Diary of a happy conference-goer
Monday 28 July
4pm - Casa diocesana de espiritualidad Beato Manuel Gonzalez, Camino de los Almendrales, Malaga.
Gradually the participants arrive. They are all from the north, and already they’re dripping. We were promised there’d be air-conditioning - where is it?
The joy of meeting old friends for some, shy introductions for others. Everyone dredges their memory for the greetings learnt in their schooldays: "Hello!", "¡Hola!", "Bonjour!"
7.30pm - Opening meeting. The Spanish ... what am I saying? I mean, the Andalusians… provide the entertainment. David Rivero, pastor of Malaga Baptist Church, is master of ceremonies. There’s a warm atmosphere, there’s music - lots of music; there are songs - lots of songs; and there’s even dancing, to everyone’s delight… especially to the delight of Keith Johns.
10.30pm - Having finished dinner, all go their separate ways. Some wander through the streets of Malaga looking for a friendly bar, while others prefer to shut themselves in their bedroom which already feels like an oven.
Tuesday 29 July
8am - First prayer meeting. Paul Appéré is on duty. There are ten, then 15, then 20 people gathered for a time of praise and prayer. The faces look tired, but the prayers are earnest.
8.30am - Breakfast. Everyone rushes for the coffee - we’ll need more than one cup to keep us awake all morning.
9.30am - Bible teaching from David Burt. David has been a missionary in Spain for more than 40 years.
His theme this morning is trust (Matthew 11:25-27). In order to know the Father, we must know the Son. And to know the Son, we must believe in him. In other words, knowing the Father is within the reach of all of us; for if we can’t all be full of knowledge, we can be full of trust. Like the little children that the Lord loves to give as examples.
10.30am - Amazing but true! Our friends from across the Channel have managed to get a coffee-break only one hour after breakfast. How do they do it? It’s an opportunity for all of us to get to know one another better.
11.30am - This is the main course, and Ray Evans is here to serve it. Ray studied at Oxford and he has been the pastor of Grace Community Church, Kempston (Bedford) for 25 years.
Starting with the story of the two brothers (Luke 15:11-32), Ray suggests that there are three ways to live: irreligious, religious and… Christian. It goes without saying that he prefers the third way.
12.30pm - The participants split into five groups, according to a clever system combining languages spoken and dates of birth. The aim is to try to answer an excellent set of questions prepared by our speaker. The theme that keeps coming back is that of the "elder brother" tendencies in us.
1.30pm - Lunch is excellent, and the staff do all they can to satisfy us.
2.30pm - A lot of participants have decided to spend the afternoon in the largest tropical garden in Europe, the Malaga Botanical Garden, and a coach comes to pick them up. Those who stay behind enjoy the peace and quiet of the siesta time.
7.30pm - The French-speaking evening. News from some of the churches: Moutier, Court, Thonon-les-Bains, Geneva and Paris-Ternes. And some presentations, either in absentia: Raphaèle Appéré, on a mission in Chad; or in the form of interviews: Jonathan Porteous and Paul Bourdois, theology students, the first at Aix-en-Provence and the other at Vaux-sur-Seine.
Wednesday 30 July
9.30am - The theme is rest. The rest that Christ offers, that is: to whoever recognises his authority and submits to it (Matthew 11:28-30). A lovely picture of the Saviour who came to bring relief to the weary and burdened.
11.30am - A view of our society. Its philosophy can be summaried in three slogans, says Ray Evans: “Look out for number one”, “Consumer choice”, “It’s your story”. The question was: how can we avoid conforming to the spirit of our age?
12.30pm - Some serious discussions in the workshops: is the secularisation of our world inevitable? If it is still possible for Christians to reverse the trend, how do we do it? One thing we all agreed on: the vital role of prayer. For who else apart from God can change the way people think?
2.30pm - Free time. A walk for some, the pool for others. How delicious to dip in the water when the thermometer is nearing 40° in the shade.
6pm - What self-denial: the delegates from the FEBE member churches gather for the Business Meeting! Thankfully, the agenda has been cut down. Just a few important points, such as the choice or confirmation of Paul Appéré, Linda Davey, Keith Johns and Marc Shöni as members of the Liaison Committee, or the organisation of FEBE’s first pastoral conference in September 2009 in Velingrad, Bulgaria, or indeed the plans for our next Conference, in Switzerland.
A subject for consideration put to the Meeting by its chairman, Ken Austin: how can we convince other churches to join FEBE?
7.30pm - The evening meeting is called “A look at the United Kingdom” . The stars are churches in Bradford and Ipswich, with encouraging news of growth from every point of view.
Thursday 31 July
9.30am - David Burt has chosen to introduce the day with a meditation on Jesus’ compassion. Firmly rooted in Scripture (Matthew 12:15-21), the picture he gives us is most reassuring: “The bruised reed he will not break, the smouldering wick he will not snuff out”.
11am - This day has been set aside for relaxation. Everyone has made their choice. Therefore some are taken by coach to from Frigiliana to Nerja, and from the centre of Nerja to its delightful beach, while others are thoroughly individualistic, making up their own schedule for the day without asking anything of anyone else!
We all had one thing in common, however: the care with which we prepared for an encounter with the sun! Lashings of sun-cream, dark glasses, quaint headgear, thermos flasks…
A wonderful afternoon, judging by the pink and happy faces which came back at the end of the day.
7.30pm - Relaxation was followed by some hard work. The meeting on the programme was intended to give everyone the chance to ask their own questions of our main speaker. The questions were highly relevant, and the answers were brilliant. So brilliant that sometimes the interpreters lost the thread… and threw in the towel!
10.30pm - Already intoxicated with the sun, some of us wanted to prolong the enjoyment at a pavement cafe. Glasses appeared containing sangria, cana, vino blanco - but we all looked out for each other and everyone was careful not to overdo it.
1.30am - It’s just starting to get cooler: 38°, 37°, 36° - it’s time to return to our airless rooms and try to sleep.
Friday 1 August
7am - The last day - the week has flown by too quickly.
9.30am - A surprise to start with. David Burt wants to talk to us about the true family of Jesus, “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50); he ends up giving us a long and impassioned meditation on… Jonah. He calls him an exemplary prophet, and his arguments are quite convincing.
11.30am - The gospel is unique, and the way of life it teaches us is unlike any other. The problem is how to show how unique the Christian faith is. Drawing on his many years of pastoral experience, Ray Evans suggests three complementary approaches: “Go out and tell”, “Come and see”, “Love and serve”. There really are three ways to live, he concludes; let us show just how new and wonderful is the third way, the way taught by Christ.
12.30pm - The end is near - the end of the Conference, that is. Our beloved General Secretary, Nordine Salmi, takes the stage, and reads us a letter dated… 2 November 2008. It’s from someone who attended the conference, looking back over his stay at Malaga with thankfulness. What he received there has changed his outlook and his behaviour. Not that he has reached perfection, but he has seen some progress. Today he feels he is a slightly better Christian, and a slightly better citizen. And that he has made new friends, whom he seeks to remember in prayer.
What a welcome letter! How reassuring: our gathering has certainly achieved its aim. So we look forward to the next time: “Binenberg 2010”? God willing.
1pm - Time for thank-yous. The FEBE order of merit goes to David Rivero and the Malaga church, who organised everything so well; to the superb speakers; to the Committee for their commitment; to the interpreters and translators for their tireless work; and last but not least, the Lord himself, faithful and good as always.
1.30pm - The last lunch, and an opportunity to express our gratitude to the staff of the Seminary, and in particular to the cook, whose skill was appreciated by all.
2.15pm - A succession of taxis at the front door - and one by one the participants depart, their suitcases full of good memories and firm resolutions.
2.30pm - A handful of volunteers who have remained behind are busy putting the place back in order.
3.30pm - The curtain falls on “Malaga 2008”.
