'Brevity of brevities, all is brevity.’ This was Greg Gilbert’s take on the famous words of Ecclesiastes.
As the keynote speaker at the Grace Baptist Association Day in London this October, he took us through a more positive approach to life in Ecclesiastes, inviting young and old to see life as a gift from God on the way to eternity. Yes, life is brief, and easily slips away from us, but we are to live life to the full, and not treat God as a dry legalist but as a joy-giver. God hasn’t finished with us till He calls us home.
Greg is pastor of Third Avenue Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky. He also lead an afternoon session where he applied four central gospel questions to our culture and times.
The standout session of the day, booked months ago but now very prescient, was James Mildred from Christian Action Research and Education (CARE) speaking passionately on the issue of assisted suicide. This issue poses a challenge for medics, the elderly and disabled, and for churches. Britain has led the way in developing palliative care, something those in favour of assisted suicide never mention. There is a fear of being a burden, when that is surely part of being human, both at the beginning and end of life. Defeating the proposed legislation looks impossible, but James urged us to pray, and to do everything we can to make our voices heard with both Biblical and practical arguments.
The Association continues to grow, adding eight more churches this year, with a growing programme of events that support 80 churches from the fens to Brighton, and Broadstairs to Oxfordshire.
Former en editor Jonathan Worsley has returned to the UK to plant Emmanuel Baptist Church Exeter, and he finished the day preaching to us from Philippians 1:12-18, explaining from Paul’s experience of jail that preachers of Christ who may look like losers are actually winning.
Pillar Conference 2026 — some reflections
“We had Iranian drones being shot down above our church last Sunday. How was your week?” That was how Gareth …