Tag: Church History Lectures

Reformation Discussion – Peter Lillback with Janet Mefford

The four main figures
The four main figures (Photo credit: keepps)

There was good Reformation introduction discussion on The Janet Mefford Show yesterday with Peter Lillback. Download HERE.

‘It’s Reformation Day and Janet will mark the occasion by talking with Westminster Theological Seminary President Peter Lillback. He’ll join Janet to discuss a new video series he hosts called, “The Protestant Revolt: A Study of the Protestant Reformation.”’

I didn’t know anything about the new Video series Dr Lillback talked about, but it sounds excellent. And I didn’t see anything on the WTS website either. I’ll post details when they become available.

Just in case there is anyone out there that actually thinks The Reformation started when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door – to be clear it, didn’t. It wasn’t like the second he stopped nailing – BAM, The Reformation was under way. A friend of mine (long since with his Lord) used to say when people start praying earnestly for revival – it’s already begun. And The Reformation is similar. God was already at work, and had been for some time. But The Reformation is a way of referring to an extended period of history all over Europe where The Gospel was being re-discovered. So why not celebrate October 31st as Reformation Day. It wouldn’t be a bad thing would it if Churches & individual Christians celebrated, talked about, discussed, lectured, read about, thought about The Reformation and the consequences of that great work brought about by God.

To listen to some excellent lectures go to my website here and scroll through for Reformation lectures. It’s made me think I should arrange a whole series on The Reformation for 2017. That will be 500 years after the nailing of The Theses. Watch this space!

If there were only two lectures to recommend it would be from 2005, Phil Arthur ‘Luther & The Bondage of the Will‘ and from 1984, Bob Sheehan on ‘The Legacy of Tyndale‘. Both speakers really know their onions!

Church History Lectures 2014

I started arranging the annual History Lectures in 2001, taking over from Rod Badams. I’m privileged to continue arranging speakers for this annual series of Church History Lectures at Bulkington Congregational Church. I’m not on my own in this and receive a lot of encouragement from the Pastor (Peter Mackenzie) and David Hodges (David does all the important behind the scenes stuff). My own Church (Lower Ford Street Baptist also encouraged me to continue with this). So I’m blessed to be part of a team.  The lectures changed venue in 2008 when the previous host, to be frank, lost interest, though a few people from there come to the lectures.

Attendance has been steadily growing and this is encouraging to Pastor Mackenzie and the Church. Though not necessarily academic as such, the lectures are of a very high standard with a few already given at minister’s conferences. They aim to encourage God’s people and strengthen their faith in the face of rampant secularism and doctrinal compromise.

Here’s the Programme for 2014.

February 2014 Church History Lecture
7:30pm Monday 3rd February 2014
Wrestling – The Life of Andrew Fuller (1754-1815).
Speaker: Jeremy Walker

Early March 2014 Church History Lecture
7:30pm Monday 3rd March 2014
The Samuels Petto (1624-1711) & Peto (1809-1889)
Speaker: Gary Brady

Late March 2014 Church History Lecture
7:30pm Monday 31st March 2014
Thomas Boston (1676-1732) anticipates the death of Queen Anne
Speaker: John Kilpatrick

April 2014 Church History Lecture
7:30pm Monday 28th April 2014
How pure is the church? Augustine and the Donatists
Speaker: Austin Walker

These will all be available for download shortly after each lecture.

Church History Lectures 2013 Audio

The other two lectures from this year are equally well worth listening to. Details and links below:

Speaker: Richard Brooks. Subject: Octavius Winslow (1808-1878) Download HERE

Speaker: Dafydd Morris. Subject: Christmas Evans – “A Gentleman in Rags” Download HERE

Both excellent lectures

Van Til Lecture – Audio Available

The Audio for the Van Til Lecture by Geoff Thomas is now available for download.

Right Click HERE ans Save As… to download.

The Church where the lecture was held described it as: Cornelius Van Til: His life, contemporaries, and the bedrock of his theology – the things men know but will not admit.

I thought that was a good summary.

Van Til Lecture

Some of us have really been looking forward to this final lecture for 2013. So pray for Geoff that he will be enabled to give true credit and explain an apologetic methodology that is as misunderstood as it is caricatured. If you can make it to the lecture be assured of a warm welcome and a cup of tea and a biscuit afterwards. Lecture is at Bulkington Congregational Church. Audio of all three lectures to follow.

April 2013 Church History Lecture

CorneliusVanTil
7:30pm Monday 8th April 2013

Cornelius Van Til (1895-1987)
The 20th Century’s Supreme Defender of the Faith

Speaker: Geoff Thomas

Church History Lecture

This years next Church History Lecture

7:30 pm Monday 4th March 2013

Title

“A Gentleman in Rags”.

Speaker: Dafydd Morris

Rev Morris is keeping this lecture as a bit of a surprise; but going by his previous visits it’s sure to be a profitable evening.

Everyone welcome at Bulkington Congregational Church, School Road, Bulkington, Warwickshire, CV12 9JD.

Church History Lectures 2013

Bulkington Congregational Church

I’m delighted to bring to your attention the Church History Lectures for next year – 2013. It’s a real privilege and pleasure to be involved in arranging these and I’m especially grateful to David Hodges and Pastor Peter Mackenzie of Bulkington Congregational Church for their support in this. Their aim, as is mine, that God’s people are blessed, encouraged, informed, educated and strengthened in their most holy faith in these days. How we need to learn that the God of these men is our God too.

Let’s pray that the Triune God will grant perseverance, faith and faithfulness to our generation and that the Gospel of the Grace of God will be powerfully proclaimed to a dying generation. I’m very excited about these lectures and so I commend them to you. If you are in the area please come and join with us. And if you are unable to attend, please pray they will be used for the Glory of God worldwide.

As usual the audio will be available soon after the lectures and I’ll post about this next year. I’ll also post reminders. They will of course also appear with many other lectures on my website. Please link to these if you are able. And so here are the lectures for 2013:

 

Octavius Winslow

February 2013 Church History Lecture

7:30pm Monday 11th February 2013

Octavius Winslow (1808-1878).

Speaker: Richard Brooks

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March 2013 Church History Lecture

7:30pm Monday 4th March 2013

“A Gentleman in Rags”

Speaker: Dafydd Morris

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Cornelius Van Til

April 2013 Church History Lecture

7:30pm Monday 8th April 2013

Cornelius Van Til: 20th Century’s Supreme Defender of the Faith

Speaker: Geoff Thomas

A point to note here. Geoff was at Westminster in the 1960’s when Van Til was teaching. So his lecture will not be from hear-say or second hand.

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Church History Lectures 2013

The lecture dates for next year have been finalised though the titles may need a little tweaking. Here’s the dates for your diary.

February 11th 2013. Richard Brooks, Octavius Winslow 1808 – 1878

March 4th 2013. Daffyd Morris, Subject TBA

April 8th 2013. Geoff Thomas, Cornelius Van Til


Latimer: God’s Bulldog – Audio Available

Latimer – God’s Bulldog. The Audio for this lecture is from Jeremy Walker now available. Go HERE to download via Bulkington Congregational Church.

Or, for this lecture and many others from my website HERE.

Latimer – God’s Bulldog Lecture

Monday evening we had great lecture given by Pastor Jeremy Walker with the title ‘Latimer – God’s Bulldog. It was a pleasure to meet Jeremy in the flesh for the first time after communicating via blogs and email. We’ll have to get him back for 2014.

As soon as the Audio for the lecture is available you can be sure I’ll have a post to notify it.

We had put before us a real man, not a fantasy figure that bears no resemblance to reality but as Cromwell said the picture was painted with ‘warts and all’.

The lecture was presented in a lively manner and through the account of the execution quite moving – and why not! You could almost smell the musty cell, hear the crackle as the faggots began to burn and feel the heat of the fire as the flames licked those Holy men of God (Ridley was next to Latimer).

One of the human qualities of Latimer was how he didn’t come to the Reformed faith with a fully worked out theology as in fact few of us do. We mull things over in our mind; try to make connections and to piece it together to eventually emerge with a fuller theological conviction and knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. How we need people who will bear with us as we journey towards a greater understanding. It’s a blessing indeed to have someone come with us and not jump on our feeble and sometimes downright wrong and incomplete understanding.

Another quality that Latimer had was his earthiness and a consistency of manner and preaching. He was the same man wherever he was and his character consequently endeared him to all but those that sought to silence his plain Gospel preaching. And this is what he was primarily – a preacher. I wondered if those same earthy and endearing qualities would be ‘intellectualised’ out of men that go through ministerial training – I hope not!

All in all a great lecture and I commend it to you.

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