Understandably, Luther and the great matters of the Reformation took pole position at the annual Carey Conference for pastors and wives and Christian workers this year.
Held at the Hayes Swanick, 3-5 January, there was quite a raft of different speakers. Paul Gibson, pastor at Wheelock Heath, roared away from the start with an excellent biography of Martin Luther that focussed helpfully on the great Reformer’s weaknesses. Anfechtungen became the buzz word! There were superb Bible readings from Rupert Bentley-Taylor on the power of the Word (Isaiah 55) and the power of the gospel (1 Corinthians 1) – very much Reformation concerns. John Benton spoke on lessons for leaders from the psychology of Samson. Linda Alcock did a brilliant job with the women’s track, leading the sisters through Titus, and Ian Fry gave a sparkling and yet very disturbing talk on the needs of children and the work among young people in today’s church.
Today’s Catholicism
But the man in the driving seat was Leonardo De Chirico. Many in the wider church are insisting it is time to close the book on Protestantism - the Reformation is over. Living in Rome, raised in Catholicism, leading a Bible church located next to the Colosseum, with a deep and detailed understanding of the Roman Church, he quietly and reasonably explained over three sessions why such ideas could not be further from the truth.
