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{"id":1589,"date":"2009-05-06T19:57:12","date_gmt":"2009-05-06T19:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/owenstrachan.com\/?p=1589"},"modified":"2009-05-06T19:57:12","modified_gmt":"2009-05-06T19:57:12","slug":"the-hard-work-of-new-england-ministry-a-report-from-a-recent-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/thoughtlife\/2009\/05\/the-hard-work-of-new-england-ministry-a-report-from-a-recent-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hard Work of New England Ministry: A Report from a Recent Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

$\"ipbc\"$ Some will recall that I blogged about a pastors\u2019 conference with pastor-theologian Steven Lawson<\/a> in New England in early April 2009.\u00a0 Here\u2019s a report from the organizer, Dave Ricard, the man who runs the New England Center for Expository Preaching<\/a>, an internship program that brings interns to preach in a variety of New England churches over several months.\u00a0 The report is powerful and gives a sense of the challenges New England churches face in our day.<\/p>\n

Before we get to the report, I should note that the program has been very successful.\u00a0 A number of interns have been placed in churches through it.\u00a0 If you\u2019re interested in pastoring in New England, check out this program<\/a>, which is accredited through Southern Seminary<\/a>, Southeastern Seminary<\/a>, and others and is fast becoming a premier seminary internship.\u00a0 Dave is a good friend, and he\u2019s doing great work for our Lord.<\/p>\n

********************<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s his conference report (edifying and encouraging!):<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Lawson challenged the men gathered at Island Pond Baptist Church in Hampstead, NH to continue preaching the Word of God faithfully and in context.\u00a0 However, more was happening on April 6-7, than just another echo of \u201cFamine in the Land\u201d and \u201cThe Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards.\u201d\u00a0 Famished pastors were being nourished with the Living Word of God for two days instead of boring statistics or latest craze.\u00a0 Dr. Lawson was feeding the men who feed the flocks of New England, from passages that most knew by heart, but needed to hear again.<\/p>\n

He stated: \u201cSpiritually, New England is a barren wasteland of churches, most seeking the latest pragmatic fad.\u201d\u00a0 In this darkness Dr. Lawson stated that \u201cthe best thing a pastor can do for his church is to meet with a few men and weekly;\u201d to avoid the postmodern, post-Christian, neo-pagan, ear tickling \u201cchurches\u201d that refuse to talk about hell even though many of their membership may be headed in that direction.<\/p>\n

In contrast to this, Pastor Wells of IPBC<\/a> was thanked over and over again for hosting NECEP \u2013 2009.\u00a0 One bi-vocational pastor who approached him, said with tears in his eyes, that he simply could not afford to go to a national conference; yet here was one in his own back yard.\u00a0 Meanwhile, another pastor, also in tears, stated that he could not remember the last time he held a new book in his hands last, as he stood with books and audio recordings donated by Dr. Dever, Mohler, Sproul, MacArthur, Anyabwile, and Piper in his hands.<\/p>\n

What happened at IPBC was more than Dr. Lawson once again delivering superb sermons to a congregation.\u00a0 At IPBC he was delivering the \u201cExpositors\u2019 Institute\u201d to expository preaching pastors representing SBC, CB, IB, PCA, PCUSA, OPC, CCCC, Methodist, and Nondenominational churches, on their own turf, in New England.<\/p>\n

Dr. Lawson was equipping saints to \u201cpress on\u201d in the heat of the battle; to \u201cPreach the Word\u201d and never give up. \u00a0Then, immediately after the last session, a church in attendance decided by a New England Center for Expository Preaching<\/a> intern as their new pastor.<\/p>\n

Three pastors drove from northern Vermont on Sunday to hear Dr. Steve Lawson speak at NECEP, spending the night in a local hotel on Monday and Tuesday so they could hear both days. One wrote back a moment ago saying: \u201cWe were so blessed by the conference that our wives say that we came back as different men. We have not stopped talking about it all week.\u201d<\/p>\n

********************<\/p>\n

Praise God for ministries like NECEP and conferences like this one, which was not hugely publicized but nonetheless served many pastors of New England with excellence.\u00a0 Check out the NECEP website<\/a>, and please, pray for it and for the churches of New England as they confront a thoroughly post-Christian culture with the good news of Jesus Christ, the gospel of salvation.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"