The Fourteenth Salisbury Conference

Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd October 2010 (God willing)

Venue: Emmanuel Church, Wilton Road, Salisbury

Theme: Stand Fast in the Faith

Chairman: Rev Malcolm H Watts (Salisbury)

Guest Speakers: Francis J. Harris, Neil Pfeiffer, and Pooyan Mehrshahi.

Programme

• Stand Fast: the Doctrine and Practice. The great need in this our day to be fortified against subtle attacks of the enemy and to resist all attempts to shift us from our ground, whether in matters of doctrine or practice. Friday 1st October at 7.30 pm. Speaker Malcolm Watts, Minister of Emmanuel Church, Salisbury.

  Malcolm Watts will introduce the theme of the Conference. He will consider the scriptures enjoining this duty and explain what is meant by steadfastness, particularly in view of the present crisis within Evangelicalism. Faithful men will no doubt be censured as strict, precise and even divisive; yet only by standing fast will we be able to serve God, the Cause of Truth and our own generation. In this address the call will be issued to maintain and defend those things most surely believed among us.

• Stand Fast for Authentic Evangelicalism. The Decline and Fall of Traditional Evangelicalism: identifying reasons for its collapse with a critical assessment of the New Evangelicalism which has taken its Place. Saturday 2nd October at 10.30 am. Speaker Francis J. Harris, former Minister of Uxbridge Road Tabernacle, in London, and of Providence Baptist Chapel, Cheltenham.

  Mick Harris, in his address, will give a broad overview of Evangelicalism in the post-war years, considering both its strengths and weaknesses. He will also take a critical look at the New Evangelicalism which had within it, from the beginning, the seeds which have sadly brought forth totally different views of Evangelical Truth, Worship, Preaching, Holiness, and Devotion. The Old and New Evangelicalism will be compared and attention given to their marked differences. The address will draw attention to the strengths of the Old and the weaknesses of the New Evangelicalism and issue a call to "prove all things" and "hold fast that which is good".

• Stand Fast against Current Attacks on the Church. Problems presently facing our Churches: the need to recognize them, understand them and deal with them both scripturally and spiritually. Saturday 2nd October at 1 pm. Speaker Neil Pfeiffer, Minister of Peniel Green Congregational Church, Swansea.

  Neil Pfeiffer, after making reference to the true nature of a Gospel Church, will analyze some of the difficulties which arise in even the soundest of churches. He will suggest reasons why they often arise and draw from the Scriptures the Lord's prescribed ways of dealing with these difficulties. In this address there will be emphasis on the need for the minister, other officers and all the members to experience a close walk with God and to know the Holy Spirit's gracious presence and ministry, enabling the whole church to respond to problems in the right way, with concern for God's glory, the purity of the church, the maintenance of Truth, the upholding of the testimony and the love of the brethren. The presence of the Lord, although not making churches immune to problems, is certainly what is essential to overcoming them and preserving the church's unity.

• Stand Fast in Hope for the Days to Come. Dangers ahead: the need to prepare our churches and the need to be encouraged in God and by the promises of his Word, retaining, even in the darkest days, an optimism born of faith and hope. Saturday 2nd October at 2.30 pm. Speaker Pooyan Mehrshahi, Minister of Providence Baptist Chapel, Cheltenham.

  Pooyan Mehrshahi will be looking to the future; and on consideration of present disturbing trends in our churches, he will seek to anticipate the dangers we are likely to face in times to come, such as the development of 'contemporary worship', further dilution of Truth, continued lowering of standards, increasing antinomianism, yet more worldly compromise, and lapses into tragic extremism of one kind or another. This address will show how best to confront these dangers; and it will draw attention to other present and more encouraging signs in our churches which, together with Scripture's bright prospects for God's Cause, strengthen our resolve to keep faithful and hope for a better and more glorious day.

• On the Sabbath, 3rd October, John Thackway, Minister of Holywell Evangelical Church, will be the preacher at both services, 11 am & 6.30 pm, and he will also be speaking at an After Church Meeting at about 8.30 pm.
• If you arrive early on Saturday there will be tea and coffee served from 9:30 am to 10:15 am, in the meeting room at the rear of the church building. This can be accessed via the door on the left hand side of the premises.
• There will be a lunch break on Saturday, 12 noon - 1 pm. Please bring a packed lunch with you, tea and coffee will be provided.
• Following the conference at approximately 4 pm on Saturday light refreshments will be served.
• There will be a bookstall.
• All of the conference sessions will be recorded and made available on DVD, CD or tape. A form will be provided on the day to place an order, which will be dispatched promptly to the given address. CDs or tapes of previous conferences are also available. Recordings of the sessions from several of the previous conferences are available on-line.

Parking

Click here for details of car parking which is available for the conference.