The Westminster Conference 2013

The Westminster Conference is taking place on Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th December at Regent Hall on Oxford Street. This year, the topics are, I hope, particularly timely, speaking to current issues and pressing needs in the church of Christ, and bringing the wisdom and experience of the past to bear on the immediate present. Six papers are given, with discussion afterward, as follows:

Do we have the Right Gospels? by Peter Williams, Warden of Tyndale House in Cambridge. It is a time of confusion. Claims and counter-claims are made about the formation and content of the Biblical canon by men and women with scholarly reputations. 'Experts' and popularisers crop up discovering or offering 'new' gospels, often with a radically different message from the ones that the church has always accepted. Peter Williams will guide us through the morass and offer some direction and instruction in assessing and responding to such claims.

C. S. Lewis: Clarity and Confusion by Andrew Wheeler of Lake Road Chapel, Keswick. C. S. Lewis has become something of a poster-boy for modern evangelicalism, with many prominent figures listing him as one of their primary influences. But who was he, what did he teach, and how much is he to be trusted? Andrew Wheeler will sift the wheat from the chaff, equipping us to make a careful, thoughtful consideration of Lewis's labours and teachings so that we can better determine if, when and how far he may be safely followed.

Henry Havelock by Jeremy Walker. Perhaps best known for his heroic participation in the relief of the Siege of Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny of 1857, Major-General Sir Henry Havelock also provides a model for Christian warfare in a spiritually hostile environment. A survey of his life will reveal lessons for practical godliness in the public sphere, an example for believers of a life lived with an eye to pleasing his Lord, without extravagance or fanfare, yet always with the savour of Jesus Christ.

Evangelistic preaching: Lessons from the Past by Gary Benfold of Moordown Baptist Church, Bournemouth. Evangelistic preaching - preaching that aims directly and immediately at the conversion of souls - is not much in fashion today, but the past is full of examples of men who spoke plainly to unbelievers with the desire of seeing them saved - men to whom God gave a harvest of souls. How can today's preachers so speak as to see men saved? How do divine sovereignty and human responsibility intertwine in this vital endeavour?

Edward Irving: Confusion and Clarity by Nick Tucker of Oak Hill College. One of the comets who soared across the nineteenth century London religious scene was Edward Irving, whose burgeoning ministry saw large crowds attending his powerful yet sometimes contentious preaching. Alongside personal tragedies were claims of spiritual gifts and prophetic insights. The tensions involved in Irving's ministry are strikingly similar to many we face today, and a study of Irving provides us with helpful insights and lessons.

Isaac Ambrose by Gary Brady of Childs Hill Baptist Church, London. "As Christ is more excellent than all the world, so this sight transcends all other sights; it is the epitome of a Christian's happiness, the quintessence of evangelical duties, Looking unto JESUS." So wrote Isaac Ambrose, whose best known work vividly explores the duty and delight of fixing the eye upon the Lord. Gary Brady will consider the man and his ministry, offering insights into his character and his labours as he sought to hold Christ before the eyes of men.

Those interested can download the brochure for further information and booking details. Please pray for the Lord's blessing on the conference. I trust that you might consider joining us there.