NAIROBI PASTORS' CONFERENCE, KENYA


Keith Underhill writes that the week of the Pastors' Conference was very busy. It was not held in their Baptist church, but at the Community Presbyterian Church. It meant that Keith had to leave home soon after 8 a.m. and get back around 6 p.m., and then there were arrangements to be made for the next day.

There were over 60 participants, more than three-quarters of them attending churches being associated with Trinity Baptist Church - pastors, leaders, theological students, and their contacts. Two ministers from Tanzania and Uganda were there. The theme was " The Reformed Faith" with the following programme of 3 presentations each day:

The Bible and The Reformed Faith - the Authority of Scripture
The Theology of the Bible - exposition of Romans 11:36
Calvin and 'Calvinism'
Calvinism and Arminianism - The Synod of Dort
The Puritans as Pastors
The Reformed Faith and Evangelism - Charles Finney and Asahel Nettleton
Christ's Life and Ministry as great type of 'The Reformed Faith'
Biblical Worship - The Regulative Principle
The Reformed Faith and Preaching - the ministry of C. H. Spurgeon

An outline for each session (which we hope is an aid to understanding and is of benefit long after the Conference has ended) was provided. The Lord was gracious to us and the truth was clearly received. We sought to stress that the Reformed Faith is more than a set of doctrines, it is a way of life, and it profoundly influences every area of our ministry. For me, one of the most encouraging sessions was on Tuesday afternoon, when there was a discussion seeking to make sure the lessons of the first two sessions had been grasped. Many of the participants spoke, not only saying that they believed the Doctrines of Grace, but showing that they had real understanding. We trust that the Lord will enable them to reform according to Scripture, as they take the authority of Scripture seriously.

Keith writes, "The following Sunday I preached on Romans 9:19-24 with the prayer that God would grant my hearers the Biblical faith not to question God's will, but to know that he does all things for his glory as the highest motive. How strange this is to so much of contemporary Christianity. While the Reformed Faith undergirds all we teach and do, we do not make it a hobby-horse, so that this exposition of Romans is an opportunity to state clearly where we stand." charis@panlanka.net

Back to the top