The Next Scottish Baptist History Project event will take place on Saturday 15th November at Adelaides, Adelaides Place Baptist Church, Glasgow. It will include a talk on James Haldane & his open air preaching, An opportunity to learn from & be encouraged by the past and wil inspire you to serve him a new in the future!

Our First Preaching workshop

Eric Renfrew, Cathcart Baptist Church

Gathering on a damp Thursday evening on 2nd October for my first encounter with the Scottish Lay Preaching Association, it was a warm welcome from Glen that set the tone for the rest of the night. Meeting Glen, and sensing his passion for the building up of those who desire to proclaim HIS word, helped me relax, and enjoyed chatting over coffee & biscuits with the other delegates

Tony Sargent was the guest speaker, unpacking “Calling & Competence”. I remember Tony preaching some 10 years ago when he was just moving up to Scotland to head up ICC in Glasgow, and was very much looking forward to listening to his word. As we began the evening, he shared with us the heaviness on his heart following the home calling of his colleague and friend Ted Herbert. I was immediately struck by the fact that despite the sorrow on Tony’s heart, his care for sharing with us his knowledge and experience, encouraging each of us with his words shone through the grief. He read 2 Tim. 2 v 7: and encouraged us to take this as confirmation of our calling and approval.

Opening with: “Jonah – Comedy or Tragedy”, he shared the importance of being obedient to God’s message that is given to us as preachers. The weak link within the chain – God/Jonah- Jonah/Ninevah- Ninevah/God. It was - God/Jonah that was the weakest link! This is the same link that the preacher steps into when he steps up to preach. Jonah had confused the calling as being “the elect” and as the Jews had done, assumed it to mean “the elite”. We have to sense our calling as being in obedience

Then Tony looked at the apostle Paul and his journey to Arabia with the Old Testament in his knapsack, following his conversion, he came back with the New Testament in his heart.

“Preachers are born, not made. This is an absolute. You will never teach a man to be a preacher if he is not already one….” Preachers & Preaching 119

As Tony handed out worksheets to us, and shared from his studies of Martyn Lloyd Jones, (“the Doctor”), and with guidance from scripture, topics like preparation, content, purpose of the sermon, all encouraged me in my calling. “Unction” is not a word I can remember being talked on before, but as preachers, we must be earnest and understood!

I would recommend a copy of the hand outs, (Copies are available from Glen Cartwright), as well as getting hold of one of the books written by Tony on the life of Martin Lloyd Jones.

The next date for Preaching Workshop is 4th Dec with Stuart Blythe, and I’ve got it in the diary.

Hope to see you there.