Bala ministers’ conference
Around 70 men gathered at Bala to encourage one another in the work of the gospel. The conference has long been noted for praying for revival and God’s blessing upon the work of evangelism.
This June was no exception. Ninety minutes were put aside each day for prayer, and these were helped by six short reports from various parts of Wales (perhaps one from England next time?
The conference backbone was three messages from Stuart Olyott on Titus. Taking the theme of ‘When the church is in a mess’, he urged us to think big thoughts of God – a phrase echoed throughout the conference. From Titus 1 he looked at the need to ‘get the right men into leadership’ and ‘declare war on false teaching’.
Providentially, a similar robust emphasis was taken up by Jay Smith, who has worked for the last 14 years among radical Muslims in London.
Mr Smith’s ministry can be described as ‘toe to toe against the powers of darkness’! He speaks on Sunday afternoons at Speakers’ Corner and engages with radical Muslims in an informed way. He believes it is time for ‘polemics, not just apologetics’. The organisers are to be commended for thinking ‘outside the box’ in inviting such a captivating and encouraging speaker on this important theme.
Stuart Olyott also spoke on Titus 2 and Titus 3. We are to show each type of person (men, women, etc.) what God expects from them in terms of godliness.
Stephen Clark (Bridgend) ably led the discussion periods, including one on how far we should go into the world in order to win the world. Dafydd Job (Bangor) spoke on ‘A people prepared for blessing’, from papers of his grandfather on the 1904-5 Revival in Wales.
Gwynn Williams (Cardiff) concluded with a helpful four-word sermon: ‘Not in word only’ (1 Thessalonians 1:5).
Glyn Williams
