The Holy Spirit in the World Today 2011

In 2010 Holy Trinity Brompton hosted a major two day conference on The Holy Spirit in the World Today. On 3rd June 2011 HTB will be hosting a follow-up conference bringing together theologians and church leaders in the context of a dynamic local church to think about the person, role and work of the Holy Spirit in the church and the world today.



This year the line up includes:

• Professor David Ford: Regius Professor of Divinity, University of Cambridge - one of the most widely-respected theologians in the world, and author of many books, most notably and recently Christian Wisdom: Desiring God and Learning in Love (CUP, 2007)
• Dr Wonsuk Ma: David Yonggi Cho Research Tutor in Global Christianity, Oxford Centre for Mission Studies - a Pentecostal missionary and specialist in Old Testament Pneumatology and Asian Pentecostalism. He is the author, among other books, of Mission in the Spirit: Towards a Pentecostal/Charismatic Missiology (Regnum 2010)
• Jane Williams: Tutor in Theology St Paul’s Theological Centre and St Mellitus College. She is the author of several books, including most recently, Faces of Christ: Jesus in Art (Lion, 2011)
• Professor Tom Greggs: Tom is one of the youngest Professors of Theology in the UK. He is currently Professor at the University of Chester, and about to take up a new post in the summer as Professor of Historical and Doctrinal Theology in the University of Aberdeen. He is the author of, among others, Barth, Origen, and Universal Salvation: Restoring Particularity (OUP 2009)
• Ken Costa: Chairman of Lazard Investment Bank, Chairman of Alpha International, Church Warden of Holy Trinity Brompton, and one of the most widely-known lay Christian leaders in London.

I attended last year’s conference and it was a very stimulating event, though by the end of two days my brain was fried and I needed to lie down in a dark room. The structure of the conference ensured that the theological discussions were grounded in the context of worship and ministry and the programme this year is planned in the same way.

Further details about the conference can be found here and I think there may be a discount for those booking before 14th April. I understand tickets are selling well so book early to avoid disappointment.

The conference can be followed on Twitter here.

Seek the Welfare of the City

We live within conditions of globalisation where over half the world’s population now live in cities. The urban context is thus the primary arena for Christian mission and ministry; yet the existing patterns of mission and ministry seem dominated by either rural or monastic models of practice. There is a real hunger to learn from imaginative, prophetic and resilient examples of faithful urban mission and ministry and generative, hopeful frameworks of understanding that can help seed innovative and inspiring work. The Seek the Welfare of the City conference is designed to meet this hunger.

This important two day conference takes place at Holy Trinity Brompton on 25th November and St Paul’s Hammersmith on 26th November. The conference is earthed in practice which provides the context for more broad-ranging discussions. Case studies of cutting edge examples of urban mission and ministry set within a broad overview of relevant issues and developments begin each session. These generate broader discussions in a plenary setting facilitated by someone who integrates academic research with on-the-ground experience. The conference ‘journey’ overall is from practice to theory, with the groundbreaking examples of actual ministries providing the context (primarily on the second day) for identifying generic frameworks to enable participants to reflect more rigorously and relevantly about urban mission and ministry.

Each day begins with an inspirational presentation that synthesises theology and practice. Day one opens with Bishop Doug Miles sharing his testimony of 40 years experience of growing large churches in the extremely tough context of Baltimore and his extensive social and political engagements. Day two opens with Bishop John Inge setting out a framework for understanding what it means to be a local church in a globalised world and how a sense of place can nourish urban mission and ministry. The conference closes with a discussion of Luke Bretherton’s book Christianity & Contemporary Politics by leading theologians. Bretherton’s book addresses, on the one hand, the intersection between Christianity, place and identity, and on the other, the relationship between church, civil society, the market and the state. Through a series of case studies, the book sets out a vision of what faithful witness within the contemporary, predominantly urban context involves.

Come share you own experience and be inspired, provoked and nourished.

Further details about the Seek the Welfare of the City conference and booking fees and arrangements can be found here.