Report on the Bible Study Conference - Coventry, May 2009

Unity in Christ
Speakers Mike Penny and Cliff Richmond

The Open Bible Trust has been in contact with Kashif  Masih for ten years, going back to when he lived in Pakistan. However, that country is dangerous for Christians and Kashif now lives in Coventry with his wife and two children. He attends the Grace of God Ministries church where his father-in-law, Younas Gill, is pastor.

Last year we received a request, asking the Open Bible Trust to run one of their conferences at the church where Grace of God Ministries meet. This we did on Saturday May 30th. There were about 100 people there from various parts of the West Midlands, or should I say, the world, for there were many nationalities present.

The subject was Unity in Christ  and those in attendance demonstrated this admirably with their different clothes and cultures and music, but all rejoicing in Christ as their Saviour. However, as English was the second language of the majority, the talks had to be translated in Urdu, admirably done by Pastor Harbans Masih.

Michael Penny gave the first talk dealing with the disunity that existed  between the Jewish and Gentile Christians of the Acts Period. Cliff Richmond then followed on showing how those two groups were made one after Acts 28:25-28, by God abolishing the Law for the Jewish Christians. In this talk Cliff drew heavily upon Ephesians, the great letter of unity.

In the third talk Cliff spoke on the unity of the Spirit, a unity made by God, embracing all true believers in Christ. Man’s job is not to make that unity, but to keep or guard it.