2015 UK Ministers’ Conference

‘THE SUFFERINGS OF THIS PRESENT TIME’

A minister’s calling brings him into a dimension of suffering that is uniquely bound up with the ministry of the gospel. For Christ, it meant his being the Suffering Servant. For those he calls into service, the same will be true. This dimension of ministerial suffering is clearly borne out by the testimony and counsel of Paul in his letters.

Suffering is arguably the biggest issue people face in life, and because so much bad theology has been developed to address its existence, it is essential that pastors work to acquire a well-formed biblical theology of suffering. This is exactly what this year’s conference aims to address, and it is hoped that all who attend will return to their congregations with renewed confidence in the all-surpassing goodness of God, equipped to minister to those within and without their churches whose suffering raises, for them, questions about the nature of God at the profoundest level.

What?

The Banner Leicester Ministers’ Conference is arranged for men who are (or who have been) in pastoral charges, or who are theological students at present in training for the ministry, and for men who are serving in missionary work at home or overseas.

When?

Monday 13 April – Thursday 16 April 2015.

Where?

University of Leicester, Stamford Court (formerly Gilbert Murray Hall), Manor Road, Leicester LE2 2LH.

Who?

Speakers:
Gary Brady
Kevin DeYoung
Stuart Olyott
Michael Reeves
Alan Davey
Jeff Kingswood
Geoff Thomas

How Much?

The full conference fee for a Monday–Thursday resident is £185*.

We realise that many Ministers are on tight budgets and we do not want people to be unable to attend the conference due to the cost. If you are unable to afford the £185 fee, but could pay between £120 and £185, then please feel free to pay what you are able. In the event that you are not able to afford this, please contact John Rawlinson at the Edinburgh office to apply for financial assistance; we don’t want anyone to be unable to come due to financial constraints.

*This represents a subsidy of about £45 per person from the Trust. If you are in a position where you are able to pay the unsubsidised cost, we would appreciate that.

Monday, 13th, April

  • 5.15pm – Opening Sermon – Christ, Precious to Believers – Gary Brady
  • 8.15pm – Jesus, Our Hope and Example in the Midst of Injustice (Mark 15:16-32) – Kevin DeYoung

Tuesday, 14th April

  • 7.25am – United Prayer
  • 9.15am – Yes, it is hard, sometimes very hard, but . . . Paul’s testimony (2 Corinthians 11-12) – Stuart Olyott
  • 11.15am – The Puritan theology of suffering – Michael Reeves
  • 5.00pm – Reports Session
  • 8.15pm – Praying in Pain (Mark 14:32-52) – Kevin DeYoung

Wednesday, 15th April

  • 7.25am – United Prayer
  • 9.15am – Ten Minute Address
  • 9.30am – Yes, it is hard, sometimes very hard, but . . . Paul’s counsel (2 Corinthians 4) – Stuart Olyott
  • 11.15am – The Impassibility of God, the Sufferings of Christ and Good News for the Christian Hebrews (Hebrews 2:5-18) – Kevin DeYoung
  • 5.00pm – ‘To proclaim my name; to suffer for my name’ – Alan Davey
  • 8.15pm – Faith amid suffering in the life of Charles Spurgeon – Michael Reeves

Thursday, 16th April

  • 7.25am – United Prayer
  • 9.15am – The Bruised Bride – Jeff Kingswood
  • 11.00am – Closing Sermon – The Plight of Man and the Power of God – Geoff Thomas

Facilities and Accommodation

The conference venue is Stamford Court (formerly Gilbert Murray Hall), Manor Road, Leicester LE2 2LH, in the Oadby Halls campus of the University of Leicester, in the south-east suburbs of Leicester. Maps showing the conference venue can be seen on www.le.ac.uk/maps.

Conference members are accommodated in single study bedrooms. Towels are provided.

The University Sports Centre is nearby, and free passes will be available for conference members to use the gym and swimming pool.
The University Botanic Gardens are also a short walk away.

The bookroom will be open throughout the conference, stocked with Banner books at special conference prices.

Arrival

Unless special arrangements are made, no one should arrive before 2.00 pm on Monday at the earliest. Registration of conference members will be from 3.00 pm to 4.45 pm in Stamford Court. Thereafter keys for rooms can be collected from Reception at John Foster Hall, across the road from Stamford Court.

Non-residents

All conference attendees must please register in advance, even those attending for only one session.

Any Questions?

The Banner of Truth Trust, 3 Murrayfield Road, Edinburgh EH12 6EL.

Telephone: 0131 337 7310 or email: info@banneroftruth.co.uk.
Gary Brady is pastor of Childs Hill Baptist Church in London. He studied for the ministry at London Theological Seminary, of which he is now a board member. He is editor of the Evangelical Library Bulletin and serves as a trustee of the Grace Magazine Trust.
 
Kevin DeYoung is the minister of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. The author of several books, he is married to Trisha and they have six children.
 
Stuart Olyott has pastored churches in the UK and Switzerland. Before his ‘semi-retirement’, he was Pastoral Director of the Evangelical Movement of Wales. He continues to travel widely and is the author of a number of books.
 
Michael Reeves is senior lecturer and theologian-at-large at WEST, where he has special responsibility for developing Union, the college’s online teaching programme. Formerly, he was associate minister at All Soul’s Langham Place, and Head of Theology for UCCF.
 
Alan Davey was the minister of Christ Church Deeside, North Wales, before that congregation sent him to France as a missionary. He and his ­family have been in Bordeaux since 2005.
 
Jeff Kingswood is the minister of Grace Presbyterian Church, ­Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. In 2013-14 he was Moderator of the General Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.
 
Geoff Thomas has been pastor of Alfred Place Baptist Church, Aberwystwyth, since 1965. He is a frequent speaker at conferences throughout the world, and is a Visiting Professor of Historical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan.