Sharing Christ’s Great Banquet 

New President Tim Presswood introduced his theme in the form of a powerful and challenging poem as he was inducted at the Baptist Assembly on Saturday (17 June)

 
Tim is team leader of the Urban Expression Team in Openshaw, East Manchester, one of the most deprived inner-city communities in the country, and minister of Forest Church, Manchester. He is also a part-time Regional Minister with the North Western Baptist Association, and College Manager for Northern Baptist College.

Tim’s theme of Sharing Christ’s Great Banquet builds on predecessor Hayley Young’s Building a Bigger Table.

‘Having built the table, my theme will be to ensure that everyone can share fully in Christ’s Great Banquet,’ he explained after a discernment process supported his presidential nomination in 2022.
 
After being introduced by Lynn Green on Saturday afternoon, he began by reading Amos 5:21-24 and Luke 14: 16-21, where Jesus speaks of filling the banquet with the misfits from the lanes of the town.
 
He then read the following  poem.
 
 
Scanning
the room
I look
for friends
for family
I look
for familiarity
 
I look for the head of the table
The influencers
operators
The beautiful people
The people
deserving
of my time
my attention
 
Where
are those
who make me feel comfortable?
Where
are those
who make me feel safe?
Where
are those
who play the same games as me?
Who
do I need to speak to
to be seen with?
 
But
here comes Jane
four times married
and divorcing her child-abusing husband.
 
And there
in the corner
Australian Mike
junkie eyes never focused
holding court over anyone who will listen
 
Mary, Mary
emerging
butterfly
from thirty years of abuse
thrilled that someone remembers her name
 
Esther
the doctor
whose qualifications count for nothing
in this land of her exile
 
Joy the joyful pastor’s wife
joyfully
preparing the Iftar feast
for her sisters
 
A peel of laughter
uncovers
the nameless women
where Korean mixes with Arabic
Polish with Cantonese
 
I look for the head of the table
The influencers
operators
The beautiful people
The people
deserving
of my time
my attention
 
but all I find is
James
doubtful
touched by madness
sitting in the wrong seat
sitting in the honour seat
sitting in the place reserved
for the one who invites us all
 
all I find is
James
doubtful
touched by madness
sitting in the wrong seat
sitting in the honour seat
sitting in the place reserved
for the one who invites us all
 
I look for the beautiful people
the great
the good
I look for the stylish
the trend-setters
 
all I find is
James
doubtful
touched by madness
sitting in the wrong seat
sitting in the honour seat
sitting in the place reserved
for the one who invites us all
 
Abigail dances
with Ruby
and James dances
with his eyes
James dances
with his eyes
but he sits
in the wrong seat
he doesn’t belong here
he doesn’t belong there
James does not belong
He doesn’t fit in
He doesn’t fit
He doesn’t
James doesn’t
James never has
James never will
fit
James doesn’t fit
 
Scanning
the room
I look
for friends
for family
I look
for familiarity
 
And what I see
Is James
smiling
sitting
and beckoning me.
 
 
Tim concluded by encouraging delegates: ‘Let’s share Christ’s great banquet with those around us.’

He was led by Lynn through the President induction promises, and prayed for by Hayley and several colleagues. 
 

For more, see our the Presidents' page, and Tim's article for the summer edition of Baptists Together magazine All called to share in Christ's great and challenging banquet.