The Lord knows what He is doing – even though we don’t, the Director of Word Alive says, after the announcement of the annual event’s permanent closure.
After running for 15 years, the popular Bible holiday conference will now be permanently shutting.
Since their former venue, Pontins Holiday Park, unexpectedly closed down, the Word Alive trustees have been searching for alternative sites – including holiday parks, universities and even cruise ships. Unable to find an option that was both affordable and sustainable, however, the difficult decision was made to bring the conference to an end.
In an email announcing the news, Director Nigel Benyon stated: ‘We feel a real sadness not to be able to meet together as we have done with all the teaching, encouragement and relationships it enabled. But we are called to trust the Lord and His sovereign goodness. We don’t know why Word Alive is stopping but He does, and He is good. At the same time, we feel a huge thankfulness for the 15 years we did meet to be taught, encouraged and built up together. We give thanks to God for all He enabled and all the blessings He has given us.’
Reflecting personally on the decision, Nigel added in a comment to en: ‘I feel sad at the loss to the evangelical world – Word Alive resourced local churches by bolstering their Bible teaching (reinforcing it and giving the opportunity to widen it) and was a chance for building relationships in churches and Christian Unions. But, as I keep telling myself, the Lord knows what He is doing, He wasn’t taken by surprise, and He is good.’
‘I have often said that my two favourite things about Word Alive are the guests: a guest coming up to me and saying – thanks for organising this, we’re having the best time. And the team: two leaders telling me how their venue wasn’t going to work (my mistake) but how they had solved the problem already and were just letting me know the new plan. Such willing servants.’
Director of Biblical Counselling UK Steve Midgley has run seminars at various Word Alives. He said: ‘I am so very grateful for the ministry of Word Alive – it’s played such a key role in the life of our churches. In the early years, I remember when a Don Carson seminar was full up, and how a group of us sat in the dark round the back of the marquee just close enough to one of the speakers to still be able to hear what was going on! The consistently high standard of the teaching, the excellent organisation and the superb children’s work have all been so wonderfully used by God.’
Head of FIEC national ministries, Adrian Reynolds, stated: ‘I was very sad to hear of the closure of Word Alive. It served a wide range of churches and Christians and was particularly important for some smaller churches... I shall miss this fixture in my Easter diary and I know others will too. I’m very grateful both for all I learnt and the privilege of serving.’
National Director of the FIEC John Stevens first attended Word Alive over 30 years ago. He reflected: ‘I first went to Word Alive in 1994, when it was still part of Spring Harvest, and have been a regular ever since. I have benefitted hugely from hearing the Bible faithfully proclaimed and the gospel applied to every area of life. My children have grown up through the groups at Word Alive, and it was such an encouragement to them to be with so many other Christians as we were in a small church. I have hugely appreciated the pan-denominational nature of Word Alive and the tangible unity it has fostered. I am very sorry that the event has had to close, despite the best efforts of trustees to find an alternative venue. It is vital that we try to replicate the blessings that Word Alive brought to so many in other ways.’
Director of Affinity, Graham Nicholls, commented: ‘I was sad to hear that Word Alive might have to be permanently cancelled, although I can understand that the economics of running conferences these days is very challenging. Word Alive was an excellent conference for people at all stages of life and faith. As Affinity we support initiatives for gospel churches to work together in partnership, and conferences can be an important expression of that.’
