The 2021 Theological Study Conference (March 17-18): Time running out to book your place!

The conference will this year be online, on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 March, between 9.00am and 4.45pm each day. Booking in advance is essential.

Introducing the Conference Theme

“In the last nine months, the world and our lives seem to have changed almost beyond recognition. Covid-19 should cause us to reflect on the brevity and uncertainty of this earthly life – and encourage us to think ahead to the future, even beyond the grave and beyond this present world.

The theme of the 2021 Affinity Theological Study Conference will be ‘The Undiscovered Country’. The theme of Biblical Eschatology was agreed several months before the word ‘coronavirus’ entered our vocabularies. But it seems more appropriate than ever, given the circumstances through which we are now living. Not only pastors and preachers, but all Christians who know that the Bible furnishes us with a sure and certain hope, will greatly benefit from this Conference.

We have taken the decision to hold the Conference entirely online, and we hope very much that this might encourage many people to join us. Our prayer is that wonderful glimpses of ‘The Undiscovered Country’ will be revealed to us.”

Paul Yeulett, conference chairman

We look forward to welcoming you online in March 2021. The conference is open to both men and women and booking takes just a few moments – start by clicking the ‘Register’ button on our conference website.

 
Conference papers and speakers:

Paper 1: The Hopes and Fears of all the Years (Rupert Bentley-Taylor)
Pastoral directions equipping believers to live in this present age.

Rupert Bentley-Taylor was born into a missionary family and lived as a child in the Far East where he came to faith. He taught history for six years and then went on to serve as a pastor for 30 years, firstly in Bournemouth and then in Bath. He also served for three years as the very last FIEC President. He has taught the Bible in a number of training courses and conventions and been engaged in preaching training in North India over many years. He and his wife, Margie, are currently involved in a new church, Emmanuel Church, in Bath, though Rupert now speaks widely across the country. They have four grown-up children and many grandchildren.

Paper 2: With Me in Paradise (Paul Yeulett) – standing in for Hamish Sneddon who is unwell.
Pastoring believers who are soon to die, and the reality that they will be soon be ‘with Christ’.

Paul is a Fenlander by birth and studied maths at university in Newcastle upon Tyne, where he became a Christian in his second year. Sensing a call to the ministry, Paul first taught at Emmanuel College in Gateshead between 1993 and 2004 before undertaking theological training by distance learning at the Highland Theological College. In 2007 he answered a call to become Minister of Shrewsbury Evangelical Church. Since September 2014 Paul has been Minister of Grove Chapel in Camberwell. He and his wife Ruth have three teenage children. In his spare time Paul has enjoyed a variety of pursuits: astronomy, cricket, golf, history and politics – as well as Indian cuisine.

Paper 3: The End is not the Beginning… (Michael Horton)
An investigation into what the Early Church Fathers, especially Irenaeus and Origen, understood about the human body, soul and spirit, especially in the light of Christ’s ascension and the eternal state

Michael S. Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California. Prof. Horton (Ph.D., University of Coventry and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford) has written over 30 books including The Christian Faith and Pilgrim Theology. He has taught apologetics and theology at Westminster Seminary California since 1998. He is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of White Horse Inc, home to its namesake the White Horse Inn radio show and podcast, Modern Reformation magazine, Core Christianity, and the Global Theological Initiative. He and his wife, Lisa, and their four teenagers reside in Escondido, California.

Paper 4: All Israel will be saved (Gareth Burke)
The future of ‘Israel’ – in particular a study of Romans 11.

Gareth Burke was born and raised in Belfast. After studying Modern History at Queens University he studied for the ministry at the Free Church College, Edinburgh. Since 1984 he has served in the ministry of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and for the last twenty years has been minister of the Stranmillis congregation in the University area of Belfast. He is married to Ruth. They have been blessed with four grown up children and eight grandchildren.

Paper 5: The Business of Heaven (Paul Mallard)
Biblical and pastoral reflections on the nature and character of the world to come.

Paul Mallard is the pastor of Widcombe Baptist Church in Bath. Since being called to the pastoral ministry in 1982, Paul has also served as pastor at churches in Chippenham and Worcester and Bath.For three years he was the President of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches. He has been involved in a variety of ministerial training schemes, and also engaged in pastoring pastors. Paul is married to Edrie and they have four children and five grandchildren. For the last twenty years Paul and Edrie have had to live with Edrie’s serious neurological degenerative disease. This has shaped their ministry and it has proved God’s faithfulness.

Book now on our conference website.