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 PrintableVersion A beautiful place to beThe FIEC's Annual Conference 2004 at Pwllheli'Pwllheli is a beautiful place to hold a Christian Conference', I thought as we pulled in through the gates of the Haven Holiday Centre. 'If only it wasn't at the end of the world!' I have loved the FIEC since well before I was a part of it. I love it for its commitment to the Truth: what other church grouping do you know that has actually strengthened its basis of faith in recent years? In a desert of doctrinal unfaithfulness, what an oasis that decision was! I love it because of its commitment to Christian love: it tries (and to a large degree succeeds) to make the gospel itself the basis of fellowship rather than other doctrines. And I love it for its annual conferences. This year's took place from April 26 to 30. While some other well-known conferences have caused concern for leaving their moorings to some extent, that is certainly not true of this conference, held once more in Pwllheli. The FIEC annual conference has been the highlight of our spiritual year ever since 1990. That year Don Carson was the main speaker and our children really were children; by the end of the week they were pleading, 'Please bring us back again next year!' Home-grownThis year, in a welcome break with recent practice, the main speaker was very much 'home-grown'; Brian Edwards is a former President of the FIEC as well as former pastor of one of its churches. His morning Bible readings focused on our Lord's declaration in Matthew 16: 'I will build my church...' and more than justified the decision to invite him. His second address, in particular, where he spoke powerfully of essential truths, important truths, and phantom truths, ought to be heard by all our churches. Too often, he pointed out, it is the latter - phantom truths - that divide our churches and grieve our God. Yet even then, we were assured, the Lord Jesus will build his church. New FIEC president Paul Mallard gave us one insight into how this happens. Paul pastors a large and prospering church in Worcester and is a fine preacher. How was he converted? He told us of seeing, as a seven year-old boy, the local FIEC church leading a group of children with a banner inviting children to 'Come and join us' - it was the time of their Holiday Bible Club. Paul went - with no previous connection with the church - and kept going, being converted a few years later at a children's camp organised by the same church. That testimony alone should be an encouragement for every small church faithfully carrying on its work week by week and wondering when and if fruit will come. Trinity and creationWe were not bereft of overseas visitors this year; Wayne Grudem was one, and he joined us from Phoenix Seminary, Arizona. He is well known for his Systematic Theology which is clear, readable and extremely warm. He spoke at three sessions on 'The Trinity and Creation'; in person he is every bit as clear as on the page, and even warmer! His final address marshalled a plethora of statistics all to show that God has provided abundant resources for our world; his thesis will not (I suspect) be supported by many environmentalists, but they ought at least to hear what he has to say. Recordings are available: but you will really need the video if you want to see the graphs he produced. Inner godlinessYet it was his brief address at the Pastors' Association from Proverbs 4.23 ('Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life') that was the most challenging of the week as far as I am concerned. How much we pastors in particular - a motley bunch of failures if ever there was one - need to be reminded of the basics, and the need for our own inner godliness is the most basic thing of all. Space fails me to tell of other delights: of Desi Maxwell's inimitable presentation of 'The Big Picture', or of Steve Bell on Islam, or the preaching of Andy Gemmill and Peter Baker, or Jerry Wragg from Florida (formerly working with John Macarthur in Los Angeles) inspiring us all to take training for leadership seriously in our churches. This year, there had been some hiccups with the arrangements and the conference had to be held outside school holidays; inevitably that cut attendance by more than half. For next year, the problem has been solved; the dates are April 4-8, and Alistair Begg is confirmed as main speaker. Those who heard him at Caister in 2001 will want to make every effort to be present again. You don't have to be part of the FIEC to come to the conference: you just have to love the truth and its proclamation. Make a date; come and join us - you won't be disappointed. Gary Benfold,
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