A belated update (bringing things up to date to Aug 2023)!

September 2020-April 2022

Between September 2020 and April 2022, Rupert preached at the following fellowships. In late 2020/early 2021, some of these were on Zoom:

Hilperton Reformed Baptist Church
Emmanuel Church Bath
Grace Church, Hilton
New Inn Congregational Church, Pontypool
Ladyfield, Chippenham
Forest Fold Baptist Church, Crowborough
Great Ellingham Baptist Church, Norfolk
Corsham & Chippenham Bible Study

During the same period, he was also involved in the following activities:

lectured and preached on Zoom to Christian Institute staff
recorded two talks for Word Conference in India
seminars on Zoom for Northern Ireland Cornhill course
presented paper on Zoom to the Affinity Theological Conference
recorded 4 talks for Derby Bible Week
spoke on Zoom for leaders’ lunch session of Derby Bible Week
Christian Institute trust board meetings
spoke on Zoom for London Cornhill Training course
spoke at Midlands Men’s Convention in Nottingham
gave the Autumn Lectures for Christian Institute in Newcastle
seminars in person for Northern Ireland Cornhill course
SWGP ministry training course in Bath
spoke at Bath University CU

April 2022-Present

speaking at Scottish Reformed Conference
speaking at Northumberland Bible Convention
Preaching at Emmanuel, Chippenham and Emmanuel, Bath
Christian Institute trust board and giving lectures to staff
Christian Institute preaching days on Jude

Rupert also says:

“One new thing for me is that I have written, at their request, a booklet for the Christian Institute on the Fourth Commandment, based on one of my lectures there. There may be other booklets that will follow but I am not pressing for that.

There are a few things in the diary ahead and I anticipate that other things will come my way in due course. Overall, though, I am not looking to be any more busy than I am at present. I expect continued opportunities for speaking through organisations that know and have used me in the past, notably the Christian Institute, the Northern Ireland Cornhill course, the local Ministry Training Course and the Sussex Gospel Partnership as well as a few churches. And of course we fully intend to go on serving in Emmanuel in every way we can!

I rejoice in the opportunities that God has given me and the strength He provides and the people who have prayed for us, encouraged us and supported us, not least yourselves! “

Update from Rupert – July 2020

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.

Update from Rupert – A Look Back and a Look Ahead in January 2020

A Look Back and a Look Ahead in January 2020

It is, I’m afraid, ages since we sent out a prayer and information up-date. So, this report covers two years and gives me the opportunity to reflect over a past year and look forward to the coming year!

The Lord has been, of course, wonderfully faithful and gracious to us, but we are also very aware of all of you whom the Lord has used to express His love and care for us through your interest in the Bible Teaching Trust. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:11 this has and will ‘result in thanksgiving to God’. We are so grateful to God for all who have prayed and supported us over the recent years.

I have set below what I have been up to in 2019. As you can see, the Lord has given me plenty to do and a wide range of places to go to preach in. While opportunities do emerge in new places, in many cases I have been returning to churches and organisations with whom I have built up a warm relationship over the years. The Christian Institute, in particular, uses me on a regular basis with preaching and lecturing to their staff and also have organised a series of day conferences for church leaders in various different parts of the country where I explore how one might preach a book of the Bible. In 2019 this has been 2 Thessalonians. I have met for the first time many of God’s servants in these places and have been delighted to encounter old friends as well! It is a little foretaste of heaven to rejoice in fellowship with believers you’ve never met before!

I have also spoken for several Gospel Partnerships as well as for the Cornhill training course in London and in Belfast. I have done less preaching on one-off weekends for churches, largely because our primary engagement remains in our own church, Emmanuel here in Bath, where we have been both blessed and stretched in serving the Lord in multiple ways.

As for the future, my current commitments are rather patchy, but that is not so unusual and there are very likely to be other things that will come my way, as well as preaching in Emmanuel and probably a further series of preaching seminars with the Christian Institute. I am currently working on a further series on how one might preach the book of Jude. There are some commitments already in my diary for 2021. Please do pray that the Lord will open up for me just those opportunities He intends me to take. Please also pray for wisdom in knowing what to decline as well as to accept!

All in all, how grateful we are to God for His kindness to us and His many provisions for us, including the love, prayers and care of all who read this report!

With our love in the Lord Jesus,

Rupert and Margie

Rupert’s Past Commitments from Jan 2019-Jan 2020

Jan 2019

20^th Sun preaching twice Bethesda Ipswich

24^th Thurs Christian Institute trust board

25^th Fri lecture to Christian Institute staff

31^st Thurs South West Gospel Partnership Ministry Training Course session 1 on Isaiah

Feb

2^nd Sat Norwich Bible Rally

3^rd Sun preaching twice Norwich Evangelical Church

7^th Thurs SWGP MTC sessions 2 and 3 on Isaiah

14^th Thurs SWGP MTC sessions 4 and 5 on Isaiah

17^th Sun preaching Emmanuel

19^th Tues 3 sessions on 2 Thessalonians in Newcastle for Christian Institute

29^th Wed lecture and preach at Christian Institute

March

21^st Thurs 3 sessions on 2 Thessalonians for Christian Institute in Cardiff

22^nd Fri 3 sessions on 2 Thessalonians for Christian Institute in Bristol

April

2^nd Tues 3 sessions on 2 Peter at Northern Ireland Cornhill

7^th Sun preaching Emmanuel

19^th Good Friday preaching in Emmanuel

22^nd Easter Monday two talks at Maesycwmmer, Wales

May

2^nd Thurs Christian Institute trust board

14^th Tues 3 sessions for Christian Institute on 2 Thessalonians in Loughborough

15^th Wed 3 sessions for Christian Institute on 2 Thessalonians in Bury St.Edmunds

26^th Preach at Ladyfield, Chippenham

June 2019

3^rd Mon Lecture at Cornhill, London on topic of endurance

4^th Tues Lecture at Cornhill, London on topic of endurance

11^th Tues Preaching seminar for church leaders on 2 Thessalonians for the Christian Institute in Liverpool

12^th Wed Preaching seminar for church leaders on 2 Thessalonians for the Christian Institute in Sheffield

15^th preach at Induction service in Coventry

19^th preach at Forest Fold church, Crowborough church anniversary

25^th -27^th attend Evangelical Ministry Assembly, London

30^th Sun preaching twice at Duke Street Church, Richmond

July

7^th Sun preaching in Emmanuel

20^th Sat preaching at Emmanuel baptism

28^th Sun preaching at Calne Free Church

September

1^st Sun preaching at Emmanuel

28^th Sat speaking twice at Solent Gospel Partnership Men’s Conference on two passages from 2 Timothy

29^th Sun preaching at Emmanuel

October

2^nd-3^rd Wed & Thurs doing preaching seminars for Christian Institute on teaching 2 Thessalonians. Wed 2^nd in Sevenoaks and Thurs 3^rd in Chessington

19^th Sat-20^th Sun speaking and preaching at Emmanuel Church, Canterbury’s 10^th anniversary weekend

November

7^th Thurs speaking at Bath University CU

16^th Sat speaking twice at Midlands Gospel Partnership Men’s Conference in Northampton

23^rd Sat speaking twice on prayer at Sussex Gospel Partnership day conference

24^th Sun preaching at Emmanuel

December

2^nd Mon-3^rd Tues speaking at Northern Ireland Cornhill in Belfast on 2 Thessalonians

29^th Sun preaching Emmanuel

Jan 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 preach and lecture to Christian Institute staff

26^th Sun preaching Emmanuel

30^th Thurs SWGP MTC session 2 on Judges

Rupert’s Future Commitments for the rest of 2020

Feb 2020

6^th Thurs SWGP MTC session 3 on Judges

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

16^th Sun preaching Emmanuel

23^rd Sun preaching twice at Forest Fold, Crowborough

May

9^th Sat preaching at Scottish Reformed Conference

14^th Thurs Christian Institute trust board

15^th Fri lecture and preach to Christian Institute staff

June

13^th Sat speak at Midlands West Men’s Convention in Birmingham

15^th-16^th Mon & Tues speak twice at London Cornhill on topic of endurance

27^th Sun speak at East Midlands Churches’ Day

July

4^th-6^th Sat-Mon speaking three times at Northumberland Bible Convention

September

6^th Sun preaching at Hilperton Reformed Baptist Church

10^th Thurs Christian Institute trust board

11^th Fri lecture and preach to Christian Institute staff

November

7^th Sat speak at Midlands East Men’s Convention in Nottingham

Update from Rupert – July 2018 (Look Ahead)

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

Update from Rupert – October 2017

Margie and I continue to rejoice in God’s gracious provision for us over the last year and are so grateful to all those who have played a part in praying for us and in helping us.

When I last wrote I was on the brink of going to India again to do preaching training in Chandigarh and to speak at the Word Conference at the Delhi Bible Institute. Though I have been going for these conferences to India biannually for well over twenty years now, it is always a fresh challenge and a rich, rewarding and exhausting experience. It is especially encouraging to see men who I knew when they first came to faith, now serving as leaders at the various DBI centres in North India or as pastors of churches in North India.

Margie and I delight in the extended family God has given us. We remain very fully engaged in the life of Emmanuel in Bath and we rejoice in being part of such a supportive and united fellowship. Generally Margie stays at Emmanuel when I speak away at weekends, although it has been lovely to go together to a few church weekends away where, alongside the preaching, there is plenty of opportunity to engage with people. Over this last year I have deliberately chosen to be away from Bath less often on Sundays so that I can play a fuller part in what is going on in Emmanuel and as a result have had the great pleasure of being able to preach in Emmanuel more often.

Over the past year I have had the privilege of preaching in some twelve different churches on Sundays, but have also spoken at quite a number of church weekends away or special Bible teaching weekends. The range of places I have been to have included St. James, Ryde in the Isle of Wight, Emmanuel Church in Marlborough, St.Giles in Derby, Burnopfield Gospel Fellowship near Newcastle and Great Victoria Street Baptist Church in Belfast.

I have also spoken at some conferences that I have not previously attended, the Reformation and Revival Conference, the Carey Conference and the Scottish Reformed Conference, each of which gave lovely opportunities to re-engage with people I have known elsewhere and to get to know others for the first time. I have also been invited back to teach at the London Seminary and at Northern Ireland Cornhill.

As in previous years, my largest single involvement is with the Christian Institute. I have continued as a member of the trust board and three times a year I am involved in giving a lecture and in preaching as part of the on-going staff training, which I very much enjoy. In addition, in recent months I have led day long seminars on how to preach 2 Peter designed for pastors and Bible teachers. These have taken place in Newcastle, Liverpool and Sheffield. Those who attended were connected only by being supporters of the Christian Institute and were drawn from a huge range of church backgrounds. Despite this, we were very happily united around thinking through how to preach 2 Peter and there seemed to be a genuine delight in doing this and in meeting one another which was very heartening! For some of these men such an exercise seemed to be something they had not experienced before.

As for the future there is more of the same already in the diary and other things being added. In addition to things locally, I have just been in Crowborough this last weekend and am due in Wooler, Northumberland shortly and a few weeks later in Ashford, Kent. In due course I will be at Abergavenny in Wales and at the Northern Ireland Cornhill again and later I am speaking at the Northern Mens’ Convention in Leyland. One of the knock-on effects of speaking at the preachers’ day conferences is some further invitations to speak at churches in the north of England and it is also very likely that I will do more day seminars for the Christian Institute. Towards the end of the year Margie and I are planning to be in Canada again visiting family, and I have also been invited to preach in Ottowa by Jonathan Griffiths who has recently started as a pastor in the city. Some of you may have known Jonathan from his years in Oxford, at Christchurch, Westbourne or as part of London Cornhill and he is, incidentally, related to us! Then it is also likely that I will be heading to India to run preaching training conferences again.

All in all, we rejoice in what the Lord has made possible for us to be involved with and in His continued faithfulness in the present and His wonderful promises of Christ’s return and the future glories that await all who belong to the Lord Jesus.

Up and running!

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])