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Ministers and students from across the main Protestant churches received a harsh warning from influential Australian minister Rev Phillip Jensen this week. Speaking during a two day conference on preaching in Bangor, Rev Jensen warned; "We're an old organisation about to celebrate a 2000 year birthday, we've become naturally conservative. We urgently need to get back to preaching the Bible, the living word."
As minister of St Matthias Anglican Parish in Sydney, Rev Jensen has pioneered a radical approach to Bible teaching by 'planting' twelve new "para - churches" amongst different sections of the local community. These include over four different Chinese churches and a church which caters specifically for journalists.
Drawing from his experience however Rev Jensen warned of infighting; "You have to pick the right battles. In Australia we had the wrong enemy, arguing within the church over useless battles, while all around us society went to rack and ruin - the sexual revolution, cultural and micro revolutions went past us."
The conference also heard a stark warning about complacency: "Irish churches think they know the scriptures don't they? My guess is if your peace process holds you'll see a tide of secularisation sweep over your society. Your full churches and traditions may be more brittle than you thought."
Rev Jensen encouraged ministers to preach the true gospel which was one of repentance and growth. "If people read the Word of God, come to a conclusion and don't change, what's the point of reading it?" he concluded.
The conference was organised by Hamilton Road Presbyterian Church, Bangor and was attended by ministers from the Presbyterian, Anglican, Baptist and Reformed Presbyterian Churches. It is the second time an Australian has been to Hamilton Road in recent weeks. The church recently paid host to a well attended fortnight of evangelism from John Chapman, a colleague of Phillip Jensen in Sydney.
Issued by Martin McNeely, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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