How different things looked when I last wrote a report back in January! The coronavirus has been a powerful reminder that our times are in God’s hands and it is not us humans who rule our world. In past generations such an epidemic might have been seen as an occasion to call the nation to cry out to God, but such is the spiritual blindness of our times that I suspect the idea may have never crossed our leaders’ minds. All credit, though, to the government for their efforts to save lives and to all those key workers and the NHS who rightly have been applauded for the efforts for our general good. But it all underlines how lost our society is and how wonderful it is to know God and to have in Christ true security and hope forever! And all this also serves to remind us again how much we need to have God’s Word proclaimed and to pray for the gospel to spread and triumph in people’s lives.

Up until mid-March I was engaged in my scheduled speaking but abruptly normal life came to an end! From 16^th March until this month Margie and I have been in isolation due to my health vulnerabilities. Almost all my scheduled commitments have been moved to 2021. Our church, Emmanuel, has continued, like so many, on Zoom and I have preached in Emmanuel every so often in this period.  The only commitment that went on as scheduled, transferred to Zoom, were two talks for the London Cornhill course in June.

The lockdown has had its joys as well as frustrations, as we will all have experienced. We are very grateful for the support of the Trust during this time and are also grateful to God for a government grant given to help the self-employed. We were thrilled with the safe arrival to Pete and Susie of their fourth child (and our 16^th grandchild!), Joel Isaac on 30^th March. We have had much to thank God for, and we have been very blessed by the care of our family and our church. One helpful consequence of the lockdown was that I have had plenty of time to prepare a new set of seminars on how to preach the book of Jude! I was also delighted to have the chance of preaching through Jude in three sermons for Emmanuel.

In regard to the future, we are so glad that it is safely in the hands of our God! There is little left in my diary for the autumn except for the Christian Institute trust board and a day for the Belfast Cornhill course, both of which will be by Zoom. I am also likely to do two talks that will be recorded here in Bath sometime in September, for the Delhi Bible Institute’s Word Conference. I am particularly pleased about this because I had felt that I had to decline an invitation made to me previously to go in person to speak at this conference, due to my very bad reaction the last time I went to the tremendous smog in Delhi at that time of year.

As for 2021, I have set out below what is in my diary. It is good to have quite a number of things to look forward to participating in, but whether all or any of it will be as planned rests in the Lord’s sovereign and all-wise hands.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. May the Lord encourage your hearts and strengthen you in His service.

With our very best wishes,

Rupert and Margie.

 

Rupert’s Past Commitments January to March 2020

(so you know what you have supported!)

January 2020

16^th Wed South West Gospel Partnership, Ministry Training Course session 1 on Judges

23^rd Thurs Christian Institute trust board

24^th Fri preached and lectured to Christian Institute staff

26^th Sun preached at Emmanuel

30^th Thurs SWGP MTC session 2 on Judges

February

6^th Thurs SWGP MTC session 3 on Judges

13^th Thurs SWGP MTC sessions 4 & 5 on Judges

16^th Sun preached at Emmanuel

23^rd Sun preached twice at Forest Fold, Crowborough

March

15^th Sun preached at Emmanuel

……….!

May (all by Zoom)

14^th Thurs Christian Institute trust board

24^th Sun preached at Emmanuel

June (all by Zoom)

14^th Sun preached at Emmanuel

15^th & 16^th Mon & Tues talk on Endurance for the London Cornhill Course

21^st Sun preached at Emmanuel

28^th Sun preached at Emmanuel

July (all by Zoom)

12^th Sun preached at Emmanuel

Future Commitments

September 2020

6^th preaching Hilperton Reformed Baptist Church (?)

10^th Christian Institute trust board by Zoom

At some point recording two talks for the Word Conference, Delhi Bible Institute, India

December

1^st Tues day of seminars for Belfast Cornhill course by Zoom

January 2021

4^th-6^th Irish Preachers Conference in County Wexford

March

17^th-19^th speaking at Affinity Theological Conference

April

19^th-22^nd speaking at Derby Bible Week

May

8^th speaking at Scottish Reformed Conference

9^th-10^th preaching 3 times at New Inn Congregation Pontypool

June

12^th speaking at Midland’s Men’s Convention West (Birmingham)

14^th speaking for London Cornhill course (by Zoom)

July

3^rd-5^th speaking at Northumberland Bible Convention

October

9^th-10^th speaking at anniversary services at Great Ellingham, Norfolk

November

6^th speaking at Midland’s Men’s Convention East (Nottingham)

In addition, I will be preaching every so often at Emmanuel and there are likely to be some preachers’ day conferences for the Christian Institute, yet to be arranged, as well other invitations, presuming life continues to return towards normality.

Ruperts’ Speaking Commitments Ahead from July 2018

We are so grateful to God for all those who have taken an interest in what Margie and I are doing and have supported us in prayer and also in giving. We are aware that we have tended to report retrospectively on what has happened, and thought it would be a good idea to give you some sense of what lies ahead for us, so that you might be able to pray in a more informed way. You will find a list of commitments below.

Much of our weekly energies are spent very gladly in the life of Emmanuel here in Bath. God has encouraged us a church with significant evangelistic opportunities, rich fellowship and many students and children to disciple. And recently we delighted in our first baptism. This work, right where we are, is our first priority and joy. Rupert has generally been preaching away on one Sunday a month but has also been preaching at Emmanuel one Sunday a month. Margie is deeply engaged in discipling younger women in the church, selecting songs and playing the piano as well as playing a very active part in our engagement with local people. Please pray that in a church of largely younger families and students, we would be faithful, holy, prayerful, wise and persevering, setting a godly example to others.

Much of the rest of what Rupert does takes him to various training courses and opportunities across the UK as well as to speak at conferences and conventions. However, this autumn is largely taken up with three journeys abroad. The first is a family holiday in France, a small section of which involves visiting a missionary couple we were privileged to meet at a UFM conference Rupert spoke at a few years ago and again at a weekend away in Northern Ireland of their sending church. The second is visiting family in Canada, courtesy of Rupert’s brother Michael, whose wife Myfanwy is now sadly needing full-time care in a nearby Mennonite home. On this occasion Rupert has also been invited to give three days to the Metropolitan Bible Church in Ottowa whose senior minister, Jonathan Griffiths, used to teach on the Cornhill London training course, and is related to us. That is a special joy but will require a fair bit of preparation ahead. After that, at the end of October, Rupert will be going, alone, to speak several times and to do preaching training in North India, as he has been doing, usually every other year, over the last twenty-four years. This also will require a great deal of thoughtful preparation. Please pray for good preparation, safety in travel, stamina, good health and the precious enabling of the Holy Spirit.

There will be other commitments that will emerge in this period. Rupert has recently been used by the Christian Institute to lead day long seminars for pastors and church leaders on how to preach 2 Peter. He has now done this in the north of England, Scotland and East Anglia. He is now preparing material for a similar three sessions on how to preach 2 Thessalonians, and would very much value your prayers for this.

With our love in the Lord Jesus,

Rupert and Margie

 

 July

1^st preaching at Emmanuel

6^th-7^th preaching on Saturday and twice on Sunday at Hope Church, Ashton-in-Makerfield

22^nd preaching at Emmanuel

August

(30^th July-18^th Aug holiday in France)

26^th preaching twice at Emmanuel

September

10^th-27^th trip to Canada

22^nd preaching seminar for Metropolitan Bible Church, Ottowa

23^rd preaching twice at Metropolitan Bible Church, Ottowa

24^th speaking at staff day conference for Metropolitan Bible Church, Ottowa

October/November

26^th Oct- 9^th November trip to India

28^th Oct & 4^th Nov probably speaking in Delhi

30^th Oct-2^nd Nov leading preaching training conference at DBI centre in Chandigarh

7^th & 8^th Nov speaking twice at Word Conference in DBI, Delhi

18^th preaching at Grace Church, Hilton, near Derby

Other commitments are likely to emerge and I am likely to preach at Emmanuel on a fairly regular basis

2019

January

20^th preaching twice at Bethesda, Ipswich

February

2^nd preaching at Norwich Bible Rally

3^rd preaching at Norwich Evangelical Church

March-May

Leading 3 seminars at London Seminary

 

Welcome to our new website! This is the place to find out more about what Rupert and the Trust are getting up, and how you can support the work.

The Bible Teaching Trust has existed for about six months now, and Rupert has undertaken a range of different speaking engagements in this time.

We’ll ask Rupert to give an update on the last six months here shortly. The intention is to produce an update every three months or so, reflecting on what has been happening and looking forward to what is coming up.

If you would like to receive these updates, you can sign up with the form on the right hand side of the page.

If you would like any more information about the Trust, please feel free to email Tom ([email protected])