Geoff Thomas
My name is Geoff Thomas and I was the pastor in Alfred Place Baptist Church (Independent) in Aberystwyth for 50 years. I retired five years ago. My wife Iola died after having Alzheimers for four years. Two years after Iola’s death I married our old friend Barbara and came to live in Chiswick, London. For someone who loves history, London is a most interesting place for an old man, though I do miss the seaside and friends in Aberystwyth. There are many gospel churches in London and it is surprisingly religious. I am a member of Amyand Park Chapel in Twickenham and thank God for the congregation and its pastor, Gerard Hemmings.
1. How did you become a Christian?
My mother was a happy Christian and I went with her to her Baptist chapel attending all the meetings on Sundays, and in 1954 when I was 15 I came under an awareness that I needed the Lord Christ as my Saviour, and then a March evening, hearing one particular sermon, I was given assurance that I was putting my trust in Jesus Christ’s accomplished redemption. I was baptised the following month, and the month after that I came to the Lord’s Supper for the first time. I began during my final months in school to read books like Fundamentalism and the Word of God by J.I.Packer, Lloyd-Jones’ Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, and J.C.Ryle’s Holiness. I went to camp and then to Cardiff University where other Christian students were a great help.
2. What lessons have you learnt since that you would want to pass on to a younger Christian version of yourself?
You must try to get into a routine for your personal devotions. You are keeping one for brushing your teeth. It will be your great regret as the years go by if you fail to get into such a rewarding routine.
3. How would you describe your prayer life?
A disaster zone, to my shame. Private praying I find to be the most difficult thing in the world, but every morning my wife and I start each day reading the word and praying. Also I will be crying to God briefly and often through the day, and sometimes when I am awake at night.
4. Which two or three Christian books apart from the Bible have most influenced your faith?
The Forgotten Spurgeon by Iain Murray, and John Murray’s Redemption Accomplished and Applied.
5. Who or what have been your biggest Christian influences?
My mother Bess Thomas, J. Gresham Machen, David Quentin Lewis of the CSSM, Elwyn Davies, Neville Rees, Billy Graham, Auntie Bessie, John Thomas, Dr Lloyd-Jones, Iain Murray, John Murray, E.J. Young, Ed Clowney, Jay Adams, Iola Williams, Michael Keen, Al Martin, Donald Macleod, Iain D. Campbell, Joel Beeke, Erroll Hulse, Douglas Macmillan, Second Presbyterian Church Yazoo City, Banner of Truth books and conferences, the Aberystwyth Conference, Saeed, Alfred Place Baptist Church (Independent), Gary Brady, Glyn Ellis, Ian Alsop, Irfon Hughes, George Mackaskill, Stephen Rees, Eleri Brady, Catrin Alsop, Fflur Ellis, Keith and Rhiain Lewis, Ieuan Davies, Ira Mills, Omri Jenkins, Chris Rees, Stuart Olyott, Keith Underhill, Austin Walker, Derek Thomas, Robert Oliver, David Llewelyn Jenkins, my pastor Gerard Hemmings, and particularly the apostle Paul. Many more.
6. What are the main challenges you believe Christians face today?
The enormously powerful anti-Christian movement in education, the media (especially the news and documentary programmes), the government, the entertainment industry, the police, international Marxism, sport, materialism, popular music, the law. All these are organised around humanistic principles.
And the way of being more than a conqueror as we are confronted by such constant opposition is by personally knowing the reality of the living God, living in His presence with a growing love for Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that He is the greatest living being. Pouring contempt on all our pride as we survey the death of the Lamb of God, who died bearing our condemnation. Presenting our bodies as living sacrifice to Him day by day. Being filled with the fulness of the Holy Spirit day after day, year after year, and going on and on following the Lord Jesus wherever He leads us, unintimidated by the frowns of the world and unbought by its smiles, knowing the Bible more and more.
7. What encourages and what discourages you?
Encouragement? Gospel pulpits supported by gospel congregations, Christian families, Christian education. The publication of the most wonderful books in sheer abundance day after day. The emergence of little publishing houses in a desire that other books which those publishers regard as important and relevant and need to come out and be printed right now! The little magazines – The Free Presbyterian Magazine, the Banner of Truth, the Gospel Standard, Friendly Companion, Cheering Words, the Evangelical Magazine, Protestant Truth, Peace and Truth, Reformation Today, Bible League Quarterly, the Evangelical Library magazine. The summer camps of the Evangelical Movement of Wales – how God has blessed them. Ministers’ fraternals; there is a mysterious influence that one preacher has over another. The World Wide Web contains a cesspit, but it also has an abundance of sermons and the works of the Reformers, Puritans, the writings of Wesley, Spurgeon’s sermons, SermonAudio, lectures from seminaries in the USA, and all the other free stuff. You can now tune in to live preaching from anywhere in the world, and should a great awakening occur somewhere then the rest of Christendom would be tuning into those meetings within a month.
What discourages me? Weak preaching, mine especially and others too. It does not seem to reflect the privileged times in which we’re living in terms of access to the offers of hearing and seeing and reading historic Christianity in its earlier manifestations and by its contemporary exponents. Then, there is ungodly behaviour in evangelical people. And there is the spiritual state of the Established Church. The shortage of men going into the mission field. The absence of preachers with an awakening ministry. The shrinking of Christian student groups in every single university. I am also discouraged by Christians who major in minor issues and Christians who marginalise central fundamental issues. How few men are responding to the call of God to become preachers. The absence of a sense of the presence of God in our gatherings. The horrible effect that Covid-19 has had in dividing and shrinking congregations. Caesar has just tasted his power over the body of Christ. He speaks and it quivers. We are fearful. He has put his jackboots on. Look out!
8. What makes you laugh?
There is no joy like hearing sermons, or actually preaching oneself that is accompanied by the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven, and no greater gloom than wearying a congregation with your struggles in the pulpit. Then there is the joy of being with all one’s family, maybe a couple of dozen of you, maybe on a Saturday, worshipping, singing, playing games, teasing one another, sitting and watching your grown-up children talking to one another – how they listen to one another with so much concern and rapt attention. I have to hold a book up to hide my emotions at that sight, Then there is the joy of being at the meal table, or over coffee, with a group of ministers in a conference after the serious matters have been concluded and hearing the banter, the wit and the teasing, but how smoothly it can become holy and gospel again. Hearing reports and actually seeing people being converted, especially your own family. We laugh with joy. And then the fun? Well, there is watching on TV the Welsh rugby team playing well, and I enjoy University Challenge. Then Yes Minister, and Dad’s Army are two series that make me laugh out loud. Movies? I saw all three Toy Stories, and Little Women.
9. What would you want to say to the wider evangelical world?
I would say to the evangelical world, ‘Love more and more, deeper and deeper, love your fellow believers, love your families, love your neighbours, love the immigrants, love your enemies. Watch your speech, let it always be mixed with the salt of grace. Love covers over a multitude of sins – not exposing them. Seek to grow in knowledge. Sit under the best ministry you can find on every single Sunday. That is not a luxury. Encourage your young ministers and especially encourage your old ministers. Let your old and young ministers learn how to encourage Christians both from the pulpit and personally.’
10. Which Biblical person (other than Jesus) do you most look forward to meeting in glory and why?
Jonathan, the son of King Saul. I would love to spend a few quiet hours talking with him, just the two of us. He seems such a nice chap mortifying all his privileges, and I too shall be nicer when we meet. What is his judgment on his father Saul now? Is it possible that we shall continue to be plaintive about the behaviour of members of our families and churches when we are in heaven? Surely not, and that is a relief. No grudges there from the Christians we have hurt. No eternal regrets. It is not from God alone that I will be wanting mercy. Heaven is a realm of mercy. All have received it, immensely and freely, and so all will display it.
