Wherever I am, whomever I’m with, I make sure the subject of church planting comes up. Like the time I first met Adam Laughton on a short-term teaching trip to Nigeria. I peppered him with questions. Who understands church planting in Britain? Who do I need to meet? Who would share my aspirations to see as many churches as possible planted in our country? It was there in Nigeria that I first heard the name, Ali McLachlan.
In recent years I have enjoyed good health – seldom having as much as a cold. There was that one time though – three years back – when a case of food poisoning took me out of commission completely for the better part of a week. Unhappily, this illness coincided with a trip Frances and I had planned to the Black Forest in Germany where I was speaking at a residential conference on church planting. I insisted up until 24 hours before the conference began that I would be well enough to make it. I wasn’t.
When Grace Baptist Partnership was formed in 2010, we were asked to specify our area of operation. We said England and Wales. In reality it would take several years before we would have any tangible involvement in the work of the gospel in Wales. That involvement, when it came, would be in the form of a monthly grant to Grace Rural Wales Partnership for the work of Simon Bowkett.
Andre Bay was persistent. As pastor of a local church in Wetzlar, Germany he had a desire not only to see his church strengthened but to see new churches planted. He requested help. Our work in England was really just beginning. Even though we had a desire to help, time and money were in short supply. Andre, though, as I may have mentioned, was persistent.
Grace Baptist Church, Epsom. Grace Baptist Mission. Grace Baptist Partnership. Grace Baptist Assembly. Euro Evangelism. Illyrian Gospel Trust. Harry S. Truman once said, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” That’s a good word for all of us.
