Last Saturday at Wesley's Chapel

There is a phenomenon I have noticed. When I start to like something it quickly goes out of fashion and becomes hard or even impossible to get hold of. I experienced this once again recently with the Congregational Studies Conference. I remember years ago seeing the annual meetings advertised and thinking about going. I was slightly put off by the fact I am not a Congregationalist. Anyway three years ago I started attending. I think it was the presence of Michael Haykin that finally jerked me into action. Well, this year they announced to be the last. If like me you have often thought about going and never made it I suggest you get in touch with Digby James or someone else and tell them that if they will get one organised nest year you promise to come. See what you can do.

As for the conference itself we had three good papers and a short presentation on Trevecka College by Digby. I missed Digby and the first paper from Dominic Stockford (although he kindly let me have his printed manuscript which I have now half read). Dominic gave The Alan Tovey Memorial Lecture on Calling a Minister (What are we looking for and how do we go about it?).

In the afternoon Richard Underwood spoke helpfully on Supporting the Ministry and Peter Beale again helpfully on The Minister in Retirement.

The mp3s are on the website as are details of the lectures as they are published. See here. A recording of my own lecture from 2017 is here.

The picture above shows the conference secretary Peter Beale seated and the conference chairman Digby James standing.

Congregational Studies Conference 2017

I was with my Congregational friends last Saturday and had a very nice time. I used to see the conference advertised and think about cming along but never made it until last year when Michael Haykin was speaking. Anyway this year Digby James its convenor asked me to speak on libraries (a reciprocation for my asking him to speak for the Evangelical Library perhaps). I spoke on Libraries and their value and enjoyed preparing and speaking.

The other speakers were Paul Lusk on pluralism today a very stimulating non-Christian Institute approach to this whole difficult matter on which Paul has recently published. It being the 300th anniversary of the birth of William Williams Pantycelyn we had a fine  message from young Nathan Munday who is currently doing a Welsh PhD on the sweet singer of Wales. Great stuff.

Digby also gave us a nice presentaiton on the fifty year history of the EFCC.

The papers will be printed in due time. I just sent mine off now.

Next one March 17 in Wesley's Chapel. This one was in the Dr Williams Library.

EFCC Website here.

Evangelical Library Lecture 2015

It was great to be at the annual lecture last Monday. It was good to have so many along (around 40 I guess) and to hear such an excellent lecture. We had originally asked Dr Peter Beale to speak but he has been struggling with ill health and so had to decline, although it was nice to see he and his wife Lucy at the meeting. Dr Digby James kindly stepped in late on but was able to give us a well informed and informative and interesting life of Richard Baxter, who was born in 1615 (and died in 1691) bringing out very well both his strengths (his work in Kidderminster, his eagerness for Christian unity, etc) and weaknesses (some of his doctrinal views) and some of his idiosyncrasies. There was alkso a helpful section on his writings. A recording was made of the lecture and can be had from the Library. We hope to publish the lecture in the next In Writing in the Autumn.