIN!
Malcolm MacGregor
Date posted: 1 Dec 2013
A church plant that almost failed has taken off and goes independent in January.
Billy, Justine, Gill, Emma, Gary, John, Maggie, Amy are just a few of the many who have come to faith over the past six years at Shepherd Drive Baptist Church on the Chantry and Pinewood estates in Ipswich. If you have never been to the ‘far east’, Ipswich is a historic sea port on the river Orwell with a couple of large marinas full of posh yachts. Now just over an hour from Liverpool Street station in the City of London, it is also a rapidly growing commuter town.
Making a mark for God
Situated at a key point on this expanding housing development, the church is starting to make a real mark for God among the many young families who live round about. It was, however, back in the 1970s that a Christian nurse living on the estate first felt a burden to reach the local children with the gospel. In due time this led to a church plant, which, in spite of sincere efforts and a good building, never really impacted the area as it might have. After a closure of around three years, the fellowship was re-launched in 2007 with a specific aim of reaching the un-churched.