BALA MINISTERS' CONFERENCE

From June 11-13 at the Brynygroes Conference Centre, Bala, the annual Evangelical Movement of Wales Ministers Conference was held and about 70 ministers attended, more than half from within Wales itself. Stephen Clark gave three addresses, one was on the word of the cross, "My God, my God..." and the other two were on the life of Caleb. His words were full of wisdom and encouragement. Gwilym Roberts spoke on the life of Thomas Charles of Bala. Bernard Lewis of the Unevangelised Fields Mission working in Papua New Guinea gave a missionary address. Derek Swann preached at the final session on "But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:4). The second morning's hour of prayer was particularly powerful.

Of the notes scribbled down of things that were striking were the following: "Don't move on little issues out of fear of men. 'Incrementally I will soften him up,' says Satan. 'I've got him rattled and I've moved him on this issue. Then in five years time I'll get him to buckle on a big issue.'"

The late Huw Morgan went to two dying Presbyterian churches in Ton Pentre and Gelli in the Rhondda valley in 1953, and then in the late 60s to a dying cause in Malpas, Newport. They were both transformed by his ministry. The least showy man in Wales he mentioned once to Derek Swann that he found himself in prayer that lasted three hours each day. On Saturday nights he would go into his study at 9.30 to prepare himself and put himself in the mood for the services next day. In the 1970s in Newport there was an unending stream of converts from his simple preaching.

Dr Samuel Johnson said, "Men need to be reminded of what they know rather than be informed of all they don't know."

Spurgeon has a sermon entitled, "A Sermon for the Worst Sinner in the World." Derek Swann read a number of extracts from Spurgeon's New Park Street Pulpit on the text, "Compel Them to Come In." "That is evangelistic preaching," he said.

It was reported that John Stott had been handed a cheque for over £4 million pounds from America on his 80th birthday to be used by the Langham Trust for the spread of the gospel in the Third World. Stott said that he would use it in part to bring African and Asian Christian leaders to study in the United Kingdom and get Ph.D.s that they might go back home again to lead their churches. That concept was discussed by the ministers.

During the work of God in North Wales under Thomas Charles a children's Sunday School class was started at 7 am in Dolgellau so that it would not be a rival to any church meetings. One congregation, hearing of this decision, arranged another meeting at the same hour. So then the Sunday School class was moved to 4 am on Sunday morning and still between 60 and 70 children attended. News of such a meeting impacted the area and people began to believe that these Calvinistic Methodists had something special.

GEOFF THOMAS