Moore College: Principal Writes (June 2006)

by John Woodhouse

I have just returned from a three-week visit to North America, speaking at conferences on expository preaching in Spokane, Calgary and Wheaton, sponsored by the Charles Simeon Trust.

In Spokane the conference was arranged by Paul Rees, a Moore graduate who is the senior pastor of Christ the Redeemer Church. He had brought together about 40 pastors to be trained in biblical exposition. The biblical theological approach that we take for granted at Moore was new to most participants and received positively.

The church in Spokane began when a small group left the Episcopal Church over a moral issue. This group was looking for guidance when they came across a Moore graduate who had also moved away from the Episcopalians. He put them in touch with Donald Robinson who assisted them. In 1996, Peter Hayward came from Sydney to serve as minister to this small and rather fragile group.

Meanwhile, it happened that two men came to study at Moore, Carey Hughes from Illinois and Paul Rees from the UK. While Paul went church planting in Wales, Carey was invited to assist Peter. When Peter and Julie returned to Sydney in 2001, and the search was on for a new pastor, Carey suggested the name of Paul Rees, and Paul and Shiona agreed to come.

The little church was growing. They were renting space in a Baptist church building. The Baptists saw the quality of the work and decided to give the substantial building and land to the new church!

In the week I was there 40 local pastors had gathered to work together on their preaching. On the Sunday the church was packed with several hundred people, eager to hear the word of God. They are now planning their next church plant. The example of these faithful ministers led to a number of interviews with young men keen to explore studying at Moore.

I tell this story because it is cause for thanks to God. It is also cause for us to see that God has been pleased to use us to advance his kingdom in other parts of the world. We know that, of course. But it does not hurt to hear it again.

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