2013 GAULBY FESTIVAL OF GRACE

 

The 14th annual Gaulby Festival of Grace was held at Gaulby Parish Church in Leicestershire on Saturday afternoon of the 14th September 2013.

 

The Gaulby Parish of Anglican churches is a Church of England parish in the county of Leicestershire where the doctrines of the English reformers are upheld, subscribes to the Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England and regularly uses the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

 

The event was inaugurated by the late rector of the parish, Rev Ashley F B Cheesman (rector from 1988 to 2010), as an annual event to celebrate the Doctrines of Grace, proclaim the Gospel as recorded in Holy Scripture, build up believers in their most Holy Faith and inform Christians about the work of the church both in this country and in other parts the world.

 

More than fifty folk, including several young people, gathered together to hear the speakers who, this year, were Dr Kevin J Bidwell from Sheffield Presbyterian Church which is at present involved in a church plant in Berlin. He spoke from Hebrews 10: 32 – 11: 6 of the necessity for Christians to endure in these present dark times which surround us. He reminded us, from Hebrews, that just as was the case with the original recipients of the epistle, now is not a time to shrink back, but rather we must endure; and the way that we learn endurance is to endure.

 

This presentation was followed by Lee Gatiss, Director of Church Society, which is the reformed evangelical wing of the Church of England, who gave us a lively history of the Church of England from the early days of the reformation until the present time. He encouraged us with the fact that, although the church has had many ups and downs through the centuries, God has refined His church through the persecution it has faced. He reminded us that although many within the professing church today have abandoned its foundational roots, there are still many believers within the Church of England who hold to the doctrines of the reformers.

 

Finally, John Lodge from the Middle East Reformed Fellowship gave us an outline of their work of bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to numerous countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Despite the often totalitarian religions of the area and the fact that to embrace Jesus as Saviour can bring severe retribution, there are many who are coming to a personal faith in Christ. The ethnic religions of the area are unable to give any promise of sins forgiven or assurance of salvation, whereas Jesus Christ has totally and forever paid the penalty for the sins of His people and promised an eternity for them in glory.

 

A time of fellowship, accompanied by an excellent buffet tea, concluded the event and we all left with a deep gratitude for God’s abundant grace to undeserving sinners, challenged in the way we respond to the issues we encounter, and determined to be more faithful servants of our Lord Jesus Christ. We all look forward to gathering together once again next year.