As moderator you get the odd wee trip.  This one was to Edinburgh to the European Conference of Reformed Churches.  It is a regional grouping of the ICRC of which the RPs are members.  The conference was based at Heriot Watt uni.  I have to say I wasn’t really looking forward to being away from the family for 4 days and with plenty to be getting on with in Dromore.  However the days at the conference were stimulating and helpful.  About 12 countries were represented.  Just as well my Spanish, French, Dutch, German, Hungarian etc were all top drawer – NOT!  I felt like the proverbial Philistine not being even able to greet other men in their language.  Thankfully they all spoke perfect English.  The theme of the conference was “Reaching Out Together in Europe (ROUTE).  Prof Pratt was the main speaker dealing with the theme of reforming reformed evangelism.  The conference was packed with talks, seminars and plenary sessions from early morning to late at night.  It was exciting to hear what the Lord is doing throughout the continent of Europe through our brothers in Christ.  We have much to learn.  On Wednesday evening we had a trip in to Edinburgh to a Free Church building where Alex MacLeod gave a super paper on evangelism in a postmodern world from John 4.  At supper time I had a chat with Willie Lytle  Hannah Yeates who worship in the congregation.  The closing sermon of the conference was delivered by Rev. Ian D. Campbell on II Corinthians 4v7.  In between all the addresses there was time for chatting to the other 80 delegates and learning first hand from their experiences.  I was particularly challenged on speaking with a minister from the India Reformed Christian Mission (I know it is not in Europe – I did a Geography degree).  Maybe it is just that I am creeping up of the half century but he looked very young.  In the past 10 years or so he had been used of God to found one congregation, get four church plants off the ground and set up a home for orphans.  As I talked with my brother I thought – just what am I doing struggling to get a few sermons together each week, do some pastoral visiting and lead a midweek.

The big lesson that struck me during the week came in an illustration of Prof Pratt.  He said that so many reformed churches are  like the pioneers going out west in their wagon trains.  When the Indians attacked they moved into a circle and the attack stopped.  But those old Indians were clever – waiting for the train to move on again and then picking off the last wagon until there weren’t enough wagons left to make a circle.  Sadly we are tempted too often to get into our circles – if we don’t reach out big style – we will soon not have enough wagons.  He said “enclaves by definition disappear”  “if you retreat from frontline evangelism then you can predict what will happen.”

Perhaps we have some serious rethinking to do.

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