In a demonstration of our commitment to national association, a multiplicity of people from each of the churches gathered from as far as Liverpool to the marshes of South Kent for our second annual Association Day at Living Hope Bible Church in Lydd.
The morning was inaugurated by Pastor Nathan Tarrant’s message on chapter three of the Confession, on God’s Decree, covering God’s sovereignty, divine concurrence with second causes, the origin of evil, and monergistic salvation. This was followed up by Oliver Allmand-Smith’s one hour tour de force on Associationalism, looking at five biblically necessary elements of association from the Confession, Scripture, and Baptist history.
Highlights were that association increases our peace, love, and mutual edification, as we pray and provide for one another. We also share our gifts and graces, keep each other doctrinally accountable, and we manifest our unity in Christ.
After a barbecue lunch of steak burgers, the meeting reconvened to hear from the messengers of the six churches. The first thing each messenger shared was the current state of the church’s ministry, which Scripture has been preached on the Lord’s Day, and which has been studied in midweek meetings. There were themes common to each of the church’s reports, the relentless work of sharing the gospel in a cold and stony world. The meeting then quietened for a prolonged time of prayer for the churches of the association.
The day concluded with the business meeting, where the principal topic of conversation was the future of the International Reformed Baptist Seminary. Particularly, how we can chart a path to integrating it into the association, as well as curiosity as to its current offering of courses.
The association agreed to meet next on the 21st of January, at our newest member church, Trinity Baptist Church Charlesworth, Derbyshire. If you are curious to find out more about the work of this association, you’d be more than welcome to join us, even if only to sit in and find out more.
Written on behalf of the Association of Confessional Baptist Churches UK
