RAYMOND BOLTON REACHES HIS CENTURY! Raymond Charles Bolton was born on 27 June 1918 in the city of Bath – at that time in Somerset, now in the county of Avon. In his teens he felt called by God to Christian ministry, and began his long preaching career in small churches in the Bath area. He was planning to apply for ministerial training, but the Second World War intervened, and he spent the war years in the Royal Army Medical Corp which enabled him to contribute significantly to the war effort, without having to be in a combat role. After the war he was accepted at South Wales Baptist College in Cardiff, where he completed his studies, and also met Dorothy Moller, his landlady’s daughter, whom he married in 1949. He was minister of four Baptist churches during his working life – in Chesham, Bucks; Leigh-on-Sea, Essex; Ilford, East London; …
This news item has some significant news about the regional team, and some imminent changes, so please do read all the way to the end. First, however, we want to update you on how Nick is getting on. Clearly his doctors will be advising him on exactly when it is appropriate to begin his phased return to work, but all current indications are that it will be around the middle or end of May. Here is a fuller update taken from his own blog: ‘I am making slow and gentle progress. Each day I try to keep mobile and in particular go for a walk outside. Each day I try to extend the distance slightly and aim to get home feeling slightly out of breath but not breathless. I’ve managed to get out and about. Church on Easter Sunday morning is really special and I was determined to be there. …
Most of the sessions from the Eastern Baptist Association Ministers Conference 2018 at High Leigh Conference Centre were filmed and are available to be viewed below (due to the room allocation of some the workshop sessions they were unable to be filmed). EBA Ministers Conference 2018 | Anthony Delaney Session 1: Catalysing Movements https://youtu.be/xQigg5gebcY EBA Ministers Conference 2018 | Anthony Delaney Session 2: Catalysing Movements https://youtu.be/4dk3DZLSD0Q Feedback from Anthony Delaney’s sessions https://youtu.be/ZOHScjw2OcM Still Moving on together with God and in Relationship – Beth Powney https://youtu.be/NZp5XIVkwx8 Still Moving: God’s mission and secularism – Mark Ord https://youtu.be/BgBFKiYE3sU Still Moving: Reflection – Lindsay Caplen https://youtu.be/yYE-GBwnvsI Still Moving: Learning together workshop – Graeme Ross https://youtu.be/-59M-RTTeNw
On Sunday 25th February, Oasis Coffee House, 189 Leigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea hosted a Fairtrade event at the start of Fairtrade Fortnight, which attended by a full house. Sarah Brazier from the Fairtrade Foundation came to give a talk about Fairtrade and the difference it makes for farming communities who produce our food in the global south. Without Fairtrade, farmers from the global south, who produce the food that we buy from supermarkets, are often those that do not earn enough to feed their own families. Sarah gave the example of the Coobana Cooperative in Panama, who for many years struggled producing bananas and getting a fair price for their crop. Now they are Fairtrade certified it has made a huge difference to their economic security in the global market, and to their community with improved housing for farmers, children able to afford to attend school and college, and improved working …
