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On 6 May, the European School of Biblical Studies, formally School of Biblical Studies, held its annual Open Day at Welwyn Evangelical Church.

About 200 people came to hear from this year’s students and from Dr Garry Williams, Director of the John Owen Centre. The theme Celebrating the Reformation not only reflected on this year being the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, but is also the subject on which Garry lectures at the School.

On 8 June, the Scottish Episcopal Church voted at its General Synod to permit same-sex weddings in its churches.

The Scottish Episcopal Church (the SEC) is the Anglican Province in Scotland. A relatively small province, it ‘gave birth’ to the Episcopal Church of the United States (ECUSA), by consecrating America’s first bishop.

A new page has been turned. For over 50 years the Banner of Truth ministers’ conference met at Leicester University. This year (24-27 April) the venue changed.

Around 300 men gathered for the first time at Yarnfield Park in Staffordshire. It is a purpose-built conference centre and proved to be rather a pleasant upgrade.

What do you call a collection of evangelistic workers? Answer: F.E.W.

Under the banner of the Fellowship of Evangelistic Workers (www.thefew.org.uk) there is now an annual conference for evangelists, several regional days around the country with guest speakers, and time for prayer and fellowship.

Jonathan Lamb

Date posted: 1 Apr 2017

Cumbria is an English county known worldwide, not least for having at its heart the beautiful Lake District National Park, nominated to become a World Heritage site.

Then there’s the Keswick Convention, a name which has also rippled around the world. And yet another famous export are Derwent Pencils.

The FIEC Leaders’ Conference, held in 2016 from 31 October to 3 November, is the main annual gathering for FIEC churches.

563 pastors, church leaders and church workers representing over 200 churches met this year in the metropolis of Hemsby on the Norfolk coast.’

In January, St James Clerkenwell played home to the first City to City UK DNA Download conference, with 45 churches and 13 UK cities represented.

The conference provided an opportunity to think about theological vision and ministry values that are needed to see the cities of the UK reached with the gospel. The Gospel: it renews hearts, changes lives, builds the church and impacts the world. The City: aim to equip churches for the challenges and opportunities that come from ministering in UK cities. The Movement: City to City UK is a movement of church-planting churches, working together from different tribes and networks.

On 8 January, Cowley Church Community (CCC) voted to adopt its first constitution and become a fully independent church. Planted by Magdalen Road Church, the new congregation has a vision to reach Cowley, on the east side of the city.

In Spring 2016, 30 adults and children were commissioned by Magdalen Road Church and began meeting every Sunday afternoon at a community centre in central Cowley.

The Reformation and Revival Conference in Derbyshire, 14–16 November, was one of close fellowship, times of prayer together and good expositional preaching, the hallmarks of this annual conference.

Simon Clarke from Shepshed opened the conference with an encouraging and challenging message from Luke 11.13. His theme was the vital necessity and glorious promise of the giving of the Holy Spirit by our heavenly father to those who ask. The word was refreshing and motivating as we face the days in which we are living. How we need to be asking for the Spirit.

Understandably, Luther and the great matters of the Reformation took pole position at the annual Carey Conference for pastors and wives and Christian workers this year.

Held at the Hayes Swanick, 3-5 January, there was quite a raft of different speakers. Paul Gibson, pastor at Wheelock Heath, roared away from the start with an excellent biography of Martin Luther that focussed helpfully on the great Reformer’s weaknesses. Anfechtungen became the buzz word! There were superb Bible readings from Rupert Bentley-Taylor on the power of the Word (Isaiah 55) and the power of the gospel (1 Corinthians 1) – very much Reformation concerns. John Benton spoke on lessons for leaders from the psychology of Samson. Linda Alcock did a brilliant job with the women’s track, leading the sisters through Titus, and Ian Fry gave a sparkling and yet very disturbing talk on the needs of children and the work among young people in today’s church.

The Antioch Plan is recruiting again.

The selection process for the second cohort of pioneering church planters has already begun.

Overseas missionaries are still very much needed. The title of this year’s conference of the Grace Baptist Mission was ‘Here Am I, Send Me’. No punches pulled there!

The meetings took place this year at the Friends Meeting House next to Euston Station in London on Saturday 29 October. It is a convenient place to travel to and people came from all over the country in their hundreds to this challenging and very uplifting day. There was a plethora of seminars given by serving missionaries from Brazil, the Philippines, Poland, France and central Asia, as well as reports concerning radio work and outreach to Asian communities in various cities in Britain.

Throughout 2017, the city of Hull, or Kingston-upon-Hull, will be in the national spotlight.

This is because Hull has been chosen as the national ‘City of Culture’ for the year – an honour and privilege which the city has taken to heart.

The 64th Free Church School in Theology was held 5 – 8 September at Carronvale House, Larbert.

As in previous years, it was an opportunity for rekindling friendship and fellowship with other ministers and committed Christians from across the UK and Ireland.