Samuel Medley 1738-1799

This year (1998) sees the two hundredth anniversary of the Baptist preacher and hymn writer Samuel Medley. He was born on June 23, 1738, at Cheshunt in Hertfordshire and was from a respectable and well off Christian family but rebelled against this background. His father was tutor to the Duke of Montague and later ran his own school in Cheshunt. Samuel himself was taught by his grandfather, William Tonge, an Enfield teacher and a deacon at Andrew Gifford’s church in Holborn. At the age of 14 was apprenticed to an oilman in the City of London. This work was not to Samuel’s liking.

In 1755 war broke out between England and France and a law was quickly passed allowing apprentices to complete their indentures in the Royal Navy. To Medley this seemed like the perfect answer to his unhappy situation. He could now be like his two older brothers whom he had often envied. He too now determined on a glorious naval career.

And so at the age of 17 we find him aboard the 74 gun Royal Navy ship The Buckingham. The ship’s captain had also been a pupil of Medley’s grandfather and as Medley was full of enthusiasm he did what he could to further his career. Soon the captain and officers transferred to a similar ship called The Intrepid and Medley was made Captain’s mate. The Intrepid was active in the Mediterranean for the next few years. During this time Medley gladly had many opportunities to improve his education but also, sadly, to go on in the way of sin that he had grown increasingly accustomed to. Despite his Christian upbringing he soon forgot it. With scarce a thought for serious matters he continually sought out the pleasures of sin.

 

Conversion

Things continued in this vain until he reached the age of 21. In that year (1759) an important sea battle was fought on the Portuguese Coast near Port Lagos. It was Medley’s job to sit on board and write down details of the action between the English and French fleets. It was a bloody battle. It is said that there was so much blood spilt that the French used barrels of flour on the decks to save people from slipping over. As the battle progressed a cannon ball shattered the mizzen-mast close to where Medley was. Shortly after that he saw a wounded soldier being carried by one of his shipmates. A cannon ball hit both and they fell into the hold below.

Then suddenly the mate cried out to him that he had been wounded. Medley had not realised it until his attention was called to the fact. A large part of his leg had been shot away and he was in a serious condition. He had to be helped to walk to the surgeon. He had lost a great deal of blood. The British were victorious in the battle but Medley was unwillingly confined to his bed. Fired by this victory his ambition ran high but the leg did not heal properly and he became quite depressed about the situation.

After some time the ship’s surgeon had to inform him that there was gangrene and that his leg would have to be amputated. This was something of a shock to the wild young man but remembering his grandfather and father’s example he thought he had best pray. He had been leading a very profligate life but perhaps it was not too late. He remembered that he had seen a Bible in his chest and sent a servant to get it.

All that night he read the Word and prayed that the Lord would save his leg. Most unexpectedly, by the next morning leg was found to be healing. Quite a change came about in Medley but before he had recovered he began to fall into old habits. He eventually returned home to stay with his grandfather who would often read to him from the Scriptures and encourage him to seek the Lord. One evening he read a sermon by Isaac Watts on Isaiah 42:6, 7. It was this that God used to finally bring him to salvation.

 

Ministry

Medley then left the navy and opened a school in Covent Garden and later Soho. Feeling a call to the ministry, he began to study under Dr Andrew Gifford, pastor of the Eagle Street Church, Holborn, London, where Medley had become a member. In 1767, he became pastor at a Particular Baptist church in Watford. In 1772, he began his main ministry at the Particular Baptist church in Byrom Street, Liverpool. He was pastor there for the next 27 years. He had a very happy and effective ministry especially among the many seafarers with whom he came into contact. The year after his arrival the building had to be extended and in 1789 a new and enlarged chapel was erected.

In his latter years Medley’s health declined and on his annual trip to preach in London in Autumn 1798 he became quite unwell. He eventually died in Liverpool on July 17, 1799. In his last illness he wrote for himself an epitaph in Latin which has been translated,

 

An unworthy preacher of the gospel,

formerly pastor of this church of Christ,

by nature and practice a miserable sinner,

but redeemed by grace and the blood of the Saviour,

 has here laid down his body,

waiting for the bright and morning star.

Come then Lord Jesus.

 

Hymns

Medley is best remembered today as a hymn writer. Nine of his hymns are found in Grace Hymns. Among his best known are I know that my redeemer lives, Awake, my soul, in joyful lays (also both found in Christian Hymns) and O could I speak the matchless worth. He often included a refrain in his hymns or something similar. In Awake, my soul the verses end His lovingkindness, O how free! then great! then strong! then good! and finally His lovingkindness changes not. God shall alone the refuge be includes the lines Too wise to be mistaken, he, Too good be unkind or something similar in each verse. Hear gracious God a sinner’s cry! has the one line refrain O God, be merciful to me! I know that my redeemer lives repeats the key phrase He lives several times. His hymns first appeared in pamphlet form but from 1785 began to appear in bound volumes (Hymns, Bristol and Bradford). Later in life a collection of over 200 hymns of varying quality appeared. O could I speak the matchless worth includes the distinctive lines, not printed in all hymn books,

O could I speak the matchless worth,

O could I sound the glories forth,

Which in my Saviour shine!

I’d soar, and touch the heavenly strings

And vie with Gabriel while he sings In notes almost divine.

What a worthy sentiment for all true believers!

This article first appeared in Grace Magazine

What about giving to charity?

If you are a Christian you will want to give to charity. For the most part, you will want to give directly to the work of the Lord, both for the spiritual advance of the kingdom and in support of more practical needs. As a general rule, the more personal our giving the better it is. There are times, however, when we may wish to give less personally to charities of a more secular sort. Such giving is, on the face of it, a fine thing. However, there are a number of pitfalls to avoid.

 

1. Make sure you are giving to a genuine charity

There are plenty of examples of people trying to make a fast buck or even a fast thousand bucks by questionable means. Ask for some sort of identification where necessary and ask to see official literature from the charity. Read the small print too. An undercover reporter revealed recently how one organisation was regularly sending out collectors ostensibly to raise money for charity. However, although the laminated card each collector carries boldly lists eight charities that the company claims to support and says that ‘Nightingale continually aim to donate to a wide variety of national charities’, the small print at the very bottom reveals that ‘Nightingale is not a charity and does not represent any charity organisation’. In fact very little money goes to charity.

There are well over 180,000 registered charities in the UK and each of these has an official number. Ask for an address and do some digging if you are suspicious. Charitiesdirect.com is a good place to start. Evasive answers to questions are a bad sign as is an aggressive approach. Do not feel under pressure. Most charities need your money just as much tomorrow as they do today. A helpful website says ‘Watch for any appeal for contributions which resembles a bill, invoice or statement of account due. Any such appeal must bear a clear and noticeable disclaimer stating that it is an appeal and that you are under no obligation to pay unless you accept the offer.’ We especially ought to be careful over appeals following a national or overseas disaster. One final tip is to look closely at the charity name - some unscrupulous outfits will choose a name extremely close to that of a well-known charity, and some careless readers will be conned.

 

2. Discover what proportion of your money will go to meeting the real need

In many High Streets we currently see young people seeking donors for various large charities. It is little appreciated that they are working not for the charities but for hired agencies. The fees they charge can be as much as 90% of all that you give in the first year of donations after signing on the dotted line. No wonder the practice has been referred to as ‘chugging’ (charity mugging).

Several charities are guilty of unnecessarily channelling exorbitant amounts into administration and other overheads. This can be a failing in ‘Christian’ charities as much as in any other sort. Even in respectable charities like Oxfam or Shelter only around half the money from voluntary income will actually go to direct charity work (52p in the pound in the case of Oxfam and 49p in the pound in the case of Shelter - that was the case in 2004. Both now claim 80p in the pound). Last year (2003) the NSPCC was slammed for using £20m of its annual £75m income on public education and campaigning rather than direct services. This compares unfavourably with an organisation like TEAR Fund where only 10% of voluntary income goes on such things.

The American organisation Charity Navigator discovered in 2002 that some 14% of organisations surveyed devoted less than 70% of their budgets to their programmes and services and 6% devoted less than 60%.

In a notorious case that eventually reached court Breast Cancer Relief was found to be spending 90% of its income on fundraising, selling competition tickets and operating nationwide street collections. Less than 10% of its multi-million pound income was spent on charitable work.

 

3. Make sure you know what you are giving to

The sight of the ‘Moonies’ asking for money for ‘charity’ on our streets is a much less familiar sight today but it is amazing what still goes on. I was shopping before Christmas when a young girl with a lovely smile and a plastic bucket was happily receiving money from shoppers. When I asked what she was collecting for it was revealed that she was from the local ‘prosperity gospel’ church and was raising funds for a church building for a nearby congregation! Most contributors were unaware of this – and did not seem to care anyway. It is important that we are always clear exactly where the money we give is going.

 

4. Make sure this is a charity you really wish to support

I remember a few years ago attending a local school function and being asked to give in support of the NSPCC. Most present thought it quite appropriate to donate to an organisation with a name for preventing cruelty to children. However, the specific request on this occasion was to help fund their campaign to ban all corporal punishment of children, something that no Bible reading evangelical would surely want to do.

In our house there is usually some excitement when Children in need or Red Nose Day comes around and our boys are keen to take part. No doubt most money raised goes to worthy causes. In recent years, however, the question of whether any money is used to pay for abortions has been raised. It has been denied by the organisers but it is impossible to know exactly how all the money is spent. It may be of interest to know that in this instance it is quite acceptable to specify that money given to the Red Nose charity is for, say, the relief of poverty. Certainly we must be vigilant as to how money we give is going to be spent. (We should add that no Christian causes can benefit from such charities as they do not accept the gay rights clauses). 

In the case of UNICEF and other charities there seems to be evidence that they are at times involved in promoting abortion and similar practices in the name of eradicating child poverty. Whenever we find references to ‘family planning’ in literature we need to enquire more closely as to just what is meant.

More broadly, some have raised serious doubts over whether the cancer research charities are really worth supporting in their present form. This present writer is not competent to comment but one can see the issue.

 

5. Try to give in an efficient way

In most cases it is wise to avoid giving cash. If you are giving a relatively small amount, consider how much it will cost the charity to process what you are giving. For example, if you send a pound and expect the gift to be acknowledged your gift will have very little impact indeed. The government helpfully provides ways of efficient giving that will increase the amount that a charity receives, where the donor is a taxpayer. Some have scruples about this but it is surely wise to make use of such opportunities.

Corporate Self-examination

 

In 1932 Picasso painted ‘Girl before a mirror’ in a style typical of him. It is clear that this woman is not looking into an ordinary mirror but one that reveals things about her not obvious on the surface. When we look at ourselves in a mirror we get some idea of what we look like outwardly. Without a mirror it is both possible and necessary for us to look at ourselves and make a similar assessment of how we look inwardly. This is done by means of self-examination. Socrates famously said that an unexamined life is not worth living. Some are forever checking their stocks and shares; others are the same with their lottery numbers. If we are wise we will often be checking on our souls. Hebrews 3:12, 13 is a call to corporate self-examination.

 

Personal responsibility

The writer calls the Hebrews brothers. He assumes they are what they say they are. However, anyone who claims to be a Christian has a duty to make sure he is. He cannot assume it. See to it, brothers. A wife asks ‘Shall I lock the doors and put the cat out before bed?’. Her husband says ‘No, I’ll see to it’. He will do all that is necessary. So Christians are urged to ‘do all that is necessary’ to make sure their hearts are not sinful, faithless, turning from God. Not all that glisters is gold and not all who claim to be Christians are. Remember Jesus’s warning that many will say Lord, Lord on Judgement Day. It is the responsibility of every professing Christian to realise this and take steps to examine himself.

 

The need to examine our hearts

It is not ‘See to it that none of you has a sinful life style or thought life.’ I am sure the writer would be happy to say such things but what he actually talks about is the heart. By the heart is meant the whole person. He is urging examination of the whole of ones life. How important. A superficial examination will do no good. We need to dig deep. We shrink from this painful duty but it must be done. It takes time and effort and if we rush through life at break neck speed it will be squeezed out. Most of us find time to brush our teeth. Why? We do not want rotten teeth. There is time for self-examination.

What to look for

In particular, he says See to it that none of you has - a sinful, unbelieving heart – the root sin. With it goes a heart that turns away from the living God. It is possible to be a ‘believer’ and yet have a sinful, unbelieving heart. A person may profess to be a Christian but conduct his life on principles of sin and unbelief or disbelief. This sort of unbelief, says Owen, is ‘the greatest provocation of God that a creature can make himself guilty of’. That a pagan in some far flung dark corner should not believe is unsurprising but that people should hear the preaching of the gospel, profess to believe it and then still go on in sinful, unbelief - what wickedness that is. Yet it happens. Many think a lack of faith no great sin but here it is labelled as sinful, evil. It is. Imagine a husband with no trust in his wife, a child with no confidence in its parents, a community with none in the banks.

This is why it is possible for a ‘believer’ to turn from the living God. Unbelievers turn aside to idols, of course, and worship things that are not, but the professing believer can fall into such ways too. No true believer can finally fall away, but it is possible for an apparent believer to turn from God, even though he has so many privileges and opportunities. Think of Judas. That is what happened in the desert when the Children of Israel turned from the living God to idols. How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?

 

Corporate responsibility

Interestingly, he speaks of helping one another. But encourage one another daily, he says. We tend to think of self-examination as a rather solitary task but it has a corporate dimension too. We need to help each other in this. We need to exhort or encourage one another so that we are not self-deceived. This is part of what church is all about. Obviously, those who are preachers have a duty to preach on such subjects and to make clear that self-deception is possible. But it is not only preachers. We all have a duty to each other – to encourage faith and godliness and to discourage hypocrisy and unbelief. Are we taking this responsibility seriously?

 

Urgent

The writer says this is a daily thing not just for Sundays. Further, he says that we are to do this as long as it is called Today. This takes us back to Psalm 95, Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion. For the Christian there are really only two days – Judgement Day and Today, the day of God’s grace. We are alive today by God’s grace. If today we will hold back from hardening our hearts and put our trust in the Lord, we can be certain all will be well. As for tomorrow, we cannot be sure whether that will be a day of grace or of judgement. So there is an urgency about this work of encouragement. Now is the day of salvation; today is the day of grace. It is our duty to do all we can to support the faith of those who profess to be our brothers and sisters. We are a team, a body, an interconnected whole.

 

Self-deception

Why the emphasis on mutual support? Surely, all we need is faith in Christ and all will be well. To speak like that is to forget sin’s nature. We need such encouragement so that none are hardened by sin’s deceitfulness (trickery). Sin is thoroughly deceitful. It presents itself as something it is not, promising much but giving little and constantly mutating so that we scarcely recognise it for what it is at times. Like the devil, transforming himself into an angel of light, sin pretends to be sweetness and light when within are maggots and worms. A man promises the world to a pure woman. He will be true and do her no harm. They make vows in church. But before long he has a mistress and physically harms his wife. What deceivers are about! So it is with sin. How easy to be deceived by it and think we are Christians when we are not or think we have no reason to be concerned about our spiritual state when we have every reason. Sin told the Hebrews they needed a more ancient religion. Today it says there are many ways to heaven; no-one can be holy in the present climate; good intentions are enough, etc. If you leave it, bread left will go hard – so will our hearts if we neglect them. See to it that no-one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

The Emmaus Experience

The Bible contains the greatest stories ever told. An outstanding one is found in Luke 24, the story of Cleopas and his companion on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus and their encounter with the risen Lord. We can observe three distinct phases in their experience as they discover Christ is alive. The experiences of believers today follow similar patterns. Christ is risen indeed! His bodily resurrection is an incontrovertible fact. However, our experience of the risen Christ can often bear a striking resemblance to the sequence of events described here.

 

The Downcast Heart - Wrong

This is where many believers find themselves. Like the Emmaus Two they seem oblivious to the fact Christ is risen. There is such a thing as clinical depression but with many believers it is not that. They are simply down-hearted. Note the characteristics of the downcast heart.

• It cannot be cured by company, even exalted company. We get downcast for different reasons. Often the best way to deal with it is to find company. Too much solitude can be harmful. Christian friendship and fellowship are important means of grace that we neglect at our peril. Nevertheless it is possible to be so downcast that not even the best of company delivers us. We come to church. We try to pray and praise. But if Christ is unrecognised we will remain in the dumps.
• One of the greatest problems when a Christian is in this sort of state is that he fails to recognise his blessings. The Emmaus Two were totally dejected because of the death of Christ. Yet there he was right next to them! Their lack of expectation and Jesus’ transformed appearance combined to blind them to reality. Are your low expectations driving you into dejection? Are you missing blessings right under your nose?
• It is not that the downcast Christian fails to recognise anything of the power and glory of Christ and his kingdom. The problem is that he tends to dwell on the darker side. A great pessimism seems to descend.
• When this pessimism takes a grip it can lead to reading even the most favourable circumstances in a bad light. The Emmaus Two had heard rumours of Jesus’ resurrection but pessimism blinded them.
• We must label this attitude with its proper title. Let no glamour be attached to long faced, moody Christianity. It is nothing but slowness of heart and unbelief. To behave in this way is dull-witted and foolish. It cannot be excused. It cannot be countenanced. Jesus rebukes it firmly. It must have no place in his kingdom.

We recognise that such times may come even to the best of believers but they must be fiercely resisted.

 

The Burning Heart - Better

What is the way out of the gloom?

• Having Christ present and hearing him speak. The two were downcast. Perhaps they were trying to cheer each other up. Then along comes a stranger. The natural reaction would be to let him pass by. Thankfully, they do not. It is tempting sometimes to cut ourselves off from fellowship when we are downcast. That is dangerous. It is tempting to stop reading the Bible. That is even more dangerous.
• It is particularly in the expounding of the Scriptures that Jesus draws near to these two. The cure for spiritual depression is always found in God’s Word. Counselling and conferences may help but it is the Word itself that does the business. Keep coming to the Word.
• Now you may say ‘But I’ve been pretty down at times and even though I’ve turned to the Word I’ve got nothing.’ But when Jesus explained the Scriptures he showed how they spoke about him. If you read the Bible and do not find Christ there you will remain discouraged. The great thing about God’s Word is that it reveals Jesus to us. Always read looking to see him in it.
• Does your heart burn within when you hear the Bible explained? Are you excited when you find Christ in his Word? This ‘burning’ was not just emotion. These two were transformed. At first the stranger had seemed like an intruder but now they did not want him to go. They urge him to come home with them. Once you know Christ drawing near you never want to lose his presence again.
• The burning heart is the heart that has begun to believe again. Pessimism and unbelief are vanquished. It begins again to look at Christ and trust in him.

 

The Rejoicing Heart - Best

This should be the normal state of believers - rejoicing in the risen Lord Christ. This is the capstone in the movement from depression to rejoicing. When Christ draws near, do not miss your opportunity. Seize it with both hands. Note that.

• The rejoicing heart may come in the homeliest environment. In ordinary places at ordinary times our eyes may be opened to the truth and our hearts stirred to rejoicing. It does not have to wait for a special place or occasion.
• The rejoicing heart comes when your eyes open and you recognise Christ. It is not enough to go through the motions of prayer and Bible reading, etc. Christ was present for a long time before they saw him. Pray that you will not be impervious so long when Christ draws near to you.
• The rejoicing heart is a source of energy. These two who had dragged their way the seven miles from Jerusalem thought nothing of returning there that same night. Seeing Christ produces zeal and strength even for the weakest and slowest.
• The rejoicing heart wants to speak about the risen Christ. It is eager to tell others, to share the good news. Much of our lethargy in evangelism stems from our failure to see Christ.
• The rejoicing heart is one that understands the truth and believes it. May God give you a rejoicing heart now and always.

This article first appeared in Grace Magazine

The sadness of feminism

Germaine Greer is a leading feminist. An Australian, she came to study in England in 1964 and has lived in this country ever since. An academic and a writer she shot to fame in 1970 with her best selling book The Female Eunuch, an analysis of attitudes toward women and a call for an end to what she saw as sexual repression. Her most recent book [1999], The Whole Woman, another best seller, continues in the same feminist groove but surprises other feminists at times with its conclusions.

By now in her sixties, she recently produced an article for Aura magazine that was also featured in the Daily Mail. That paper described the article as a ‘searingly honest testimony’ under the headline, ‘How one baby lit up my life in a way no lover ever could’.

Here we summarise her story as a reminder of the many people all around us who feel badly let down by lives lived according to the accepted rules of the day.

 

Babies are bad news

She begins by telling how she grew up to believe that babies were seriously bad news. Pregnancy meant ‘morning sickness, bloating and loss of looks’; babies just unleashed a whole set of other unpleasant problems. She was taught to have a ‘good time’ before facing the horrors of pregnancy and bringing up children. One of the problems with this was that a promiscuous lifestyle was considered to be essential. ‘We all lived in fear of ‘being late’’ she writes and describes some of the desperate measures contemporaries took to deal with an ‘unwanted pregnancy’.
She herself took to using a ‘Grafenburg ring’, an early form of IUD. This led to problems with her reproductive organs. During a laparotomy to investigate this, it was necessary to perform a four hour emergency operation and she was told, incorrectly as it turned out, that she would never be able to have children. This was followed, nevertheless, by two pregnancies and, sadly, two abortions. In the first case at least, it was the thought of being ‘condemned to the life of the impoverished single mother of a handicapped child’ that filled her with terror and led to the ‘termination’.

Scrumptious, delicious, adorable
In the middle of all this she describes how she helped out a pregnant student by providing her with an emergency roof over her head. She describes how, despite forebodings that ‘quality of life would take a nosedive’, she found the trials of dealing with a screaming baby a delight. In a line that will come as no surprise to most parents she says ‘I found her scrumptious, delicious, ineffable, adorable ….’ Sadly, this reaction also astonished her. Not until then had she realised the tremendous joy that only children can give.
Ms Greer continued to engage in fornication but now avoided using any contraception. However, she was apparently unable to become pregnant despite what was now a great longing. A visit to an expensive Harley Street clinic served only to worsen the situation. Another expensive gynaecologist was able to repair the damage by means of microsurgery but an apparent pregnancy turned out only to be a phantom one.

Gynaecologist
Soon she reached the age of 40 and her gynaecologist informed her that from this point on, if there was a pregnancy, he would expect her to have amniocentesis. Interestingly, she told him that by this time she had no intention of aborting a child even if it was suffering from Downs syndrome. He was shocked by this. She in turn was shocked at his opposition to her point of view, although it would perhaps be a typical one in the medical profession.
Despite great efforts to get pregnant before the onset of menopause, it never happened. Like others in her situation she has considered adoption. The fact that she was single and that in this country most children available for adoption are those with many problems precluded this. She rightly finds the idea of buying a child from poor third world parents morally repugnant. Towards the end she describes a dream in which she finds an abandoned baby girl in a rubbish skip. She takes the child to the table but finds its head crawling with ants. She has no doubts that this dream was an expression of her deep seated desire to be a mother. She still dreams that somehow one day she will be able to adopt a child.

Our response
The article is far from being a retraction of her leading ideas. Much less is Ms Greer saying ‘I repent of sin’. However, she has come to the point where she can see that despite the vaunted glories of the humanist lifestyle she, for one, is full of regret, at least as far as her never having been a mother is concerned. There are many reasons why people do not have children but in this case the problem is chiefly an unbiblical lifestyle. It is not our purpose here to gloat. The article moves one to compassion rather. Ms Greer is typical of many, no doubt, who are reluctant to abandon their anti-scriptural stances but have begun to see at least some of the limitations of their chosen road.
This article first appeared in Grace Magazine.

What's in a name? Chapel names

If your church meets in a chapel, does it have a name? I have belonged to two or three Baptist churches in my time, each named after its location. However, many chapels do have names, especially where there is more than one in a town. Some have quietly dropped these names in recent times, feeling their work is not helped by issuing invitations to ‘Come to Ebenezer’ or ‘Join us at Zion’. Most, however, continue to use these ancient, and often well loved, names. Some new churches have even incorporated a name into the title of the church itself, such as Cornerstone, Immanuel, Gateway, Grace, Lifeline, Trinity, Vineyard or Church of the Good Shepherd. Meanwhile, Rehoboths, Hopes and Providences continue to abound.

Until 1689 Baptists had no chapels as such. Before the Restoration of Charles II in 1660 they had made use of parish churches and other public buildings where possible and then, under threat of persecution, had resorted to using private homes. This arrangement created its own difficulties and so where possible, like other Nonconformists, they built or bought chapels in which to meet. Sometimes congregations would share facilities but more often each church became identified with one specific building. From the 1740s at least the practice began of identifying these buildings with names. As Nonconformity flourished in the 19th Century so each new chapel erected often bore a particular name to distinguish it from others. Soon, potentially confusing phrases such as ‘I belong to Hope’ or ‘I’m going to Emmaus’ became common place.

Parish churches have for long ages been traditionally connected with the names of saints, as in St Luke’s, St Philip and St James’s St Michael and All Angels or All Saints. At least one church in Wales bears Peter’s Aramaic name (Cephas) but most Nonconformists in England and Wales eschewed this practice and struck out on different paths. In America they, unimaginatively, speak usually of First Baptist, Second Baptist, Ninth Presbyterian, Tenth. Here names were chosen, mainly from the Bible, for usually obvious reasons. Bethel is ‘House of God’; Emmanuel, ‘God with us’. Providence acknowledges God’s provision of a meeting place; Jireh is ‘The Lord will provide’ and Ebenezer ‘Up until now the Lord has helped us’.

In some instances you learn something about a chapel from its name. Enon has to be a Baptist church. Enon you recall was where John the Baptist baptised because there was much water there. Tabernacles, like God’s house in the Old Testament, are relatively large as are the rarer Temples. Babell Apostolic in Aberdare, South Wales, gets its name from the Welsh word for tent not the place where the tower was built! Bethel means house of God and Zoar (meaning ‘Little place’) should be smaller, just as Rehoboth should be larger, or an extension work, as the name means Room. It was the name given to a well by Isaac following a time of strife. Perhaps in some instances that thought is in the background. Zoar is, of course, where Lot fled from Sodom and Gomorrah and so suggests a place of refuge from wickedness.

The idea of refuge is also there in the popular Elim, Place of rest, and the unusual Cave of Adullam, where all in distress, debt or despair resorted to David. The Ark clearly suggests a welcome for all creatures great and small. The name Lighthouse or Beacon, like The Bridge, though not directly from Scripture, make similar points. The name Hebron was probably selected with a similar thought. It was a city of refuge. City of Refuge spells out the point. Gilead, of course, is the place for soothing balm. Welsh Noddfa, like the French L’Abri (used by Francis Schaeffer), both mean shelter or refuge. The name Elim, the name of an oasis where Israel stayed in the desert, is one of many examples where biblical place names have been adopted. Use has been made of Bethany, where Jesus loved to stay; Bethlehem, perhaps with the thought of its meaning, house of bread; Calvary, Latin for the place of the skull, where Christ died; Emmaus, where after his resurrection he broke bread and Jerusalem, Caersalem (in Wales) or Salem, which means peace. Galilee and Gethsemane also exist. Gilgal, interestingly, is where the Israelites rededicated themselves to God in Joshua’s time. Peniel is where Jacob met God face to face yet lived. Nazareth and Goshen are understandable choices too, as is Eden for there Adam and Eve met with God. Why Ramah or Shiloh should be chosen is not immediately clear, though the latter was where the Tabernacle used to be.
Then there are the mountains: Ararat, Carmel, Hermon, Moriah, Nebo, Olivet, Pisgah, Tabor, Zion, even Horeb or Sinai. Bethesda and Siloam were pools in Jerusalem connected with healing miracles of Jesus. Antioch is inspired by the New Testament church of that name. Of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation, only Sardis and Smyrna are usually used, for obvious reasons. (Philadelphia is known as it means brotherly love). The story is told, however, of a church in the southern states of America that left a great deal to be desired and was a great discouragement to its faithful pastor. They decided they wanted to give a name to their chapel but could not fix on one until some mischievous or ignorant soul suggested Laodicea. When they came to the pastor for his opinion he had to admit that it was a most appropriate name for that particular church to choose! And so it was given the name Laodicea.
There is evidence that as the 19th Century wore on our Victorian fathers tired of this naming game. They would sometimes resort to the practice of calling chapels after influential figures of the near or distant past, as in Latimer Memorial, Chalmers Memorial, Martyrs Memorial, Carey Baptist or Kensit Evangelical.
Others simply looked for more unusual names. Some went to Isaiah for Hephzibah and Beulah. Galeed means ‘Heap of witness’. Lebanon looks like a topographical reference but refers more to the cedar of Lebanon, symbolic of God’s strength. Similarly, Sharon refers to the Rose of Sharon mentioned in Song of Solomon and long accepted as a title for the Lord Jesus. Some common names today among the more conservative are Grace and Christ Church. Trinity continues to be used too. Church on the rock is an attractive name. Some people can get hot under the collar on this subject but it is not really one to get het up about. Provided we remember that the church and the building are two different things and that there is nothing in the New Testament about chapels as such, we should not go too far wrong.
Meanwhile let us not forget this largely incidental but interesting part of evangelical and Nonconformist culture which has its own lessons to teach. May each of our Bethels and Zions and Temples truly be the houses of God; may the prophets of Baal be challenged at Carmel; may we not forget the Lord’s past help at Ebenezer. And if your chapel does not have a specific name remember that he who walks among the candlesticks has a white stone with a secret new name for all who come to him. The names of all his churches are indelibly written on the palms of his hands.
This article first appeared in Grace Magazine

How we lose our ministers

Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. Zechariah 13:7 refers to the Good Shepherd and his disciples but reminds us of the vulnerability of the local church when its pastor is struck. Pastors are struck in various ways. In these dark days every loss is keenly felt. We lose pastors in different ways. In some cases we can probably do little to prevent it, in others may be we can.

We lose them,

1. Through death

Paul tells the Philippians that to go on living means fruitful labour but if he dies, he will be with Christ, which is better by far. It is more necessary for you he says that I remain. He was convinced he would remain for their progress and joy in the faith and that is what we should pray for – long, fruitful lives for ministers. What we can do practically is limited but perhaps we can do something. It is tragic when faithful ministers die short of a full threescore and ten. Whatever happens, as Paul says, we must, however, conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel, thankful for the past and looking to the Lord for the future.

2. Through illness

Some remain alive but are so incapacitated that they retire early or are away from pastoral work for extended periods. Some churches get into the situation where their minister is frequently away with ill health. It is difficult to be sure of the effect but surely we ought to encourage ministers to establish good patterns of work and rest, eat sensibly, exercise and not neglect their health. Perhaps deacons should arrange regular medical check ups. A previous generation spoke of ‘burning out for God’. By that they meant being consumed with zeal in sacrificial service not neglecting physical health. Today there is little call for even the most zealous to do anything to endanger health. In some cases the pastor’s wife is unwell. Similar points could be made in that direction.

3. Through stress

In some cases ill health is psychosomatic. Men also leave the ministry due to stress. Again, there are various factors. Perhaps things can be done to lessen stress. The rediscovery of elders has helped some but increased the stress for others! Certainly all churches should have a system of burden sharing. Obviously relieving the minister of financial worries is important, where possible. Providing a pension scheme and exercising sensitivity when discussing his stipend are important. A good family situation is vital, as is fellowship with other ministers. Good churches encourage ministers to attend at least one conference a year. Regular sabbaticals are also useful. There is no avoiding stress in the ministry but steps should be taken to relieve it where possible and to be alert to danger signals. Better to give a man a month off than lose him for good.

4. Through doctrinal error

Many ministers change their views over the years. None of us has reached maturity and so we reckon with the possibility of being wrong. In most cases these are areas where the church has never formally expressed convictions. However, it sometimes happens that a minister comes to conclusions that run counter to the church’s doctrinal standards. Where this happens there has to be a parting of ways. Sadly, what sometimes happens is that the church is almost unwittingly won over to the new doctrine. This is dishonest of preachers and naïve of members. Often the problem stems back to lack of rigour when selecting a new pastor. Pastors ought to be doing all they can to ground churches in sound doctrine.

5. Through known immorality

A sad feature of our day is the number who fall into immorality. We think chiefly of sexual immorality but there can be financial irregularity and other open sins. Perhaps the problem of teenage rebellion from pastors children comes in here. One is very slow to say this closes the door to future ministry. We do not want to make ‘Thou shalt not get caught’ the eleventh commandment or make adultery the unforgivable sin. However, once a man falls into open sin it will take a great deal to restore him if it can be done at all. How we must pray that God will preserve ministers from such open sins. What an excuse it gives to the unbeliever.

6. Through entrance to another ministry

The question of moving from one pastorate to another can be vexed. Generally speaking, long pastorates are ideal. However, not all are able to sustain a long-term pastorate and larger churches will inevitably draw pastors from smaller churches rather than thrusting men into positions of great responsibility in their youth. The needs overseas are also very great. Nevertheless, all should think long and hard before such changes. Sometimes men leave local church ministry to engage in para-church work. It would be better for both the para-church and local churches if ways could be found of allowing men to continue their pastoral work, even part-time, while also doing other work. In these days of increased tele-working this is more feasible than ever. Far better two good men doing para-church work part-time than losing one or both completely from pastoral ministry.

7. Through rejection

There are men who minister in a local church but are forced out because the doctrine they preach is unacceptable. There is no shame for a man in this but much heartache. Sometimes there has been a lack of tact and certainly one needs to have patience and wisdom in dealing with people, especially where they are ill-taught. What fearful judgement awaits those who reject faithful ministry.

8. Through lack of opportunity

There are men who feel called to the ministry but never have opportunity to exercise their gifts in a settled pastorate. We recognise that to desire to be a minister is not the only criterion for judging whether one is called. However, surely it is possible that some men looking for pastorates unsuccessfully are victims of the failure of others – failure to trust the Lord for finance, to recognise gifts that need nurturing, to accept a ministry a little less predictable than most. Food for thought.

9. Through lack of finance

Some situations are precarious and it only takes the removal of one or two wage earners to tip the balance. There are several funds able to supply short-term support. Why do churches appeal for help with bricks and mortar but not to provide ministry? It is not ideal but there is no shame in a man supporting himself for a period. What he loses in time for ministry on the one hand he may well gain as opportunities open up through his work. Where able churches deliberately fail to provide for their ministers they sin against the Lord.

10. Through pre-occupation

In thinking about this subject and in light of the fact preparing it takes time from more obvious pastoral work one has to consider the possibility that one can be in the ministry and yet not of it. There are men who spend more time on the golf course than at their desk, but this is rare among evangelicals. More common is the temptation to spend time on delegable administration, ferrying people from place to place or sitting on endless para-church committees. This is a trap to avoid. Churches must be alert to the danger. It is important, on the other hand, that ministers do not endeavour to avoid the problem by selfishly opting out of anything not directly concerned with the local church. If all pulled their weight, may be others could do less.

This article first appeared in Grace Magazine