Inaugral Northern Annual Reformed Conference

It was my privilege to attend the inaugural Northern Annual Reformed Conference (NAREC) at the Zambia Baptist Association Conference Centre in Ndola last week. The venue is a beautiful venue along the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway and next to Protea Hotel. It has beautiful landscaping, a spacious Conference hall, offices, kitchen and dining area and hostels. The Conference was held from 17th to 20th May 2019. The theme won the Conference was: Here We Stand - Restating and re-Affirming Our Reformed Baptist Heritage. The theme hymn of the Conference was: Faith of our Father's Holy Faith. Participants at the Conference were drawn mainly from Reformed Baptist Churches in the Copperbelt, North-Western, Central and Lusaka provinces. It was good meeting some old friends especially from the Copperbelt and in particular my former church: Nkana West Baptist Church. 

The sermons preached during the Conference were: 
Standing and Contending for the Faith Once and for All Delivered to the Saints - Ndonji Kayombo 
Our Name and Identity as Reformed Baptists - Brian Njobvu 
Our Heritage (Reformed Baptist Distinctives) - Brian Njobvu 
Seminar on New Calvinism - Kabwe Kabwe 
Holy Scriptures (Its Authority and Sufficiency) - Joseph Phiri 
Creeds and Confessions - Ndonji Kayombo 
1689 Baptist Confession of Faith - Kabwe Kabwe 
Seminar on Pitfalls of Reformation - Brian Njobvu 
Our Slogan (Semper Reformanda) 
Due to a work commitment, I was only able to attend the final day of the Conference on Friday. In this blog I will highlight the key points during the sermons and seminars that I attended. I will start with the morning sessions 

In the morning there were two sermons. The first sermon was on Creeds and Confessions and was preached by Ndonji Kayombo, the pastor of Nkana West Baptist Church (formerly Trinity Baptist Church) in Kitwe. The text was taken from Matthew 16:13-20 

He noted that the people of God have always held on to creeds and confessions. He started by defining creeds and confessions where he defined a creed is used as a rule of faith or badges or tests of what and who we are. He further noted that creeds are declarative (statements) and interrogative (catechisms). Creeds were also said to be written confessions. Creeds can be either brief or extensive in their nature. The Apostolic Creed is not extensive in nature. The 1680 Baptist Confession is extensive in nature. 

We learnt further that Calvin’s Institute’s of Religion is structured after the Apostolic Creed. Pastor Kayombo then went on to outline the history and origins of creeds. The church of Christ always has had creeds and confessions. He then spoke of the biblicity of creeds and confessions as illustrated from the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 6:4 and 1 1 Kings 18:37-40 and from the New Testament in Matthew 16:13-20. The authority of creeds and confessions is from the Scriptures. The necessity of confessions and creeds was that: 
they are a mean of establishing sound orthodox theology (1 John 4:1-3) 
they are a mean of safeguarding sound doctrine; 
they are means of witnessing to the outside world to publicly declare who we are and what we stand for; 
they are means of promoting true and authentic unity amongst believers (Amos 3:3). 
they act as a judge in times of controversy in refuting error. 
they are guides for public standards for church discipline. 
Pastor Kayombo then dealt with objections to the necessity of creeds. 
We don’t need creeds, only the Bible. He said f that is true then we don’t need preachers to expose the Bible. 
We just need Christ not creeds. Creeds help us define the Christ we say we believe in. Is he both God and man for example? 
Creeds are not a guarantee of continuity. The fact that others have failed does not mean we have to relent proclaiming the truth but rather it is a call to defend it even more. 
They are old Christianity. Christianity will never become new fashion. 
The deprive believers of liberty of conscience. Christianity does not teach that when we are saved we are at liberty to do anything we want. 
In applying the sermon, the following were stated: 
We must define what we believe through confessions of faith and never be ashamed of what we believe. 
We must be acquainted to confessions both as individuals and the Church. 
We should not surrender confessions without a fight. 
We must have unwavering commitment to the Confession 
To unbelievers: What you don’t or do confess has eternal implications and bearing - ! John 4:1-3. 
Kabwe Kabwe pastor of Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Ndola preached the second sermon of the day. The sermon was on the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. The text was taken from Ephesians 1:1-10. Pastor Kabwe highlighted the following points: 

1. The Baptist Confession of Faith is thorough on the fundamentals. 
2. The Confession of Faith is orderly. 
A Confession of Faith promotes unity. A unity based on truth. 
He then spoke of the historical context of the Baptist Confession of Faith as being: 
1. Orthodox 
2. Covenantal 
3. Calvinistic (Chapters 10-13) 
4. Puritan in terms of it's world view. 
The Puritans were diligent in exercising experiential Christianity. 
The Confession is practical in the way we should live in this world (chapters 19 & 20). 
It sets out our moral obligations to civil authorities. 
It speaks on issues of marriage and sexual purity. 
5. It is Independent and Baptistic in it's ecclesiology. 

Pastor Kabwe then posed the question: What is the Confession all about? What is it's relevance? 
The church is the pillar and ground of truth. 
We use this Confession for public affirmation and defense of Truth. 
The Confession also serves as a public standard of fellowship and discipline. 
The Confession helps us contribute to the historical continuity which we believe. 
In concluding the sermon, Pastor Kabwe gave the following points of application: 
1. We must hold on to this Confession with Christian catholicity. 
2. We must hold on to the Confession uncompromisingly. 
3. We must be humble remembering that it is the Lord who had revealed these things to us. 
4. We must hold on to the Confession with tenacity. 
5. We must hold on to the Confession with a clear conscience.