Geoff Thomas Festschrift (News Item)

This month Dr Geoff Thomas, pastor of Alfred Place Baptist Church, Aberystwyth for the last 48 years, turns 75. In August he was ambushed during the Evangelical Movement of Wales' annual conference in Aberystwyth when he was presented with a book of essays that is to be published on the fifteenth of this month to celebrate his long and influential ministry. Clearly moved by the gesture, he uncharacteristically had to admit that he was “lost for words”. The conference setting seemed appropriate as Geoff is such a good friend to it. Many present had begun their week listening to him preach his annual mini series down the hill in Bethel.

The Festschrift or celebration writing idea is borrowed from the world of academia where professors are often presented with a book of papers by students and colleagues as a mark of respect on a significant birthday. This volume will be called The Holy Spirit and Reformed Spirituality and is edited by Derek Thomas and Joel Beeke for Reformed Heritage Books.

It begins with a biographical piece by Geoff's son-in-law, Gary Brady, and a set of interviews with ministers who once sat at Geoff's feet compiled by Paul Levy. This is followed by a number of essays pertinent to the theme by an international array of Reformed pastors and others.

Contributors include Carl Trueman, Joel Beeke, Fred Malone, Robert Oliver, Gary Benfold, Sam Waldron, John J. Murray, Ian Hamilton, Derek Thomas, Iain D. Campbell, Conrad Mbewe and Austin Walker. These essays will be worth reading in their own right but also bear testimony to God's goodness to a much loved and respected man and his ministry.

Such a presentation inevitably raises the question of retirement. The situation is that the church are currently considering the future but Geoff is still full of vigour and is likely to be in place when the 50 milestone is reached in two years time.

This article first appeared in Evangelical Times in 2013

Nairobi Conference 2011 (News Item)

Keith Underhill and his wife Priscilla

More than 50 pastors and other delegates gathered from all over Kenya to attend the annual Reformed conference for ministers, sponsored by Trinity Baptist Church (TBC), Nairobi.

All the attendees had a strong appetite for, though in some cases an inadequate understanding of, Reformed theology.

The main subject was regeneration. Nine sessions were given over to the subject and most of these sessions were led by Gary Brady of Childs Hill Baptist Church, London, who looked at the character of new birth, evidences for it and its place in the plan of salvation.

The other speaker was the pastor of TBC, Keith Underhill, who looked at the history of regeneration and how to preach it. He also gave something of the history of the great Reformed confessions - the Westminster, Savoy and 1689.

Each of the three main days began with devotions led by Kenyan pastors. There was also a profitable question time and other informal sessions.

Kenya’s churches appear to be much in the grip of nominalism or a superficial, decisionistic and sensationalist form of religion. But there is an appetite for solid teaching among some.

There are divisions even among Reformed Christians there, which is a source of discouragement, but also a desire to press on with the work and look to the Lord for success.

Mr Underhill, now in his 60s, has been used of God over the years to promote the Reformed faith and help men in the vital work of church planting and reformation. He continues to be a great encourager to many.

A man of vision, having seen Christian work established in the north of the country among the Rendille, he has his sights set, under God, on needy places beyond that and even into the Sudan.

Just before the conference he, with others, was involved in helping a pastor, a former student of the Nairobi-based seminary, in beginning to constitute a small church some 70 kilometres east of Nairobi.

Meanwhile, there are also a number of young men, who are increasingly exercising a key role and are maybe an earnest of the future.

This news item first appeared in Evangelical Times