“The things you’ve heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will be qualified to teach others.” 2 Timothy 2.2
The best teachers are the best learners. A pulpit without learning is a great disservice to its congregation. However and wherever they learn, Pastors must be serious about growing in their understanding of God’s truth if they are going to be truly qualified to pass on the Gospel deposit to others.
Tuesday saw me joining with the Board of the London Theological Seminary for the AGM. It was a very encouraging time. The Seminary has been richly blessed with a good faculty and some excellent facilities. The number of men coming to LTS to train for pastoral ministry is a reflection of the Lord’s blessing on the institution, and it’s a genuine privilege to play even a very small part in its future development.
Training for ministry isn’t the sort of thing you do for a few years at the outset, but it must be a life-long commitment for any effective Pastor. I’m putting myself through my ThM in Historical Theology this year and next for that very purpose. I’m burdened, too, to see men putting their energies into stretching their minds and continuing to learn good theology and better ministry skills in order to be better servants of the Word. The many conferences and ministry courses which combine ministry placement and theological study are a much-needed and very welcome feature of the current Reformed and Evangelical scene.
To that end I organised a ministry morning with Paul Levy and Liam Goligher for Pastors and ministry workers in West London. On Wednesday 30 of us gathered for the inaugural meeting, and we profited from a full and very helpful morning together. Dick Lucas taught the Pastoral Epistles, and Garry Williams led our thoughts on Calvin and Justification. It was superb to be with other like-minded men (and women), and to share this precious opportunity. We plan to run another in the new year.
We learn in large part in order to preach and teach. I recently heard about a great ministry near Heptonstall, West Yorkshire. The church meets at Slack Top – what a fantastic Pennine place-name! - and is ambitious to bring a Gospel witness to its local community, but is lacking in strength at this stage in its life. I long to see churches like this continue in the Lord’s strength, so, as well as preaching for them this Sunday I would love to think with them about how their work can go forwards and flourish. Please join me in my prayers, and remember my travelling. Thanks.
The best teachers are the best learners. A pulpit without learning is a great disservice to its congregation. However and wherever they learn, Pastors must be serious about growing in their understanding of God’s truth if they are going to be truly qualified to pass on the Gospel deposit to others.
Tuesday saw me joining with the Board of the London Theological Seminary for the AGM. It was a very encouraging time. The Seminary has been richly blessed with a good faculty and some excellent facilities. The number of men coming to LTS to train for pastoral ministry is a reflection of the Lord’s blessing on the institution, and it’s a genuine privilege to play even a very small part in its future development.
Training for ministry isn’t the sort of thing you do for a few years at the outset, but it must be a life-long commitment for any effective Pastor. I’m putting myself through my ThM in Historical Theology this year and next for that very purpose. I’m burdened, too, to see men putting their energies into stretching their minds and continuing to learn good theology and better ministry skills in order to be better servants of the Word. The many conferences and ministry courses which combine ministry placement and theological study are a much-needed and very welcome feature of the current Reformed and Evangelical scene.
To that end I organised a ministry morning with Paul Levy and Liam Goligher for Pastors and ministry workers in West London. On Wednesday 30 of us gathered for the inaugural meeting, and we profited from a full and very helpful morning together. Dick Lucas taught the Pastoral Epistles, and Garry Williams led our thoughts on Calvin and Justification. It was superb to be with other like-minded men (and women), and to share this precious opportunity. We plan to run another in the new year.
We learn in large part in order to preach and teach. I recently heard about a great ministry near Heptonstall, West Yorkshire. The church meets at Slack Top – what a fantastic Pennine place-name! - and is ambitious to bring a Gospel witness to its local community, but is lacking in strength at this stage in its life. I long to see churches like this continue in the Lord’s strength, so, as well as preaching for them this Sunday I would love to think with them about how their work can go forwards and flourish. Please join me in my prayers, and remember my travelling. Thanks.
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