Grace Assembly 2024

Ebenezer, Campbell, Relf, Whitton

Jonathan Gulliford, Mark Richards, Matt Benton, David Last

I have spent the time since Tuesday lunch here in Swanwick at The Grace Baptist Assembly. The assembly used to meet in Childs Hill once upon a time and I was on the committee that arranged the assembly. For the last 20 years, however, we have met for a residential conference. For various reasons I have been unable to attend for a few years but it was good to be there this time. The format is largely unchanged and it was good to meet old friends and new.

Paul and Bridget Relf acted as hosts and so Paul preached at the beginning of our time together, looking at some words of encouragement from 1 Thessalonians. On both evenings David Campbell preached to us from that wonderful verse, Romans 8:28. We had two news sessions - one on Reformed Baptist work in Italy (presented by a gentlman from Rome called Davide Ibrahim) and one on the British scene, including reports on Chorlton and irmston; teaching English to internationals in Leytonstone; College Park, Lewisham; Pidley, N C|ambridgeshire, etc.

The conference theme otherwise was The nurturing church and particualrly the perennial subject of eudcation. So on the Wednesday morning we had an excellent survey of the last 50 years of state education in this country by Alun Ebenezer, former headmaster of Fulham Boys School. He helpfully pinpointed 11 things that have changed over this time with good humour - the culture, the view of children, authority, mental health, technology, the view of the body, the matter of the environment, sex and relationships, equality, religion/beliefs and family. This was followed by a discussion panel featuring men who had (respectively) sent their children to a Christian School (Jonathan Gulliford, Yate) home schooled (Mark Richards, Chesham) and state school (Matt Benton, Aylesbury). This was followed up on the final morning with a discussion session, chaired by David Last.

There was  also a necessary business session on Tuesday afternoon. The biggest decision was to move to Northampton next year, due to rising costs at Swanwick (the same change has had to be made by the Carey Conference).

In the final session, Steve Whitton from Lewisham preached from Genesis 19 on The cost of compromise.

Catch up

It is not possible to keep a record of everything that goes on here and I don't try but I thought I'd try a quick round up as I do sometimes, covering things I have missed. Last Saturday we had the second of our men's meetings and the six of us who met for breakfast enjoyed it and found it worthwhile I think. We have a chapter to read and then we discuss. The subject was a purity, not one that arises spontaneously among us so it was good to talk it through.

I do mention the Westminster Fellowship from time to time and I enjoyed the last one I attended (Robert Strivens on preaching) but I don't think I mentioned that (nor the last pastoral friendship walk which was very enjoyable).

There were also some interviews at the London Seminary, which I tend not to mention for obvious reasons. All good candidates though.

The other thing was the Grace Assembly which I attended just for one day at the end of May and enjoyed very much. The recordings can be found at the website here. I also picked up some nice books courtesy of the Dunstable Bookshop.

Carey Conference Day 2 Final Session

We were free after lunch on day two, reconvening at 4.30 pm for a traditional question and answer session with all the main speakers, including Linda Alcock who has been taking the women through Titus in the alternative sessions for them. Many of the questions were directed to Leonardo de Chirico but everyone contributed including John Benton who had not spoken at that point.

He spoke in the evening on the psychology of Samson for leaders. John, who has recently retired from pastoral ministry to work with the John Owen centre helping pastors in ministry, has a new book out (Lion's honey), just a hundred pages long, it is described as follows

"John Benton brings his wide pastoral experience to bear on the realities of Christian leadership as many experience it: “Our own sins always leave scars on us. These can go deep. There are also the bruises that come from being on the wrong end of other peoples’ sins. No one has a perfect past or a perfect upbringing. So Christian leaders can be damaged goods. Furthermore, each of us, no matter how ‘regular’ we may a

ppear outwardly, has his own weaknesses.… On his worst days, a Christian leader might actually be frightened of himself and what he is capable of, apart from God’s grace. Here we are called to be a blessing to the church but we could so easily be the opposite.… It is my hope that this short study of the life of Samson as a defective Christian leader will enable others to be honest, and to understand themselves and to persevere in fruitful ministry.”

I did hear most of what he had to say and found it convicting and yet encouraging. I did not take, notes, as I was busy with my grandson Ezra, who is herewith his mam and dad (Gwilym is with Nain in London).

Grace Baptist Assembly 2016 01

It's good to be at the Grace Baptist Assembly again in Swanwick with around 120 others. The committee kindly asked me to chair this year and so I opened with a sermon from Revelation 7 emphasising the everlasting rest that is ours in Christ.

After that Micky Mollalegn from Amyand Park spoke in our first news session on the work of the gospel in his native Ethiopia. It was a well informed introduction to the history of that nation. We also had a short report from Ian Jemmett regarding a man they are seeking to support in Zimbabwe.

The third section of the day was a preaching session which I chaired with Alun McNabb who spoke powerfully and in a challenging way on John 13:34, 35. We had hoped to hear Mr McNabb two years ago but he was unwell. It was worth waiting. A full day tomorrow. If you want to hear today's messages they can be downloaded from the website here.