Letter from the Manse

William Carey was perhaps the greatest pioneer missionary since the days of the apostles. Every Christian should be familiar with his story.  Born in 1761, he lived at a time when few Christians understood that they had any duty to evangelise ‘the heathen’ overseas.  Many evangelical leaders took the view that the world had been evangelised by the apostles, and that the Church had no further missionary responsibility.  Yet from the time that he was converted, Carey had a …

Many Christians are wary of Christmas.  Some simply ignore it completely. They want nothing to do with Christmas trees, decorations, cards or pudding.  They hate the commercialism of Christmas, the way in which the birth of the Lord Jesus is turned into an excuse for gluttony, drunkenness, extravagance and blasphemy.  I understand where they’re coming from, and share their feelings to a great extent.

Yet I do keep Christmas (I explained my reasons in “Letter from the Manse”  December 2001).  And indeed …

Why is it important that we maintain an interest in the cause of the gospel overseas? Do we need to spend time listening to reports from our missionary friends? Don’t we have enough to do here at home? Millions of people in our own country have never heard the true gospel. Can we afford to put time, energy, resources, prayer into supporting Christians and churches across the world?

Are you enjoying our Sunday evening studies in the book of Revelation?  I doubt it.  I hope we’re finding the studies mind-stretching, edifying, even exciting.  But hardly enjoyable.  Many of the things John sees in his vision are shocking, disturbing, at times terrifying.

One of the most constant themes in the book of Revelation is persecution.  John wrote for believers who were facing persecution.  And he took it for granted that believers in every age will be persecuted.

John was a true prophet.  All through …

As a church we are committed to upholding the 1689 Confession of Faith. Our constitution says that elders of the church must assent “to the system of doctrine taught in the 1689 London Confession of Faith and the 1966 Affirmation of Faith”.  The opening lines of our trust-deed say “The objects of the Church are…to promote the Calvinistic Baptist faith as defined in the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith in the town of Stockport..”

So what is the “1689″? …