Derick Bingham
I've been reading by the Bible teacher Derick Bingham, who will be well-known to many listeners to Sunday Sequence. Derick is teaching pastor with t, the author of more books than I can count, and one of the most accomplished communicators I've ever encountered. On Monday 23 February, he was diagnoised with . He says the diagnosis fell on him "like a meteor out of the sky".
, he recalls beginning his preaching ministry "as a lad of twelve", and continuing to preach almost every weekend since. He's now 63. Derick writes: "Day after day messages pour in from people from the most varied walks of life. It has been an overwhelmng experience. Across my life I have sought to teach God's word and I am now discovering through the messages sent to me an incredible harvest that has been brought about by the seeds sown. A man even sent his young son who is a doctor in this hospital to tell me he had found Christ when he was a student at Queen's, at Tuesday Night at the Crescent. The lady who washes me had attended the same meetings. The lady in charge of my CT scan happily told me of the days she used to go too. On and on it goes. As the book of Ruth puts it my heavenly Boaz has dropped me 'handfuls of purpose day after day in this dark dark place of suffering'".
When I first greeted Derick as a guest on Sunday Sequence, he sat opposite me in the news room studio and we shook hands. He said he was delighted to meet me, assured me he listened to the programme as often as he could, and told me be was pleased to finally shake my hand. I said, "You've shaken my hand at least a hundred times already," then explained that I had attended his Tuesday Night at the Crescent Bible studies for a few years when I was a student at Queen's.
Derick always greeted his congregation on the way into the building, because he wanted to be free to meet people with counselling needs after he preached. Hundreds of people filled the Crescent Church every Tuesday night during the 80s and 90s to hear him preach. It was part theology lecture, part storytelling, part stand-up comedy, part motivational speech: because those are all aspects of Derick's personality. I remember feeling disappointed one night because he'd stopped speaking. The person next to me was also disappointed, and we both wondered why he'd finished teaching so soon. He'd only spoken for 40 minutes. I know few communicators who can sustain the attention, interest, fascination even, of a thousand people for more than 40 minutes unaided by any modern technology -- and make them want more, week after week, year after year.
It's clear from the letters he has published on his website that Derick is genuinely surprised by the influence his life has had on so many people across Northern Ireland. Those of us who listened to him teach won't be surprised.
Right now, Derick is too ill to receive visitors. His doctors at Belfast City Hospital continue to be happy with the progress he is making through chemotherapy. And he and Margaret are deeply moved by the many expressions of support and encouragement they've received. As he tries to make sense of this health crisis, Derick says he's holding on to a quotation from the spirituality writer Philip Yancey: "Faith is trusting in advance what will make sense in reverse."
That brings back another memory for me. I interviewed Philip Yancey during his last visit to Belfast, just before he addressed an audience in the General Assembly Building. I met Derick and Margaret in the lobby as they waited for the evening to begin and we said hello. Derick wondered if I ever got nervous when I broadcasted, and this prompted a story about Rabbi Lionel Blue, who once told me he always settled himself before presenting his Thought for the Day on Radio 4 by praying, "Be present with me, dear friend". Derick liked that; he carefully wrote down the quotation. I've no doubt he shared it the next time he preached.
Some preachers make God sound like a distant idea or an ever-present danger. Derick's God was, and is, a friend. I hope I can shake his hand again soon and thank him for sharing that friendship with me.
Update 28 March 2009: I'm delighted to report the following news, which has been published on Derick Bingham's personal website: "Derick wept tears of joy this morning - The medical team looking after him officially declared him in remission at around 9 o'clock this morning! Enough white cells have returned to enable his body to fight infection. He will be allowed home for the weekend, returns to hospital on Monday and then enters a further period of rest at home to prepare him for his second course of chemo".
Comment number 1.
At 23rd Mar 2009, Orthodox-tradition wrote:lovely piece William.
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Comment number 2.
At 23rd Mar 2009, Heliopolitan wrote:I'm sorry to hear that Derick is unwell, and I hope he is feeling better very soon. When I was a theistic Christian, I used to attend the Tuesday Night at the Crescent meetings frequently, and Derick is certainly a very charismatic and entertaining preacher, who delivers his sermons straight to the guts. I'll not say that in doing so they bypass the brain, because I would in some part attribute my atheism to the exhortation of Derick and others (not least my home minister) to analyse, to dig, to think, and to study the bible in detail. OK, the results may not have turned out as they wanted, but that's the way these things go.
Get well soon!
-H
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Comment number 3.
At 23rd Mar 2009, pastorphilip wrote:Thanks for your comments about Derick, William.
I first encountered Derick when I attended a debate in Queen's Students' Union - Clifford Smyth in the chair, Ian Paisley v Tom Corbishley on '...the Mass is the central act of all true Christian worship'. As you can guess, the atmosphere was electric! Derick was one of the speakers from the floor. His passion for the Bible and the Gospel was already evident and has never left him.
I also attended 'Tuesday Night at the Crescent' for a time, and have read many of Derick's books to great personal profit - and help in my own preaching.
My congregation and I have been praying that Derick and his family will receive from God all the grace they need at this difficult time.
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Comment number 4.
At 23rd Mar 2009, Peter wrote:I went to Tuesday night at the Crescent as well when I was younger and I was saddened on hearing of his illness. I've read the letters on the Christchurch website and they are very moving.
However, one thing I do remember. In all the Tuesday nights I attended, Derick never used so called "creation evangelism" to get his message across. Had he done so I might very well have ended up with the same theological outlook as Helio, no offence intended Helio. Perhaps Derick realised, even then, that it was a controversial and divisive subject among Christians.
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Comment number 5.
At 23rd Mar 2009, Heliopolitan wrote:Hi Peter,
It was the bogusness of the resurrection that staeted me off. But that's by the by.
-H
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Comment number 6.
At 24th Mar 2009, jovialPTL wrote:Derick's influence is amazing. So many people have been touched by his deep spirituality and humanity. He is so unlike many conservative preachers in Northern Ireland. Derick speaks love and acts graciously. I've never heard him use a sermon to attack anyone or push a hobbyhorse. He's never rushed into the culture wars about science and creationism or sexuality or any of that business. Instead, he used stories that make people wide-eyed with wonder at what God is and is doing in the world. I pray that Derick will be returned to the ministry he loves very soon. We could do with his message.
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Comment number 7.
At 24th Mar 2009, nobledeebee wrote:Derick was an English teacher at my school and I still have fond memories of his humane, kind and very humourous approach to class discipline.
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Comment number 8.
At 24th Mar 2009, Peter wrote:I remember in one of his sermons he said the kids nicknamed him "Dericko from Jericho".
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Comment number 9.
At 25th Mar 2009, Shankbridge wrote:~Thank you William for this article about Derick. He is truly a wonderful man of God and a dear friend.
Just 2 years ago tomorrow (26/03) God chose to take our dear son David, aged just 25, to Heaven.
David was a remarkable young man who loved the Lord Jesus passionately. He lived his life dedicated to Christ and God took him HOME when he was at a stage of full surrender to God in his short life.
He had such a impact upon and was such an inspiration to so many during his life. So many people, young and old, have contacted us to tell us of the transforming power of David's life upon their lives and for this we feel blessed.
At David's memorial service last year, Derick told me he had been preaching the night before and he had spoken about David and his life lived for God.
David had a pronounced Ballymena accent (of which he was very proud in his days in Lancaster at Univ.) but David always wanted to be identified with Christ and Derick loved David's thought that "wouldn't it be a good idea if ALL Christians worldwide had an accent which identified them as being Christians?" A great idea.
Derick, Margaret and the girls are much in our thoughts - we know that they, like us, trust God "Through It All" - even when we don't understand!
God bless
A. H.
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Comment number 10.
At 28th Mar 2009, Orthodox-tradition wrote:Interesting thread, tributes from athiests like Helio brought this verse to mind from proverbs 16
When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
;-)
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Comment number 11.
At 29th Mar 2009, MarcusAureliusII wrote:It seems to me that when theologians are asked "why is my baby seriously ill?" or "why did my baby die when he was so innocent?" the invariable response is that it was god's will and god works in mysterious ways. Yet when both the theologians and their flock become ill themselves, they almost invariably turn to science for treatment and a cure. That is where they put their faith, a bone marrow transplant, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, not in prayer. And are they afraid to die knowing their own mortality? There is a good question to ask them under the right circumstances painful as it may be. A real test of their faith. Who dares to ask him?
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