On 3 September, Eden Baptist Church, Cambridge ordained Matt Lillicrap into full-time ministry and inducted him as assistant pastor of the church.
Representatives from Oak Hill Theological College, where Matt trained, joined with many family and friends for the event. Julian Hardyman, Eden’s senior pastor, explained how God had led the church to him.
Chris Ansberry, part of the Oak Hill faculty and a member of Enfield Evangelical Free Church where Matt and family had been members while at Oak Hill, commended Matt to Eden, not only for his preaching and teaching gifts, but especially for his godly example.
After the laying on of hands and ordination of Matt, prayer was offered for him and Anika and their children, Charis, Thea, Tobias, Micah, Eirene and Ezra. The Revd Steve Lillicrap, Matt’s father, then read the charge to Matt from 2 Timothy 4.1-5.
Dan Strange preached from 2 Corinthians 6.1-13, urging Matt to embrace authentic gospel ministry that practised what it preached and endurance in the power of the Holy Spirit. Such ministry looks like Jesus. He counselled Matt to take Eden to his heart in what would at times prove ‘tough love’. In return, the people at Eden were encouraged to ‘open wide their hearts’ to their new assistant pastor as together they sought to proclaim Christ in Cambridge and beyond.
