Assembly is now over for another year. It will be remembered as the Assembly where the Union appointed its first ever female General Secretary; Lynn Green. I’m in the fortunate position of knowing Lynn (our families have been caravanning together). She is gifted, talented and gracious. I'm sure she will grow into an excellent Gen... Continue Reading →
Baptist Assembly
The annual gathering of Baptists (well the BUGB part) starts today in Blackpool. Getting the tone right will be more of a challenge than usual. The last few months we have seen the painful process of redundancy for some BUGB staff and the start of changes resulting from the Futures process; including the replacement of... Continue Reading →
Are baptists ready for change?
Next weekend’s (BUGB) Baptist Assembly 2013 is an important moment, not least because a new General Secretary is appointed. Whoever it is takes on a challenge. Can they gain the trust and support of the people who work in Baptist House, forge a great team ethic with the Association team leaders and yet be a... Continue Reading →
Mission musings
The weeks before Easter saw me back in Iquitos, Peru. As usual the bulk of my time was spent teaching in Iquitos and at a training centre for church leaders in Nauta (100kms from Iquitos). Iquitos has an impact on me each time I go, not least because it poses all sorts of questions to... Continue Reading →
Northern Baptist Learning Community: new Co-Principals
NLBC have announced that Rev Dr Clare McBeath and Rev Glen Marshall are to be the new Co-Principals for the Manchester Based College. Glen has been a tutor at the College for a number of years with a focus on mission and homiletics. Clare has, among other things, been a Minister of Openshaw Baptist Church.... Continue Reading →
A baptist future: nightmare or sweet dreams?
The problem with advertising is that half your money is wasted - the challenge is working out which half. Pondering what the BUBG might be like ten years from now I’m sure at least half of what follows is rubbish but these five areas will be important.1. Local church size. A number of commentators suggest... Continue Reading →
A fresh non conformist voice
In the UK Parliament debate on ‘gay marriage’ I was struck by the negative perception many MP’s had of the way Christians campaigned against the bill; and in some cases with good reason. Which makes me wonder if we need a fresh non-conformist voice in public life that is nuanced and engaged. What might this... Continue Reading →
Challenges of church culture
Reading a little about business cultures recently makes me suspect that paying more attention to culture might help us understand what is going on in church life.Churches vary in size, but each size transition marks a change in culture. Smaller churches, where everyone knows each other gradually grow into churches centred around the pastoral skills... Continue Reading →
Exit stage left
As BUGB changes take effect, I've joined the ranks of those whose involvement in its committee life has ended. I’ve been a member of BU Council for nine years, was part of the General Purposes and Finance Executive and have had the pleasure of moderating the Finance Committee for the last six. But no more.... Continue Reading →
Gay Marriage
Since Steve Chalke's article last week a number of people have responded to his article. By co-incidence Poynton Baptist Church's Sunday evening gathering last week had previously planned to talk about 'gay marriage'. Following on from this evening conversation I have produced a short booklet that describes some of the issues. You can download it... Continue Reading →
Distinct Reflections 