International Presbyterian Church

The Christian Minister

His Shepherd and Flock, his Identity and World

13-15 June 2023 – IPC Ealing

The first calling of the Christian Minister is to be a Christian. His following of Christ is the wellspring of his leading others to Christ. In days where pastoral authority is in the spotlight, and where the needs all around us are so great, we must be sustained by a deep grounding of the identity and work of the minister in Christ and the glory of the gospel, in a way which then overflows to others in grace, truth, and love.

The 2023 IPC Catalyst Conference will look at the Christian Minister in Scripture: his life in Christ and before God, the nature of his identity as an overseer, his relationship with the flock under his care, and his relationship to the world in which he ministers.

Each day will consist of the following sessions:

The Minister’s Shepherd

David Gibson (Morning Expositions)

The Minister’s Identity

Sinclair Ferguson

The Minister’s Flock

Stafford Carson

The Minister’s World

David Filson

Bookings open Monday 6 March 2023

Tuesday, 13 June
→
Thursday, 15 June 2022

BOOK ONLINE

£30 per day or £75 for all three days

£37.50 for students, all 3 days,

(Lunch and accommodation are not included)

IPC Ealing, 53 Drayton Green, West Ealing, London

Early birds:

The first 150 bookings for all 3 days will each receive some outstanding free books.

You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Psalm 77:20

About the Speakers

Sinclair Ferguson earned his Ph.D. at the University of Aberdeen. He was minister of two churches in Scotland, on the Island of Unst the most northerly of the Shetland Isles, and in St George’s-Tron, in the centre of Glasgow, as well as serving in the USA at First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina. He is Chancellor’s Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary and a Teaching Fellow of Ligonier Ministries. He has now returned to his native Scotland and is serving as Preaching Associate at Trinity Church, Aberdeen.

David Gibson (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen) is the Minister of Trinity Church, Aberdeen, where he and his wife Angela have lived for nearly 20 years. They have four children: Archie, Ella, Sam and Lily. David has written on the wisdom literature and the book of James, and, with his brother Jonathan, is co-editing ‘The Grace Project’, a multi-volume series on the doctrines of grace. He has recently authored The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus as our Shepherd, Companion, and Host (Crossway, forthcoming 2023).

Stafford Carson is a graduate of Ulster University, Queen’s University, Belfast, and Westminster Theological Seminary. Since his ordination in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland in 1983 he has pastored three different congregations. He has also served as Executive Vice President at Westminster Seminary (2000-05), as Moderator of the General Assembly of PCI (2009-10), and as Principal of Union Theological College, Belfast (2013-20). He is currently Senior Director of Global Ministries at Westminster Seminary.

David Filson is Adjunct Professor of Apologetics at WTS in Philadelphia and Pastor of Theology and Discipleship for Church and Academy at Christ Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Nashville, TN, where he has served for the past decade. He has been in vocational pastoral ministry for over thirty years. David has a background in youth ministry and church planting. His doctoral work explored the history of apologetics, focusing on Post-Princetonian, twentieth-century developments and debates over epistemology with special attention to the works of J. Oliver Buswell and Cornelius Van Til.

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.
Exodus 3:1-2

Special
Catalyst Event

Is there a Crisis in Pastoral Ministry?

A Discussion about the Nature of Christian Leadership with Sinclair Ferguson and Stafford Carson

(Chaired by Jonathan Gibson, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary)

Wednesday 14^th June 2023, 6-11pm

Summer BBQ hosted by Westminster Theological Seminary

The Drayton Court Ballroom

What have the sins of shepherds towards the flock done to pastoral authority? What have the sins of the congregation towards the minister done to pastoral ministry? What does it actually look like to lead God’s people by pastoring them, preaching to them, and praying for them with integrity, courage and faithfulness?

Join us as we consider these and other questions together. There are 120 free places for an evening of good food and reflection on the nature of pastoral ministry.

Staff from Westminster will be present to explain more about the historic vision of the Seminary and what it offers for the needs of contemporary ministry.

This event is first come first served, but priority will be given to those currently in or considering further theological education (male or female,) and to those in church ministry responsible for the training of others. It is only open to those attending all three days of the Catalyst conference.