October 15, 2024

Serving the Church, multiplying expository Word ministry

Robin Sydserff

I’m very thankful for the opportunity to serve as the new Director of The Proclamation Trust (PT).

My first stint at PT from 2004-2008, working with Dick Lucas, David Jackman and Christopher Ash, was life-changing.  Their confidence in the ministry of the Word as God’s means of transformation, and their commitment to serve the Church, multiplying expository Word ministry through training, equipping and encouraging preachers and Bible teachers, was used of the Lord to build a genuinely centrist renewal movement that united evangelicals.  We live in the present, not the past, but can rightly take inspiration from those who have gone before us.

Over the last month, we’ve met together as PT trustees and staff on two separate Away Days.  We began with these prayerful aims for the Church in the UK. 

  1. Pray that the Lord would enable a centrist renewal movement in expository Word ministry.
  2. Pray that the Lord would raise up gospel workers across the UK through local churches developing a training culture.
  3. Pray that the Lord would enable a coherent, effective and scalable strategy for multiplying gospel workers.

The scope of these prayers is much wider than PT.  If the Lord is pleased to renew His Church, it will mean churches and parachurches, across networks and groupings working together.  And therefore our prayer for PT is that we would serve the Church generously and expansively, looking to the interests of others, not our own.

Over the next few months, we’ll be thinking about how we can best do that, by reviewing the different ministries of PT – Cornhill, Events and Resources.  We want that thinking to be informed by those we serve, so please partner with us, prayerfully and in dialogue.

In that spirit of partnership, can I share the following reflection from the Away Days in answer to the question – What is expository Word ministry?

  1. The primary strategy for Church renewal is prayer and expository Word ministry
  2. Expository Word ministry is centered on preaching, but not restricted to preaching
  3. Expository Word ministry is entrusted to men and women, reflective of the Bible’s teaching on complementarity
  4. Expository Word ministry reflects the way God has inspired His Word. 
  5. Expository Word ministry says what God’s Word says, in the way it says it, for the reason it was written
  6. Expository Word ministry brings out the truth and transformational intent of God’s Word
  7. Expository Word ministry is grounded in biblical theology, forms systematic theology, and is informed by systematic theology
  8. Expository Word ministry mediates meetings with the living Jesus
  9. Expository Word ministry is in the power of the Holy Spirit
  10. Expository Word ministry engages the whole person for transformation
  11. Expository Word ministry is pastorally applied in a local church setting
  12. Expository Word ministry is stylistically diverse 

This is what PT is committed to – serving the Church, multiplying expository Word ministry. 

At a gathering organised by 9:38 back in May, looking at the crisis in recruitment of gospel workers, Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Director of National Ministries) reminded us that Christian ministry is a noble task.  His reminder was a much needed encouragement for all of us there, one that we need to pass on to the next generation.  To be engaged in Word ministry is to serve God in His means of transformation. As the new term begins at Cornhill, it’s wonderful to see just over 200 students across the different courses learning and growing together in Word ministry.  Please pray for them.  Please pray for many more, not just at Cornhill, but across the different training churches and training providers in the UK.

For all of you engaged in the noble task of Word ministry, we pray you will be encouraged in the face of the many challenges and difficulties of Christian ministry.  As the Word increases, Satan will oppose it. Very often, his attacks are directed to those who minister the Word.  Yet God’s Word will prevail.  At the recent ReNew Conference, Ben Cooper reminded us of God’s sovereignty over His Word, the ministry of His Word and ministers of His Word.  God’s promise is to multiply Word ministry. We take great heart from that.

Please get in touch.  We’d love to hear from you.

In warm gospel partnership,

Robin Sydserff
Director of The Proclamation Trust

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