Dear Church Family,
As I write this, it is the 15th anniversary of the death of our beloved minister, Dr. James Montgomery Boice. When I was a boy, I knew Tenth as the church where Dr Barnhouse was minister, but around the time I went to theological seminary I discovered Dr. Boice and his ministry. The first book of his that I bought was his sermon series on Philippians, and I was hooked; from that point I got hold of everything he wrote as it was published. I got to meet him once, in a tartan shop in Glasgow where he was shopping with his family. However irritating it is to be approached on your day off, in another country, by an adoring fan, he took time to speak to me, ask me about my church and give me some much needed encouragement. I only heard him preach once, at the Keswick Convention (where I will preach in July), on the Monday evening where he spoke on Romans 1:18. His preaching of Christ is etched on my memory.
When we pause to remember a great man and a great minister of the gospel, we are recognizing the work that he was enabled to do. For 32 years, Dr. Boice was called to lead the church at Tenth and the evangelical world in its broader sense. He was a lion in defending the inerrancy of the Bible and a left a model of expository preaching for generations to come. Under his leadership, Tenth church left the United Presbyterian Church on a point of biblical principle and entered the PCA. During his tenure many young men came, served, and left to occupy significant ministries. He was a beloved husband, father, and minister, and we are grateful to God for who he was and what he accomplished under God. Our love goes out to dear Mrs. Boice and his daughters, who miss him dreadfully, and our prayers for them are that our heavenly Father would comfort and strengthen them from day to day.
Dr. Boice was a fellow believer, a pilgrim companion to the celestial city. Sometimes, in my study, when I was struggling with a text, I would head off to the 'B' section of my library and pulling down one of his books, engage him in an imaginary conversation, and as I read I found often he would give me the answer I needed.
We are all of us as believers on that journey, and God is gracious to give us such people to strengthen us along the way. Fifteen years after he was taken from us, far too soon and without warning, we await the day when the shadows will flee away and we shall all be united in the presence of the Lord he loved and we serve. None of us can claim to be perfect, but we can learn from those who ran the race before us to be faithful, to run to the end, and to look for the promised prize, "the crown of life" which Jesus will give to His people when we all get home.
Your pastor,
Liam