Revised 2008

[If John Maxwell can be incontrovertible about Leadership I don’t see why I shouldn’t be incontrovertible about Preaching!]

In his book “The Contemporary Christian”, John Stott describes the preacher’s task as follows: “To preach is to open up the inspired text with such faithfulness and sensitivity that God’s voice is heard and God’s people obey him”.  I want to argue that best [but not the only] way of preaching is Expository Preaching – that is preaching and teaching through books of the Bible one by one.

I’m not arguing for boring Expository Preaching, nor do I think that the expository method will by itself ensure that the full message of the Bible is heard.  I am arguing that as a general practice Expository Preaching makes sense and is of great value to the preacher and the congregation.

Kenneth Gilbert Frewer – A Tribute

Over 400 people attended Ken Frewer’s funeral in Perth on January 25. God was greatly glorified in it all. The following is a tribute presented by Bishop Tony Nichols.

The large number gathered here today; the interstate phone calls and activity on social media testify to the widespread sense of loss and unbelief at the passing of Ken Frewer.

Over the past three months no royalty would have had more visitors to their hospital bed than Ken – many of them young people and overseas students to whom he was a mentor and father figure. Few left his side without a reading from the Bible, the Prayer Book or the CMS Prayer Diary.

Ken had a remarkable ministry of friendship which attracted people from all walks of life. He was a man of culture, an excellent pianist and a great conversationalist. But it was his interest in people, his memory for personal details and his thoughtfulness that had an impact on so many.

Scores of people asked him to baptize their children or to be a godparent. He kept track of those children over the years and often officiated at their weddings, as he did for one of our sons.

I personally got to know Ken 45 years ago when he left the public service to train for the ordained ministry at Moore Theological College. He graduated with an Honours BD and Th. Schol. After curacies at Vaucluse and Pymble he was commissioned by the Church Missionary Society for service with the CMS team in Indonesia. (He had done Indonesian studies in his Arts degree). The Protestant Church of Irian Jaya (GKI) appointed him as its first university chaplain in 1977.