A New General Secretary for the TBS

Members and supporters will be aware that following the completion of Stage One of the Strategic Review, the Society has been actively recruiting for the post of General Secretary to formally replace Mr Paul Rowland, who retired from that role over two years ago after many years of faithful service.

It is with deep thankfulness to the Lord that we can announce that this recruitment process has been completed. The process was conducted by the General Committee with rigour and prayer, and we are grateful to those who applied.

The final interview and selection stage took place over two intensive days at William Tyndale House in November 2021. The General Committee clearly felt the hand of the Lord upon them as they deliberated between the applicants, who underwent several interviews during this time, gave presentations and submitted written work, in addition to meeting with the Committee less formally on the first evening. Throughout these two days, and before, the Committee’s desire was that the one whom the Lord had appointed would be clearly manifested as such.

It is thus with pleasure and quiet confidence that the mind of the Lord has been made known, that we can announce that Jonathan Arnold, our present Editorial Director, has been offered the position of General Secretary, with the unanimous support of the General Committee, and he has graciously indicated his willingness to accept. Mr Arnold is also the leading ministerial elder at Westminster Baptist Church, London, and a member of the TBS Greater London Auxiliary. We commend him to your prayers as he takes up this challenging position as the leader of the Trinitarian Bible Society across the world.

We would also like to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge the gracious and competent leadership of the Society in the interim period, during which the Senior Management Team, led by Mr David Broome, the Resources Director, has been able to provide under God these past two and a half years. We are also grateful for the part played by the Branch General Secretaries during this time. No doubt all of these men will continue to work closely with the new General Secretary in pressing forward with the Society’s work.

As the Society enters this new chapter, our members and readers can be assured that there is no dilution whatever of any of the distinctive aims which have lain at the foundation of its work since its inception, and its continuing stand for the inspired Scriptures. By God’s grace, we continue to stand with the founders of this Society, who in 1831 so ably set forth in the Society’s Constitution the principles by which our work should be carried out.

The present challenges in an anti-Christian world are great, and we can only expect opposition as we seek to translate and distribute God’s Word. May the words of the Apostle Paul be for our encouragement as the Society steps forward, depending on the God of all grace, into this new chapter. ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Romans 8.31).

‘Brethren, pray for us.’

On behalf of the General Committee of the Trinitarian Bible Society

Gerald D Buss (Chairman)