2024 Status of the Divine Work in the UK
In a world full of chaos and uncertainty, the followers of Christ can find peace and strength by placing their unwavering trust in Him. Not only should we maintain consistency in worship and prayer, we also need to encourage and build each other up in faith through fellowship. In the first half of 2024, a number of national fellowships were held in the UK, including National Married Couples Fellowship, National Youth Fellowship, National Evergreen Fellowship and National Sisters Fellowship. Many brothers and sisters grasped hold of these opportunities to learn and share together within the household of God.
To help brethren equip themselves as good soldiers of Christ, the UKGA has organised various training events throughout the year. The Adult Theological Training Class and the National Minister and Worker Spiritual Cultivation Seminar were held in February and June respectively. Apart from strengthening biblical knowledge, our Department of Training also included sessions concerning daily life issues in these events, such as “How to Face Social Injustice” and “Amnesia, Dementia and Church Support”.
Moreover, our Religious Education (RE) Team has organised a number of seminars for RE teachers and trainees as well as students. The first RE Trainee Teacher Graduation Seminar was conducted online in mid-July in order to improve teaching quality, followed by the annual National Student Spiritual Convocation (NSSC) held at different locations at the end of the same month. Thanks be to God that the number of students registered for the NSSC exceeded 200 for the first time. We pray that our younger generation will continue to keep themselves in the love of God.
As believers of the true church, we need to make use of every opportunity to become witnesses for Christ and live for Him. In addition to regular online evangelistic services, the National Evangelism Group has organised two national fellowships in January and November this year. These aim to strengthen the work of evangelism, through fostering a stronger bond among the various evangelism planning groups at both national and local levels as well as providing our brethren with a deeper understanding of church doctrines. Undoubtedly, literary ministry also plays an important role in spreading the gospel and nourishing the flock of Christ. We truly thank God that the UKGA’s first full-time literary ministry office worker commenced his employment at the start of the year. He is currently receiving three years of theological training provided by the US General Assembly.
The membership in many places of worship in the UK and Ireland has been increasing in recent years. The Place of Worship in Aberdeen started holding services in a property acquired last year, while the Place of Worship in Essex made an offer on a property which was accepted by the vendor in May. But a few places of worship have been hiring venues for Sabbath services for a number of years. The brethren in Dublin, Glasgow and Leeds are therefore striving to find their own permanent church buildings. As Jesus said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Mt 19:26). May the Lord Jesus Christ strengthen our faith and continue to guide the church development nationally.
