A book launch at Portstewart Baptist

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It’s not often that a church gets the opportunity to celebrate the launch of a book by one of its members (unless its pastor is John Piper or some other author).  But on Saturday evening PBC had such an opportunity.  One of our former pastors, Sam Simpson, who is retired and once again a member of the church, has written a book looking back over the nine decades of his life.

Pastor Sam Simpson with his son, Jim

Pastor Simpson conducting the male voice choir

(Click on the image for a larger photo)

Nine Decades of Blessing is the warm-hearted story of the faithful lives of Sam and Norah Simpson (Norah went to be with the Lord last year).  Together they served several Baptist churches in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

The book has been published by Ambassador in Belfast and is available by contacting our church office.

During the evening there were greetings from various people who have known Sam across the decades.  My own father worked for him in a Belfast company 50 years ago; Norman Brown, minister of Wellington Presbyterian in Ballymena was led to the Lord by Sam at a mission in Banbridge; Sam’s son Jim, who played a significant role in the production of the book, spoke too.  There were around 20 members of male voice choirs, started and nurtured by Sam, present to sing.  One of the highlights was to see Sam once more directing the choir in one of their pieces.

A great evening and a wonderful tribute to one of God’s choice servants.

PS: it was an evening for a number of ministerial jokes, including the story of a minister who went deer hunting with a farmer and a doctor.  The three men shot at one deer at the same time.  On inspection, the farmer concluded that the deer had been killed by the minister’s bullet.  The evidence?  The bullet had gone in one ear and out the other.

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