Grace Baptist Partnership is not an American initiative. However, through the years we have developed a strategic ministry partnership with Anchored in Truth Ministries the missions arm of Grace Life Church of the Shoals in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. This partnership has been a source of mutual blessing to all concerned.
In November 1862 eighteen-year-old Archibald Brown took up the leadership of a small cause in Bromley, Kent. He had a congregation of 18 on the first Sunday. Only 12 returned the second week. Progress continued in the same direction when on the third week only six showed up. It couldn’t get much worse!
One of the great needs of the hour is training. That’s why Grace Baptist Partnership has held series of training days in London, Leicester, Manchester, Gloucester, Westerleigh, Chelmondiston, Carlisle, Manchester, North Curry and Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. That’s why we ran similar training schemes in fellowship with Grace Baptist Mission in Frankfurt, Germany and in partnership with Euro Evangelism in Vienna, Austria. That’s why we will partner with local churches in the Midlands and in Norfolk to host weekend workshops for potential workers and their wives later this year. We believe in training.
In 2010 I had the opportunity to serve as locum pastor of Titmuss Avenue Baptist Church in Thamesmead. During my time there, I baptised – among others – Chola Mukanga and ‘Wale Akinrogunde. Last year the church sent Chola and his family to lead a church revitalisation effort at Bexleyheath and ‘Wale and his family to lead a church replanting work in Walthamstow. What wonderful gospel ripple effects.
When the church at Edlesborough first sponsored an Effective Evangelism Conference in 2014, as far as we were concerned it was a one-off event. We thought churches in our area would benefit from practical instruction about the effective use of door to door work, open-air preaching, evangelistic small groups and weeks of evangelism in local church ministry. That was it.
This past year alone, six men – Alireza, Saeed, Hitoshi, Shirwan, Paiwast and Ibraheem – from Muslim backgrounds attended Grace Baptist Church, Wood Green for the first time. That’s not all. This was the first time any of these men had attended a church period.
“Are you one of those narrow-minded Grace Baptists that thinks only Grace Baptists will be in heaven?” “No,” I replied, “I don’t even think all the Grace Baptists will make it!” They laughed which was a good thing. It was, after all, only a joke.
Grace Baptist Partnership didn’t set out to have an annual conference. However, it happened. Here’s how. Before the Partnership was formed I used to teach one Saturday a month in London and another Saturday a month in Leicester. Each year we would have one day where the two groups met together either in London or in Leicester.
“I am presently on the Scotland tour, but have been floored by a very sore throat that leaves me now unable to speak. Organisers up here have taken matters out of my hands and called off the final meetings of the tour.” That’s how it started.
For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis. I’m certain there was enough gospel work to keep Epaphras busy in Colossae. However, he extended himself to work hard for other churches in the Lycus River Valley as well.
