Ups and Downs in London - GBC Bulletin Column #23

“Ups and downs. That is our experience”, says Andrew King, pastor of Highbury Baptist Church while reflecting on another year of gospel work in London. Indeed, the same could be said about any of the churches in the Central District of the Association of Grace Baptist Churches (South East).

On the upside, the churches have been encouraged by growth as newcomers have attended and people have confessed their faith in Christ through baptism. But the congregations are not just growing numerically – they are also growing spiritually as the Lord strengthens faith and transforms mere individuals into the close gospel community of the family of God. The report from The Baptist Church Kensington Place, sums up the general picture: the congregations are “blessed with growth in the Scriptures, the upkeep of discipline, a steadfast commitment to the Lord, and the addition of new applicants for membership.” High Road Baptist Church in Finchley holds Sunday evening interactive Bible studies and runs a popular monthly children’s club; evangelism at Hope Community Church in the West End has been energised with the help of Regan King, Grace Baptist Church (Angel) is earnestly praying and preaching toward the conversion of local people met through personal evangelism and church attendance; and Grace Baptist Church Wood Green gives thanks for ongoing discipleship opportunities while engaging in evangelistic pursuits at home and further afield. Each of the Central District churches has a story to tell. Encouragements abound and there is much about which to be hopeful as the congregations continue to know the Lord’s strength as they serve him and reach their areas for Christ in a variety of ways.

There are, however, the ‘downs’ of church life. Frequently these take the form of members leaving – sometimes to their eternal reward or to membership elsewhere with the recommendation and blessing of the church, but at other times and more painfully some have to be removed due to insubordination or inactivity. Whatever the case, Chris Hawthorne of St. John’s Wood Road Baptist Church is correct in saying that it is “a great sadness to say goodbye…” Several churches experienced this sadness – at Angel, for example, a couple in membership who could have contributed much to the work suddenly stopped attending, while at Highbury the church is proceeding with the discipline of a woman taken in by serious false teaching, having earlier removed a man from membership due to non-attendance. Not as bitter (yet still not sweet) are “farewells” said under more favourable circumstances: two members from Highbury have left to serve a local church in north Leeds, Pastor Robin and Clara Dowling of High Street Finchley have announced their intention to retire in 2014, and as Ryan King takes up the pastorate at Wood Green, that congregation will be sending Barry and Frances King with their younger children off to a new stage of ministry in Edlesborough (Bucks). This is to say nothing of the challenges faced by those members that remain in the churches: Soho for instance has had another hard year, facing uncertainty and change even as the individuals in the congregation find themselves under pressure from difficult personal circumstances.

Gavin Childress of Grace Baptist Chapel in Tottenham requests prayer “for the fire of zeal to be kindled among us.” The same might be requested by all the churches! As Gavin goes on to say, “We can so easily maintain mediocrity, but we would like to see transformation of hearts and lives into red-hot zeal for the Lord and His Truth.” Such zeal is desperately needed as the churches continue to deal with their fragilities and weaknesses, and as they seek wisdom for vision and strategy.

On the whole, the year has been filled with blessings and encouragements. Although the harder times and the discouragements of the year create a more bitter-sweet picture than might otherwise be the case, Andrew King concluded his reflection on the year’s ups and downs by remembering that “we are certain of a day coming when it will change to being eternally up!”

This was printed in the worship bulletin of Grace Baptist Church (Wood Green) on 29/09/2013.