Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. (Romans 12:4-6)

The Speakers

Brother Nigel Patterson from the United Kingdom and Brother Allan Bundeson will lead two stirring study series.

Brother Kitson Reid has been replaced by Brother Allan Bundeson. Please read the letter from Bro. Kitson here.

Bro. Allan Bundesen, Brisbane Ecclesia

My wife, Glenice and I have been members of the Brisbane Ecclesia for over fifty years.  We have three daughters and eight grandchildren.  I have been retired for quite a few years having been a Mathematics teacher and administrator.  We presided over the CYC for over ten years and have been very active in administering and attending Bible weeks.  My service on the Arranging Brother's panel lasted for some 36 years and I taught our Immersion Class for 20 years. Over the years I have presented week long studies at Bible weeks around Brisbane and in Queensland, New Zealand nad Singapore as well as weekend studies in Adelaide, Sydney and Vancouver Island.

My interests have been and are quite varied in the work of the truth:

• Writing and presenting broadcasts for 40 years,
• Preaching in the mission fields in Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore from the 1980s,
• Chairing the two previous conferences in Brisbane,
• Presenting at Bible Effectiveness courses.

At the moment my major interests are: chairing the Queensland ACBM Committee, being secretary of the Vietnam sub-committee, talking at Bible Effectiveness and preparing for five conference talks.

It is hard to pick one favourite Scripture.  One of my favourites is Micah 6:6-8 because it speaks of our total reliance on God for our salvation.

For many years I have worked for unity among the ecclesias in this region and I thank the Father for a measure of success.

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Bro. Nigel Patterson, Newquay ecclesia

We belong to the Newquay ecclesia, which is in Cornwall in S.W. England (the bit that sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean!). We number 40 members, with a number of young families. We have a Sunday School (our eldest daughter, Suzanne, is the secretary), Youth Circle, run a holiday club for part of a week in the Summer (my wife Cynthia and our two daughters Rebekah & Suzanne help with this) and we have run Learning to Read the Bible Effectively seminars.

In addition to our daughters, we have a middle son, Matthew, not in the Faith (yet!). Suzanne is single and lives nearby; Matthew is married to a doctor, with one baby boy, and lives in Bristol; Rebekah is married to Karl, newly baptised, and they have two children, a boy Oliver and a girl Amalie (two and a half and six months respectively).

Challenges & Interests

My interests in the truth are focused on the 'challenges that we face': trying to understand the increasingly secular mindset of the people we live amongst - is there a God? is the Bible reliable? is Christ a credible character? is the Christian gospel worthy of consideration? how is it relevant in the 21st century?

Favourite Bible Passage & comforts of being in the Truth

Favourite Bible passage? that's tough - there are so many of them! Probably Rom.8 vs.28-39 - it speaks so reassuringly of God's and Jesus' love for me and the certainty of their desire for me to be in the kingdom. Herein lies the comfort of the Truth, too. As people become increasingly dismayed at events on the earth, it's good to know that Someone is in control. There are hard times to come and we need to build up our trust in the unfailing care of our Father, whatever happens.