Visit to Belgium Convention
Friday 9th May to Sunday 11th May 2008
Pastor Eric, Pastor Ian and Stuart
Pastor Eric Parker and Stuart Walker from the Dover assembly journeyed on Eurostar to Brussels in the company of Pastor Ian Meldrum from the Kennington assembly.
The Belgium church had asked for Apostle/ Prophet Ministry and were open minded for new revelation at Pentecost weekend and our welcome can only be described as warm and expectant.
The three of us spent Friday afternoon with the Belgium pastors Albert, Jan. David, Erique and Phillippe (France) and the discussions were mainly based on leadership issues and the development of the Apostle/ Prophet Ministry, the meeting was, to the credit of the Belgium pastors, conducted in the English language. The venue was the Primary school where Pastor Erique teaches and pastors the local church. We were asked to pray that the building which is rented will one day become available for purchase by the Apostolic Church. Later in the evening, a meeting of key leaders from the Belgium churches was held; the Apostles brought an excellent teaching session on Principles of Leadership and the local church and community.
The convention services started on Saturday morning and Pastor Eric Parker introduced a session on ministering in the power of the Holy Spirit, the call for prayer was to set out the order for the weekend with over a dozen people responding for prayer. It was our privilege to pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, deliverance and healing as well as leading the lost to Christ.
The afternoon and evening sermons from Pastor’s Ian Meldrum and Eric Parker continued on the theme of the work of the Holy Spirit with biblical examples of those used by God after Upper Room experiences, concluding with the 10 days of waiting of those first 120 disciples who all received the Holy Spirit.
The Sunday morning Convention Communion service was a special time, with some light hearted interpretation into the French language of phrases like “huffy puffy” and “holy huddle”. The response, reason and relevance of the Holy Spirit was taught at this Pentecost service with over 150 in the congregation of gathered church. The service included the commendation for the retirement of an elder, Eyns Raymond, of 35 years, he and his wife received certificates for good and faithful service. Eyns was one of the first elders to minister in the Belgium Apostolic Church, which commenced in the 1960’s. The response to the call for prayer brought 50 to 60 of the congregation forward for ministry. |
