Almost 900 church leaders attended the annual FIEC Leaders’ Conference in Torquay in November.
The theme for the conference was Here & Now: Communicating the Gospel in our Post-Christian Culture. This promised help where many know help is needed.
Don Carson’s outstanding exposition of Isaiah 6 put the conference on the right path. He brought a majestic view of the holiness of God, and also a sense of reality to gospel ministry. There is a note of hope for Isaiah in the chapter, but it would be fulfilled 700 years later in the coming of Jesus. Caught up in the wider sweep of the rise and fall of nations and cultures, within God’s good purposes, ministry today should be viewed in light of that.
His exposition of Isaiah 40 later in the week lifted eyes to the salvation God brings, and refreshed all with the reality that God is dependable and incomparable. The great power in Don’s talks was the way they focused on God himself, leaving the application to the listener as brief but hugely effective.
The other main talks were from UK-based pastors, refreshing and refocusing all with the power, prayer and promises for gospel ministry from passages in Acts. It was encouraging to see the call to prayer answered, with the morning prayer times nearly as well attended as the main sessions.
A strong seminar programme explored the main theme well, and the presence of Edward Connor Solicitors – a Christian charity and law firm – provided a valuable opportunity to get legal advice during the conference. This year saw a ‘Director’s Drop-in’, where all the FIEC Directors were available for an informal chat.
More diversity required
The conference has been attracting an increasing number of younger ministers. This year there was a call for more diversity within the FIEC, to reflect and to serve the whole country – this includes ethnic and socio-economic diversity as well as a greater range of church styles.
There were some challenges to the conference: balancing time between a busy programme and talking with people; newcomers on their own could get lost in the large crowd; the distance to travel did deter some. Alongside lots about culture and communicating the gospel, there is a need to keep clear on the content of the gospel.
As a non-FIEC church, it was good to meet like this to see what being part of the FIEC could involve.
