Reformation Today 310

The latest issue of RT is all about the Cappadocians of the fourth century but there is also a piece on Michael Toogood by me.

Five Books read in July 2023

Benjamin Beddome has been a theme recently as he often is. Firstly, there has been the new biography from Stephen Pickles published by the James Bourne Society. This is a large volume partly due to the extensive quotation and partly due to the inclusion of material on several other figures (Ryland, Hervey, Newton, etc). Very interesting. I also read two volumes of Beddome sermon as mentioned (Volumes 4 and 6 of the short discourses series, actually Volume 5 too). Then there was the biography of Michael Toogood which I re-read recently in its final form. This book ought to be much more widely known. I also read John Benton's little book Resilient, which is a commentary on 2 Timothy growing out of a life time of pastoral service. Quite helpful.

Memorial or Thanksgiving Service for Michael Toogood

Much of the day last Saturday was spent in Covent Garden, at the Swiss Church, where Andrew Murray and others had organised a memorial for Michael Toogood who planted the church there in Soho (as Immanuel Community Church, Soho; it is now Hope West End, after combining with the Covent Garden church). The day was arranged so that in the morning we talked about Michael together for an hour and then after packed lunch there was an afternoon service where Eric Holdstock said a little more about Michael and I preached. The sermon can be read here on another blog of mine. The acoustics is the church left something to be desired and it was sad that not more people were present. It was  good time, nevertheless.

Day Off Week 27 2023

This week's day off turned out rather differently to what was expected. I had intended to go up to Oxford to check out some Beddome material. I waited for the Oxford Tube at Baker Street for an hour but it turns out the coach only stops there in the evening so that was and hour wasted and the day gone. I was very disappointed but the test of a good man is how he copes with disappointments. Anyway, I did some reading. I came across David Robertson's book for young people SEEK the other day and so enjoyed it that I sent for the first one in the series ASK and am enjoying that too. The books answer questions posed to David by young people from round the wolrd. There is some repeptition but the contents are easy to read and as he recommends further reading for each question answered it is all very stimulating. The other book I read was Michael Toogood's autobiography Mission to Soho. I have an original self-published version somewhere but unable to locate it, I sent for another. I am keen to read it as I have agreed to preach at a memorial service for Micahel at the Swiss Church tomorrow. It starts at 11 am or so and is at the Swiss Church, Covent Garden. More here.

More Recent Deaths of Faithful Pastors

In the opening weeks of this year we have seen the passing of at east four stalwarts of the faith and ministers of the word. Four very different men with quite different views on various matters, they are now in glory having faithfully served in their own generation. They will be missed.

An obituary for Mr Ramsbottom of the Gospel Standard Baptist can be found here.

An obituary for the Church of Scotland minister Eric Alexander can be found here.

I am not aware of an obituary for Hywel Roberts who was from Pwllheli and ministered many years in Penzance.

The death of Michael Toogood a Baptist minister who planted a church in notorious Soho has occurred very recently.

Obituaries later appeared for Michael Toogood on the Banner website and in The Evangelical Times

Looking for Love

I got round to reading Looking for Love the story of Debbie Smith (as told to Grace King) last night. It is just a 40 page little book and if you want a copy you can get one here - from the Hope, West End church. It is gratifying to see it in print as I was involved from early on in the London Inreach Project that led to the formation of Hope West End and I guess my basic hope was that people like Debbie would hear the gospel and be saved. If only there had been more. There is nothing inevitable about Debbie's conversion - indeed it looks highly unlikely all the way to the end and yet God has saved her. Hopefully the book will be a means of stimulating interest in the unconverted an encouragement to the converted. This is now a second biographical piece from the Project's history. Michael Toogood's striking biography Mission to Soho is available here. (Retitled less subtly I notice). I read Debbie's book on a day when several websites were carrying news of someone also involved in the project at one point with a very different story. How sobering.

Michael Toogood

For many years I was quite closely involved in the work of the London Inreach Project and the planting of the churc in Soho. I have long thought that the first planter in the team, Michael Toogood, should write up his own story as it would be an encouragement, a model and a discussion point as well as a testimony to God's goodness. Well, it has recently happened and I have already had chance to read my copy (a freebie) and I am keen to commend it to all and sundry. Anyone seriously considering urban ministry ought to at least sit and read it.

The book doesn't pull any punches and is a frank description and assesment of the eighties and nineties when Michael and his wife pam were involved in the work. Michael has very definite ideas about church planting and many other matters and even where one would beg to differ you have to admire his thoroughly thought through and tenacious, not to say tender yet firm, approach. At points an iron fist in a velvet glove came to mind.

One thing that struck me was that a lot of what Michael considers to be ministry I would tend to think of as things interrupting the real ministry. He may well be right and I am wrong.

One minor point. I'm not sure how the decision was made to publish the book as it has been but several proofing errors and spelling mistakes inevitably detract. I fear that distribution will be poor too. Do make the effort though.