This year was the turn of the Renewal Centre in Solihull to play host to the Grace Baptist Mission (GBM) annual meetings.
On October 26, the venue was full with 750 or more Christians from across the country. The theme was ‘A heart for mission’. One of the highlights of the day was the introduction of new missionaries who have come into the work.
Heading for Bordeaux
James Hammond, a graduate of London Theological Seminary (LTS), is nearing the end of his language training in Paris. His long-term goal is to serve God in Bordeaux in church planting. What was impressive about James was his perseverance in language learning and his understanding that to speak to people’s hearts you need to understand their language and culture. He is Canadian, though not French Canadian. He finishes his French studies at the end of the year and will then be in the UK to raise support from among the churches.
Growing church in Peru
Daniel Caballero is an immensely gifted man from Peru who has also studied at LTS, which includes pursuing an MA at the John Owen Centre. Immediately after the GBM meetings he was heading back to Peru with the aim of gaining a better knowledge of the growing church in his home country for a few months. He has a heartfelt and humble desire to enable access to good quality Bible training in all types of circumstances from the city to shanty town, from the mountains to the rain forests. Daniel said: ‘If theology is not relevant for the common people, for the man in the factory and the maid, it is useless theology. You cannot impact a country unless you impact every sphere of society. The greatest danger of academic life is thinking that just by reading a book you will become more godly. Theology must be done with an attitude of worship in the context of the local church’.
Young people for mission
Envision is GBM’s project to introduce young people to mission. It gives them opportunities to work alongside missionaries on the field for anything from a few weeks to a couple of years. The enthusiasm of the young people reporting on their experiences in the Philippines, South Africa and India was infectious and encouraging. Three students had been to India, working with the Indian equivalent of UCCF, and explained what a help that had been to their own witness in UK universities.
New co-ordinator
Things are changing at GBM. John McDonald, who has helped steer the organisation for 11 years, retired. Thanks to John and to God was expressed. Daryl Jones, formerly pastor at Bethel, Green Lane, Liverpool, was welcomed as the new mission co-ordinator.
Gospel transforms everything
The main speaker for the event was Julian Hardyman of Eden Baptist Church, Cambridge. He encouraged and challenged the gathering through his message from Jeremiah 16.19-21. The thrust was the way the gospel transforms everything. It means, for example, parents not standing in the way of children who want to serve the Lord in mission. When we realise how great the gospel is, we are not going to make idols of our family’s comfort or our money. Instead we will want to be very generous with all that we have and are.
