Westminster Conference Papers 2025 Now in print

 

10 Reasons to be Cheerful

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I was at the Westminster Fellowship yesterday, a monthly ministers fraternal. Paul Levy had been invited to speak on the current scene. He was very helpful and balanced it out by considering positives and negatives. He had 12 positives and I thought they would be worth replicating here in our own style.

1. The unstoppable growth of the global church

2. The open mindedness that some outsiders seem to have to the gospel at the moment
3. The fact that angry atheism seems to have faded away
4. The fact that Islam appears tobe in retreat for the most part

5. Immigration means that the world is coming to us
6. Many churches have been planted in the last 30 years

7. The work of Christian camps for young people is thriving

8. The mulititude of Christian books that are available today

9. The way the Internet is being used for evangelism

10. The existence of many happy traditonal families who share meals together

(His other two were the abundant opportunities for Christians to speak up and be heard and the disputable fact that ministers tend to be better trained today).

Westminster Conference 2025

So I have spent the last two days at the annual Westminster Conference and thoroughly enjoyed it. We are now well settled inSt Giles Christian Mission, strange as it seemd to be there away from centrl London the first time we did it. We tried something new this year. Normally most of the papers are followed by discussion time but this year on day one we had most of the diiscussion at the end of the day after the three papers had been given. This was only a partial success, among the problems being that speakers tended to produce over long papers, despite their best efforts. We kicked off with Mark Thomas on the Puritans and original sin - a solid and useful paper, quite demanding to listen to. Then Paul Levy took us through Machen's magisterial Virgin Birth of Christ. The third paper was from Donald J MacLean on the temptation of Christ from Thomas Manton but ending with Hodge and Shedd. Jeremy Walker led the discussion but it was hard to focus anywhere.

Day 2 was more traditional with Andy Young on the active obedience of Christ, covering pretty uncharted territory regarding Karh, Piscator et al. We then had a marathon from Sinclair Ferguson on Samuel Rutherford. We closed, in contrast, with a fresh, very lively and brief life of Athansius given by Gavin Kinnaird. Great numbers resnet. We meet again next year, God willing, around the same time.

Westminster Conference 2025

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Westminster Conference 2025

The programme for next year has been announced (the order may change)

1. The Puritans on the temptation of Christ - Donald John McLean

2. The Puritans and the orgin of sin - Mark Thomas

3. The development of the doctrine of active obedience - Andy Young

4. How to delight in Christ with Samuel Rutherford - Sinclair Ferguson

5. Machen and the virgin birth of Christ - Paul Levy

6. Athanasius - Gavin Kinnaird

Do plan to come!

Banner of Truth Ministers Conference Wednesday Morning 2023

Sorry to be behuind a little but on Wednesday morning we had an excellent couple of messages from Warren Peel and Paul Levy (who kindly drove me back to London after the conference). Warren carried on plundering David Clarkson on the glories of public worship with a little George Swinnock thrown in for good measure. (The Clarkson sermon can be found here). It was refreshing to hear Paul on a completely different subject to the church theme, looking at the woman with the alabaster jar from Matthew 26. He was winsome and theologically thorough and challenging. "Her extravagance was nithing to the extravagance of Christ for us"; "Every sacrifice you have made for Christ is sensible". C T Studd (who, Paul reminded us, was nuts) said rightly “If Jesus Christ is God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.”

Norman Wells

It was our privilege to be at the memorial service for Norman Wells today with about 300 others at IPC, Ealing. Norman died from Covid-19 rather suddenly in Spring last year. He was 56. A memorial service has only been possible now. We had helpful tributes from family and friends and Paul Levy preached helpfully from Psalm 73. It was lovely over tea afterwards to talk with old friends and one or two people I had not spoken with before. I knew Norman from his time in London Seminary and he would sometimes turn up in our services when en route from somewhere else. Norman's main work was with the Family Education Trust. It is clear that his thorough research and advocacy for the Christian view of the family never became theoretical but was lived out in his relationship with his wife Nicola and his nine children.

Ligonier London Conference

Mike Reeves and Mez McConnell on the question panel proving that these Reformed types are all just clones of each other

Today and yesterday evening I have been attending the first Ligonier Conference on the British mainland. We met in the huge Westminster Central Hall. I guess there were about 800 present. I know about 10% of the people present, mostly ministers. A diverse group gathered not just from the UK but further afield too. I met people from Germany, Italy and the USA plus Scots, Welsh, English and the pastor of the Korean church that meets in our building on Sunday afternoons. Two of my sons and their wives and several other family members were present.

The conference was well organised and what one might have expected from a group like Ligonier keen to expand their work among the Lord's people and beyond. Several men spoke - Mark Johnston and Alistair Begg on the Friday night; Al Mohler and Sinclair Ferguson this morning; Mike Reeves and Burk Parsons this afternoon. There was also a panel with Drs Ferguson and Reeves plus Jeremy Walker from Crawley, Paul Levy from London and Mez McConnell from Edinburgh.

Obviously some speakers got on better than others but it was all worth hearing. The applause got a bit much, it is true, but our American hosts did their very best to adapt otherwise. Lovely to see so many old friends.

The messages are all here.

International Presbyterian Church, Ealing

It was good to be at the opening service at the new building in IPC, Ealing this morning. A packed auditorium enjoyed the service led by the pastor Paul Levy. It included a brief summary of what has been nine years of effort to redevelop the site. The new building is an excellent facility and one hopes it will be a real asset. The preacher was Sinclar Ferguson who took us to Matthew 16 and made several helpful points. There was  alight lunch to follow and that was good too. It was good to be there and chat with various friends.

Aber 2018 Friday

And another week has gone. Paul Mallard took us helpfully through the final session on Elijah. This pretty difficult material in some ways and he handled it well, although he probably ended up with too many anecdotes. Paul Levy gave the evening message, looking at Psalm 16 and speaking about death and life in Christ. We closed with the doxology a capella. It was a shame that it was only at that point we sung unaccompanied. Sermons available here and here.

IPC Catalyst Conference Ealing

Dick Gaffin

Spoiled for choice with regard to conferences this week I decided last minute to get down to Ealing Town Hall and try the IPC Catalyst Conference. Given the speakers on the programme it would be hard to see, humanly speaking, how it could fail to be good. And it was. We had four sessions of solid theology (we must have covered more theology in one day than we tend to do in one year at Child Hill - perhaps I exaggerate).

We started off in Leviticus with Jonty Rhodes who gave us lots of good biblical theology including a number of thoughts that were fresh to me (eg the Temple and Sinai). The final session of the day was from Jonathan Gibson (like Jonty's name no more than a name to me until that point). Here we were again chiefly in the Old Testament, looking at worship. This was a bit of a tour de force and comes from a large book which, despite my late booking, I managed to procure a free copy of (thanks Graham Weeks) like many others - ie Reformed Worship. Again lots of fresh thoughts (although I do wish he hadn''t left his remarks about women ruining everything rather dangling).

Between these younger biblical theologians we had two septuagenarians (One is actually an octogenarian) both systematicians. They both spoke on the Holy Spirit - Dr Richard Gaffin mainly from Acts but including other references and Sinclair Ferguson from John 14. These were again fresh and stretching and full of good and deep theology.

To be Gaffinised adn Sinclaired on the same day is quite something.

In between times there was opportunity to stock up on books and to hear Chris Roberts lunch time session Ecclesiastes 12 and to talk to people new to me and old.

We have someone staying with us for the EMA and he had a good day too. I don't know how they got on in Bala.

Lord's Day July 20 2014

Rather late with this but I did enjoy the last of my Sundays out and about during this sabbatical period. This time I was with bona fide Presbyterians down in Ealing. IPC Ealing has its roots in Schaefferism but like many good churches is made up of various strands and is seeking to bear witness where it finds itself. Their building (looks like an old office block from the outside and a temple on the inside) is currently too small for their morning congregation so they meet in Drayton Manor High School, where there must have been 160 or 170 when I visited. They would like to extend their building which comfortably sat the fifty or so along in the evening.

First impressions are of a well heeled white congregation but closer inspection reveals it is a more diverse group. I know some of the people and met others including my son's new next door neighbour at LTS next term. Paul Levy, who I also know, is the pastor. He is currently working through Luke 22 morning and evening (not his usual practice - like most of us he usually looks at different things am and pm). He has a gift with illustrations and was great talking to the children (in the evening service, unusually). They used a projector in the mornings and Praise! in the evening with a guide to the order of service printed out for both. In the morning a flute, a violin and a silver trumpet accompanied the grand piano; just keyboard and flute in the evening. Being Presbyterians there was a bit of audience participation with a corporate confession and at the communion they used real wine in communal cups. They took up a collection am and pm. I also noticed that in the evening some of the chairs were arranged as a choir sideways on to the preacher. It is good to know that the gospel is going out in that part of London.

Lord's Day June 2 2013

blueletterbible.org

Bit late with this because it's been so busy this week. Paul Levy complained somewhere because those he knows who report on their Sundays never seem to have bad ones. I know what he means but for me it's the week days that are bad not the Lord's days. So in the morning we began with communion and that was followed by a sermon on the closing verses of 1 Corinthians 4. My two main points were about "You and your fathers in Christ" and "The danger of arrogance in God's kingdom and how God deals with it". In the evening we came to the penultimate chapter of Numbers and thought about Christ and the cities of refuge.

Aber Conference Evening Addresses

Gwynn Williams

The pattern at Aber is to have four morning addresses given by one main speaker and various other speakers who speak in the five evening meetings. People book their accommodation from Saturday to Saturday and so  with so many people about, arrangements are made so that everyone can go to church. First, the EMW themselves organise services in one of the chapels. This year the preachers were Ollie Gross and Paul Kosciecha. Meanwhile, the regular Alfred Place congregation move over the street to Bethel, where my father-in-law Geoff Thomas preaches. For many years now he has done series which also includes a third stripped down service on Monday morning, that I usually lead. Geoff tackled Deuteronomy 29:29 looking at the secret  things (such as when Christ will return) and the revealed things (such as how to be contented). As ever, the series was very much appreciated, people ordering loads of CDs.

Geoff was also the main speaker on the first evening of the conference proper where in the warmest and most pleading terms, arms open wide, called upon all to strive to enter the narrow gate.

Paul Levy (Swansea boy now a neighbour of mine in Ealing) spoke on the second evening on the blind man of Luke 18. This was done very competently with occasional humorous asides and lots of exegesis. Perhaps it lacked a little urgency.

David Meredith of Smithton-Culloden Free Church (yes, yet another Presbyterian) was given two nights as men sometimes are. Again very competent, he took us, successively, to Acts 1 and Acts 2. The two messages were full of good things, chiefly for believers. In his attempts at self-criticism he perhaps gave the impression of being rather negative about some Christians but his intentions were good. The suggestion that Christians are arguing over the colour of the hymn book was rather bizarre and inaccurate. I'd not heard that quip before that when we freeze water, we make ice cubes. When God freezes water, he makes snowflakes – each one different (apparently Vaughan Roberts at the Lausanne Conference last year)

Gwynn Williams (Caerdydd) closed the conference well tonight with an encouraging message from the close of Romans 16 as we leave the glass house of the conference and head back to reality.

So good solid preaching, not much of it very expository or evangelistic but heartening nevertheless. To sit with 1200 others and listen was a joy indeed.

Petitions

Paul Levy over on Ref21 speaks true. He says

Is someone willing to sign my petition to stop Christians from producing petitions.

A petition to support marriage, a petition against gay marriage, a petition to ask liberals to stop being mean to us, a petition to say we uphold Christian values. As far as I can tell the New Testament church didn't use petitions. It is remarkable naivete to think that petitions change minds. In both the ecclesiastical world and political world I would love to hear of petitions that have been successful and led to significant change.

My only exception to this was that I once signed a petition that Deidre Rashid be freed from prison, this was part of a calculated campaign which was ultimately successful.

Eccentrics 2011

I was sorry not to be at the Eccentrics Conference this year. I try not to go to more than one conference a month! This report from Paul Levy can be found here at Reformation 21.

I spent Monday this week back in Wales at a ministers' conference. It's something that my more famous brother runs (see pic). It's entitled the Eccentrics Conference (partly to mock the slightly pompous Eclectics Conference that used to take place). It's really a gathering of old friends who are now in the ministry. It used to be invitation only but so many got offended they didn't receive an invitation, now anybody can come on two conditions. You must be in church work (no para-church folk allowed), and you are not allowed to say 'the problem with churches in Wales is.....' (hence the reason why no para-church people are allowed). You can immediately be sent home for criticising the church!

There's no singing, people stay up far too late, there's lots and lots of banter, we eat like kings and there is merciless mocking of my slightly overweight big brother. The conference is slimmed down to the bare bones, unlike my brother.

Four things stood out for me this year:

1. The ministry is hard, it takes years off Mens lives.

Some of the men are in congregations in small towns where there is no movement of people at all. People don't move in and people don't move out. Problem people stay in a congregation for decades and outstay many ministers. Some of the best people in congregations move away or die young. These men who serve in churches like this are the real heroes. Week after week, preparing 3 messages a week, running the youth work, doing the pastoral rounds. On the last day when all is revealed I think that many of these men who would never be invited to speak at a conference, or be dreamed of for the 'big jobs' will be found to have kept the faith, finished the race and built a ministry with precious stones, not wood, hay and stubble. I'm more and more convinced that the real heroes are the faithful nobodies.

2. Geoff Thomas is a giant.

For the first 5 years Geoff spoke at the eccentrics as the main speaker. This year he wasn't speaking and yet he came anyway. He spent time with the younger men in difficult situations. He's over 70 speaks all round the world at various conferences and yet he came to this funny little conference to encourage the younger men. I want to be like that. I can't stand the attitude that if I'm not speaking I'm not coming. There's far too much of that around. I salute GT.

3. Hearing men preach in the flesh is good for me.

The main speakers were Vaughan Roberts from Oxford, Mike Reeves (who I understand has Carl Trueman as his agent in America trying to secure a big move to the US) and Stuart Olyott. Two Englishmen and one Welshman. I just loved it sitting there lapping it up. I started to take notes in some of the sessions but in the end just gave up. At conferences I want to be fed and stimulated and made to think but I need to meet with God in the preaching of his word. I can listen to sermons of folk on the internet but there's something so artificial about it. It's like a pre-made sandwich from a supermarket. It's ok but it's just not the same as a proper home cooked meal that you share with friends. As in every conference some sessions went better than others and people liked different speakers. No one bombed which is always a bonus. I'm told Stuart Olyott's sessions on Tuesday were the pick of the bunch.

4. Old friends are the best friends.

People who remember how much of an idiot you were when you were a teenager, youth leaders who taught you and prayed for you, men who gave you books. We need people who know us and won't put up with our pomposity. In some conferences you feel nobody is really being honest. I hate that feeling of having to say things are going well and encouraging. Amongst old friends you can be honest and real. As always old jokes are the best jokes, anecdotes which have grown and grown over the years until they bear little resemblance to reality, but nobody minds. As for Lloyd Jones being at the Levy family table with me as a toddler sitting on his knee and him saying to my brother those immortal words 'pass me the salt', nobody really knows if it's true but at 3 am in a ministers conference it goes down a storm. The time Downesey stayed up all night and then gave a paper on 7 marks of heresy (unbelievable you say, Martin Downes has an interest in heresy!). Within 20 minutes not even he knew what he was saying. Ministers conferences need to be places where we can blow off steam and laugh.

Each year we think it'll be the last time we do the Eccentrics. There's only about 50 of us who go but we'll see. I've come back refreshed and revved up for the new year. The motto of the story is, ' Go to conferences where you know people and you have good friends'.

(PS Doesn't Mike Reeves work for UCCF?

PPS Paul is now writing regularly for Reformation21 and has brought a breath of fresh air to it. he writes really well [yes, I was slightly surprised]).

Eccentric Ministers (2010)

Eleri gave me a lift to the north circular first thing where Paul Levy kindly picked me up and we headed to the Potters House in Hebron Hall, Dinas Powys, for the annual Eccentric Ministers Conference. Organised by Paul's brother Steve and his team of helpers from Mount Pleasant, Swansea. About 40 gathered I guess - lots of people I didn't know but plenty I did. We began by praying in threes. I was with my old friend Mike Leaves from Swansea, Merv Neal from Barry and Vaughan Roberts from Oxford who I'd not met personally before. After lunch Paul Mallard gave the first of two papers on suffering in the ministry. Nothing radically new here but greatly enlivened by his personal illustrations and anecdotes. After that my esteemed father-in-law addressed us with some reflections of a wise old sage. He spoke of things he wished he had done, regrets, things valued and things he was thankful for. Fascinating and lovely to hear.
We had a break then and I went with Geoff to Barry Island - nostalgia! Geoff actually lived in Barry at one point.
Later on Vaughan Roberts spoke on evangelism and ministerial training a la Phil Jensen, which was okay but a little pragmatic perhaps.
I headed off to the lounge then and enjoyed the company of several men before bed.
Steve asked me to say what a brilliant conference this is and then sang a psalm in Gaelic playing the banjo (that bit's not true but Steve thought it would be a good way of testing whether anybody reads this).

Focus etc

Tuesday was a good full day. In the morning I drove over to Amyand Park for a fraternal with Gerard Hemmings, Robin Asgher, Peter Law, Paul Levy and others. We discussed the blind spots of our age. We solved little I guess but we aired some issues usefully. I noticed that those fresh to the ministry in London have similar gripes and concerns to those I had as a younger man (eg the way younger people are hived off to Central London churches, how to cohere as a witness to the community, etc). You learn to live with certain things.

After getting back home I headed down to Stanfords Maps where I met up with my good old friend Paul Pease, pastor at Hook Evangelical. We had a good old chinwag over some maps and a coffee. What a tonic fellowship is.

Then after returning home I headed off in the car again down to Epsom Playhouse where I saw the inimitable Focus. This was again one of these Classic Rock packages. Instead of the Groundhogs we started with the Strawbs this time. I liked the acoustic guitars but the singing didn't do too much for me. Loved "Lay Down" at the end though. Then we had (Martin Turner's) Wishbone Ash working their way through Argus. Just fine. Then into overdrive. Focus could only squeeze in an hour - a bit from the first album, a fairly long and jazzy Eruption, three more recent tracks plus the obligatory Sylvia and Hocus Pocus. Got the CD and DVD, which they willingly signed - something to look forward to come Christmas! Took an age to find where I'd parked the car but got home fairly quickly straight through London.