UK evangelists equipped

Michael Ots writes: It was a joy to meet with 130 evangelistic workers from around the UK for the ninth annual FEW (Fellowship of Evangelistic Workers) Conference.

The gathering is organised and hosted by the Association of Evangelists (AofE.org.uk) but has numerous organisations and churches represented and it was a joy to hear of the many and varied ways that people are sharing the gospel around the UK – on streets, promenades and beaches, in educational establishments, prisons, and camps and through preaching, small groups and personal work.

The aim of the FEW is to equip and encourage emerging and existing evangelistic workers. It was great to have a varied program. Rico Tice gave three plenary talks giving us a strong Biblical foundation for the work in which we are involved in and a reminder of the urgency of the task at hand.

Martin Durham spoke very powerfully on the important subject of the integrity of the evangelist. Martin Povey gave us a masterful overview of current cultural trends and how that impacts upon our evangelism. Clare Heath-Whyte presented a brilliant historical study full of contemporary application in which she compared the marriages of two famous evangelists – John Wesley and DL Moody.

We also had a presentation from the Artless Theatre Company of ‘If Prison Walls Could Speak’ – an incredibly powerful and creative retelling of the true story of the imprisonment of the Czech Christian, Peter Jasek in Sudan. (By the way – if you haven’t seen this then you must – it’s superb!). Alongside this we also enjoyed a wide range of seminars on different aspects of evangelistic work.

As always, one of the joys of such a gathering is the interaction over the wonderful meals we enjoyed at Yarnfield Park. It is wonderful to hear of what others are doing and for gospel partnerships to develop as a result.

We left encouraged, equipped and excited for the task ahead. If you or someone you know is involved in evangelistic work then why not come along or encourage them to book for next year’s gathering? Monday 20 January – Wednesday 22 January 2025.