Speakers: Prof. David J. Engelsma & Prof. Herman Hanko
Date: Saturday 28th July - Saturday 4th August 2012
Venue: Lorne House, Co. Down, Northern Ireland.
For more pictures, click here.
The BRF holds a family conference every 2 years on a pertinent biblical topic. In the right-hand menu you can obtain more information about past conferences, including conference reviews, pictures, audio & books published from them by clicking on Past.
Theme and Speeches
“Ye shall be witnesses unto me,” declared the risen Lord to His eleven disciples, just moments before He ascended into heaven. According to Christ's command, prophecy and promise, His gospel, church and kingdom have spread from Jerusalem to Judaea to Samaria and “unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Today, the Christian church is “more global” than ever before but the church's official work in its missionary labours and the believer's personal witness are as necessary as they have ever been. But what must we say as Christ's witnesses? How must we witness? Where and when? We need direction from the Word of God, plus wisdom and courage!
To help us in this vital calling—whether in far-off climes or in our own families or neighbourhoods—the 2012 British Reformed Fellowship (BRF) Family Holiday Conference at Lorne House, N. Ireland (28 July – 4 August) has chosen as its theme “Ye Shall Be My Witnesses.” Profs. David Engelsma and Herman Hanko are to develop this subject in the six main speeches:
- The Divine Calling to Witness
- The Content of the Witness
- The Official Witness of the Church
- The Personal Witness by the Word
- The Personal Witness of a Godly Life
- The Manner of a Christian Witness
Also Rev. Martyn McGeown of the Limerick Reformed Fellowship (LRF) in the Republic of Ireland is to give a special lecture on missionary work.
Fellowship and CPRC Building
Lord willing, saints shall be present from all parts of the British Isles: England, Wales, Scotland, Republic of Ireland and N. Ireland; plus friends from various parts of continental Europe and further afield, including brethren from the Protestant Reformed Churches in the US and Canada. Do come and join us! In short, members of Christ's one, holy, catholic and apostolic church shall come from near and far, and from north, south, east and west, to learn about witnessing and to enjoy fellowship with each other and with the Triune God, for “truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (I John 1:3).
On the Lord's Day during the conference (29 July), we plan to hold two services at both the conference centre and at the Covenant Protestant Reformed Church (CPRC) in Ballymena. This way, we provide Sunday worship services for members of the CPRC not at the conference and unable to journey to Lorne House, and for those at the conference who do not fancy the hour and a half round trip to Ballymena. Also this arrangement will enable those from the British Isles or Europe or the rest of the world who would like to see the new CPRC building to do so—provided they have rented a vehicle or can get a lift/ride with someone to one or both of the services in Ballymena!
Venue and Activities
Lorne House is a beautiful old building with lots of character—complete with a solarium and free wireless internet access!—set in a 20-acre estate just 5-10 minutes walk from Belfast Lough with beautiful coastal walks both east and west. These will make for excellent strolls after, say, evening lectures! The grounds of Lorne include a camp site (where some have already told us that they will be staying in tents for the week of the conference), a games room, woods, two fine children's play parks, a stream (where some can go on the river run), an archery range and a bungee trampoline. These last three activities are instructor-led and paid for when at the conference.
For those who would like to spend some of their free time off-site, a train station is nearby, with frequent service to Belfast (the capital of N. Ireland) just 8 miles to the west and Bangor (a seaside resort) only 5 miles to the east.
The BRF is arranging two day trips. One is to the new Titanic museum which will open in the spring of 2012 in time for the centenary of the launch and sinking of the famous Belfast-made RMS Titanic, the largest passenger steamship in the world at the time. As the Titanic T-shirt says, “It was all right when it left here!” The captain rammed it at speed into a large iceberg on its maiden voyage to New York!
The second trip is along the beautiful east Antrim coast. This will include the impressive Carrickfergus Castle, built by the Normans in the twelfth century, plus a lighthouse, walled garden, harbour, waterfall, etc. (DV).
