1. This was the first

purpose built church

constructed by

Seventh-day Adventists

in the British Isles. It

was officially opened in

1888 in Ulceby.

2. The Armstrong home

in Ulceby where Ellen

White stayed for two

extended periods

during 1885-87.

3. The Southamptonchurch building was purchased in 1891 (seeNo 3a) but evangelism inSouthampton was begunby John Loughboroughand William Ings in 1878-79.

4. The gate to the historic city ofSouthampton.5. A section of the wallsof ancient Southampton.

Pastor Cecil R. Perry, president, BUC,marks the one hundredth birthday of theBritish Union by a stocktake on the pastand a glimpse into a future which he

hopes will be interrupted by the second comingof Jesus.

3

4

2

1

5

3a

continued on page 2

Barry

Alen

Barry Alen

Barry Alen

IIf Pastor Perry had not reminded me, I might have forgotten that 2002 representsthe 100th birthday of the British Union.

Of course, the Adventist story in Britain really began, not a century ago, but acentury and a quarter ago. 1878, to be exact. Whenever I have access to the documents from that early period one thing strikes me. The conspicuous lack ofsuccess of our pioneers and their discouragement as a consequence. JohnLoughborough, Steven Haskell and W. W. Prescott had enjoyed outstanding evangelistic success in other countries but in Britain had only ‘penny number’baptisms. In correspondence all three men expressed dismay at the tough terrainthey found here.

Men like Judson Washburn (in the 1890s), William Maudsley and LionelBarras (in the 1920s), C. A. Reeves and R. A. Anderson (in the 1930s) andGeorge Vandeman and Ken Lacey (in the 1950s) made soul-winning look easy.They packed large buildings with people. Indeed, well-authenticated reports indi-cate that, in a number of population centres, including Scottish cities, ‘thousandshad to be turned away’. Nevertheless, the numbers of those who were baptisedwere, of course, less impressive. There has always been the problem that not allof those who respond in evangelistic meetings can hack the way Adventists ‘dochurch’ . . .

Soul-winning in the British Isles has always, in fact, been tough. Having saidthat, the impact on the British psyche of two World Wars, the great Depression, acentury of secular mass media, decades of materialism and the onset of post-modern attitudes has not made soul-winning any easier.

1902, the year when the meeting convened in Leeds to organise the BritishUnion Conference, was a crisis year for our Church internationally. In February atowering inferno tore through the Battle Creek Sanitarium. In December a similarinferno destroyed the Review and Herald publishing house. In the course of theyear two of the denomination’s thought leaders attempted to lead the Church into pantheism. One of them, E. J. Waggoner, had, until the previous year, been based in Britain.

In May 1902 the European Session of the General Conference – there werethirty delegates – convened in London. The ‘conference’ in Leeds that created theBUC in August was a camp meeting addressed by A. G. Daniells, the reformerwho had been elected General Conference president the previous year. Our firstBUC president was O. A. Olsen, an American of Norwegian descent. Ellen Whitewas at that time active in the Unites States raising funds for a British healthinstitution.

On 6 January 1902 twenty students signed up at the opening of Duncomb Hall,a ‘Training School for Gospel Workers’, founded in London by 31-year-old HomerSalisbury.

By 1902 the International Tract Society, the parent of The Stanborough Press,was already six years old. It, too, was based in London.

The health-food factory, originally at Redhill, had been moved to cramped and unsuitable premises in Birmingham. The first Seventh-day Adventist healthinstitution in the British Isles was probably Dr J. H. Bell’s clinic opened in Belfast in 1902, though the Caterham Sanitarium opened in Surrey not long afterwards. In 1907 it seemed sensible to centralise the various institutions on Stanborough Park, then a vast tract of land well north of Watford and wellsouth of St Albans.

It was not easy being an Adventist in 1902. My grandmother, who gave birthto her younger daughter (my mother) in the June, was finding the assignmentespecially difficult. In 1887, at 23, Mary Ann Snowdon had been baptised follow-ing cottage meetings conducted by Ellen White in the home of the Armstrongs. Anew Seventh-day Adventist church (opened in 1888) was being constructed in hercommunity at the time of her baptism. It was the first church Seventh-day

Messenger 32 Messenger

Healthwise

A Century of Health Richard J. B. Willis, BUC Health Ministries director

If you had opened your daily paper 100 years ago, you would have been introduced to the amazing properties of Keen’s ‘One Night’ Cold Cure,

Tuberculozyne, Curic Wafers, Bell’s Fairy Cure, MunyonisBlood Cure, Zox, Oquit, Pistoia Gout Powders, Vin UranéPesqui, Capsulated Haemoglobin ovals for the Hair, andsimilar other such substances to cure all diseases fromcancer to baldness.

There were so many of these quack nostrums and,in particular, an anti-tuberculosis preparation by a certain Mr Stevens, that the British Medical Associationpublished a book in 1909 called Secret Remedies toexpose them. A public analyst was hired to list the ingredients and the cost of a variety of patent medicines.

The introduction to the listing notes: ‘Judging fromthe relative number of secret remedies advertised fordifferent complaints, it would seem that the most attractive fields for exploitation by the "patent" medicineman are afforded by those diseases which are widelyprevalent, and sufficiently serious to cause considerablesuffering and incapacity, insomuch as such disorders

lend themselves to sensational descriptions of the dire consequences which will follow if the one and only realand certain cure is not purchased.’

The authors also pointed out that it was not only thepoorer classes who had a weakness for quacks but thatthe well-to-do took a curious pleasure in experimentingwith mysterious compounds. Against this backgroundthe Adventist health message, with its emphasis on natural remedies, must have been a breath of fresh air,and was part of the earliest work. Dr and Mrs A. B.Olsen published the Good Health journal in 1901 andstarted a sanitarium in Caterham, Surrey in 1903; In1902 Dr J. J. Bell opened a 10-bed sanitarium in Belfast(moved to Rostrevor in 1906); and Dr F. C. Richards rana sanitarium in rented premises in Leicester in 1903.

Most of these initiatives had a short life and thehealth work became centralised in the StanboroughSanitarium or Hydro on Stanborough Park in 1911. Other self-supporting health work continued around thecountry. With the coming of the NHS, interest in privatemedicine waned and eventually the ‘San’ closed. DrsGertrude and Ted Brown continued in the health work in

Scotland which culminated withthe purchase and developmentof Roundelwood at Crieff whichcontinues as the sole Adventisthealth Institute in the BritishUnion.

The passing years haveseen a swing from quackery tohighly sophisticated medicine;from private ventures to NHS, toprivate medicine once more; the one single constant hasbeen the natural remedies taught by the AdventistChurch. These simple remedies, given by divine providence, are as valid now as they ever were. These days, in fact, there is more interest in wholism in health.

It may be a source of regret that we have so fewflagships to promote the healthy living espoused byAdventists, but we do have a message to be proud of.Let us re-excite the citizens of the UK with the messageat the turn of our BUC century, for the disorders thatallowed quackery to flourish are still with us.

Editorial David Marshall

A blast from the pastAdventists built in the British Isles. She knew that her new church represented agrowing movement in many lands. But, following her marriage to the unbelievingvillage blacksmith, this did not help in the struggle to keep both the Sabbath andbody and soul together. Of her eight children four died. The enthusiasm that hadbeen generated by the pioneers and, subsequently, Ellen White’s visit, had evap-orated. The thirty-strong congregation that had thronged the little chapel in itsearly years had been reduced to a handful. The Armstrongs, the Shorts and othershad joined the worker-force of the Church elsewhere. There was a morale problemamong the Ulceby faithful who were left pastorless for twenty years. In 1917 theNorth England Conference sent Bible worker M. E. Brooks to conserve what wasleft of the church work in that community.

The greatest single problem faced by the 858 Seventh-day Adventists in theBritish Isles in 1902 was employment. Back in 1885-1887 Ellen White had notedthe particular difficulties encountered by Sabbath-keepers in Britain. Those diffi-culties had not gone away. The six-day week was almost universal. B. B. Beltonand F. W. Goodall were among the hundreds who lost their jobs because of theSabbath. The institutions, at least in part, existed to employ church members. Thecanvassing work was not a soft option; the AGM minutes of the International TractSociety record significant sums of money being paid out to secure the release ofcanvassers from the workhouse. Joseph Brandt wrote of canvassing all hours andthen sleeping rough under a tree. Canvassers Wilkinson and Johnson were roughlyhandled by vagrants while sleeping out of doors. In 1907 a Poor Fund was estab-lished to help those who were well below the poverty line.

From Hull, Harry Armstrong, a future conference president, reported to theMissionary Worker (what they called the MESSENGER in those days) that ‘manyin this little church are passing through much tribulation’. The obituary column ofthe same paper reflected social conditions at the dawn of the twentieth century;rheumatic fever, tuberculosis and pneumonia were common killers of the young.

A century on and many things have changed. Few these days have to sufferemployment discrimination, let alone loss of employment because of the Sabbath.While there is a massive difference between the highest- and the lowest-paidbelievers, the Welfare state saw to it that the causes that gave rise to the PoorFund have largely disappeared, though many of our members continue to struggle.Nevertheless, high rates of crime, often the results of a drug-driven culture,impact on those of us who live in large housing developments.

In 1902 American missionaries formed the major part of the worker-force. Acentury on and both the ethnic composition of the membership and the pastoratehas changed radically yet again. Immigration as it has impacted on the Church inthe last few years, has been largely from African and Eastern European countries.One of the challenges of the immediate future will be to find more meaningfulroles for women (more than two thirds of the membership) in ministerial andleadership positions.

The forces with which we have to do battle in our outreach endeavours donot, in the main, take the form of other Christian churches. The chief religiouschallenge is from Islam; but the greatest challenge is irreligious secularism. Amajor question we need to address is, Do we have to convert postmoderns tomodernism before they become Seventh-day Adventists? Or is there a way ofreaching out to postmoderns ‘direct’?

By contrast with 1902 one advantage that we enjoy in 2002 is that theChurch itself has a higher profile with the population, thanks to the work of KenBurton and the various quality choirs. Other potential flagships are ADRA, ourschools, colleges, publishing houses, our websites, and the access we have tosatellite broadcasting. We are not nearly as ‘out in the cold’ as we were a centuryago. Can we turn this positive profile and new outreach media into the means ofeffective soul-winning?

There was a lot of Christian history in the British Isles before Seventh-dayAdventists came here. The Lollards,Anabaptists, Puritans, Presbyterians,Sabbatarian Baptists and the Methodistsare but a few of the religious movementsin whose tradition we stand.

When William Ings introduced theviews of Seventh-day Adventists in 1878to the Southampton community theinhabitants were already entrenched inthe predominant religious views of thetimes. Ings went from house to housescattering tracts and other religiouspapers.

The story so farThat same year, J. N. Loughborough wassent as a missionary to this country bythe General Conference. He conducted aseries of lectures and tent meetings inthe summer. His own home in Shirleywas used for Sabbath worship.

8 SouthamptonWilliam Ings, who was born in Morden,Dorset, laid the groundwork on which theefforts of Loughborough built a goodfoundation for the establishment of theSouthampton Adventist church.

When our movement grew out ofMillerism in the 1840s, it was fired by a passion to prepare the world for the soon coming of Jesus Christ. Ingsand Loughborough brought that

passion to Britain.In 1880 the first baptism of Seventh-

day Adventists in England took place.Elder Loughborough baptised six. Twenty-nine were baptised by 2 July 1881.

8 GrimsbyAt Grimsby the first Adventist church wasorganised in 1884. The evangelistic workbegan here with the distribution of tractsby A. A. John. Under his ministry thirty-five souls accepted the teachings of thechurch.

8 UlcebyThe first Adventist church to be built inthe British Isles was in the village ofUlceby, just south of the River Humber.There, A. A. John had baptised twenty-three since he had begun evangelisingthere in 1883. The church building wascompleted in 1888. The village was thesetting for an open-air debate betweenrepresentatives of the Lord’s DayObservance Society, and the Anglicanand Methodist communions versus J. N. Loughborough and GC president G. I. Butler. The Adventists won andmany baptisms resulted.

8 1902: The British UnionBy 1902 the work of the church in theBritish Isles was sufficiently developed,leading to the organisation of the BritishUnion Conference.

It was hard-going in the early yearsof the church; enough was there to discourage the evangelists: religious

discrimination, scepticism and classprejudice. The tent meetings were notalways successful, and our pioneerswere often discouraged by meagreresults.

Ellen White’s stayH. W. Armstrong, son of an illustriousUlceby family, when reminiscing aboutthe early days, called the period ‘The Dayof Small Things’. He spoke especially ofthe period when the headquarters of theChurch was in Grimsby; and of 1885-87when, for two extended periods, EllenWhite was based in Ulceby and Grimsby.The Armstrong home in Ulceby where shelived still stands, as does the headquar-ters building in Heneage Road, Grimsby.

Adventist history portrays a churchengaged in both spiritual and socialforms of outreach. From an early stageeducation was to play an essential role inthe training of workers for ministry. TheGood Health ministry, the publishing workand a food factory enhanced the out-reach activities of the church. It is stillnot unusual to meet people in theWatford area who bemoan the closure ofthe Stanboroughs Hydro in 1968. It madean impact in that community and farafield.

The age of public evangelismEvangelism through the use of rentedhalls in cities from Edinburgh to Cardiff,and from London to Southampton,brought many thousands of people intocontact with the Three Angels’ Messages.

Bible workers were employed to workalongside the evangelists, and tractswere distributed as the leaves ofautumn.

The impetus of the church was notquelled by two World Wars. While bombswere dropping and the fires were raging,faithful labourers in the blitzed citieswere giving Bible studies behind closeddoors.

The use of large theatres and, in lateryears, the purchase of the New Gallery,gave evangelists such as GeorgeVandeman, Kenneth Lacey and others anopportunity to preach to vast crowds.

Britain in those days, it wouldappear, was more receptive to spiritualthings. The Depression had lifted, andeconomic prospects appeared hopeful.The Christian religion still had a stabilising influence on the institutions ofsociety. From our own Union many missionaries were sent abroad. East,West and South Africa were familiar destinations. Other regions served wereSouth America, India, Central Americaand Japan.

The popularity of the large publicmeetings began to wane. However, theflood of immigrants changed the picturein the 60s and 70s. They became anever-growing percentage of the churchmembership.

PostmodernismIt has been suggested that the decline in

The Challenge of our Second Centurycontinued from page 1

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Messenger 54 Messenger Messenger 5Messenger 5

The Challenge of our Second Centurycontinued from page 2

the indigenous church began in the1930s, though many would dispute this.Certainly the Depression and the SecondWorld War altered the world view ofBritish society. By the end of the twentieth century modernism, with itsstress on reason, materialism and technology, had given way to postmod-ernism. A major shift has taken place in popular thinking. People today are dazzled and distracted by a thousandoptions in religion, ideology, philosophyand alternative spirituality. Generalchurch attendance has hit a new low of 9%, with the pursuit of leisure andpleasure the popular option.

The church throughout WesternEurope and in our Union territory faces agreat challenge: that of connecting withpeople whose world view is radically different from our own. The traditionalmethods of evangelism, although stilleffective in reaching those with aChristian orientation, may not be soeffective in reaching the non-churched,secular majority.

The challenge as we move into oursecond centuryTo mark the 100th Anniversary of theBritish Union Conference we have soughtto bridge the gap between the churchedand the unchurched by launching the LifeDevelopment Project. This is a daringevangelistic initiative of faith which is anongoing process to lead the non-faith tofaith.

8 Friends and small groupsThe build-up for what could be a journeycovering five years, requires churches toembrace the concept of making friends.Through the mechanism of forming smallgroups, establishing of Life Developmentcentres in churches or halls, and dailyindividual contacts it is our intention touse the communication means at ourdisposal to reach a sceptical and secularworld.

8 Satellite programmeThe church has earmarked up to £1 mil-lion to provide training and materials forthe various levels of the project. In theautumn of 2003 the satellite programmewill be uplinked from the UK to benefit allour churches as well as many in Europe.

The concept of this initiative may behard to grasp at first. It is only as theindividual member becomes involved inthe critical process of understanding theneed of engaging the secular mind tospiritual things that the whole picture willbe seen. The Life Development pro-gramme represents a vision which isgreater than the present and potentiallymore productive than anything else wehave tried.

Not a numbers gameThis is the first time the Union will beentering upon a project the results ofwhich depend exclusively on a closeworking relationship between us andGod. This is not a numbers game but adeliberate effort to reach the unchurchedby specifically targeting them in a lang-uage they can understand. The churchmust not only make itself relevant butresonate with the dynamics of the societyin which it finds itself.

The LIFE.info magazine is our firstpromotional tool aimed at turning on thelights of truth. Our church started withtracts and no technology. Today, at thebeginning of the twenty-first century, thesituation has changed. Through the mul-tiple means of communication, satellite,radio, television, Internet, etc, inform-ation is accessible to all.

Seize the moment!This is a golden opportunity for the mem-bers of the Union to seize the moment toown an idea whose time has come. Wit-nessing to a lost world is our mission.There is no option or better way to cele-brate this anniversary than to find theLost Coin, the Lost Sheep and the LostSon.

Our story, then, will not be a mererecounting of past, but a hopeful end.Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Mountain Ash (Aberpennar) and Penrhiwceiber are two close-knit commu-nities in the Cynon Valley in South Wales. These communities suddenlygrew up at the end of the nineteenth century as workers for thecoalmines descended on the valley from all parts of Britain. The Owen

family from the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire settled in this valley. Parentsoften fought hard to save their more talented sons from working in the dark of thedeep mines. Idris Owen was saved from such a fate by his talent for music.

The change in the outlook of the whole family came when W. E. Read set uphis Bell Tent next to Noddfa Chapel in 1908. The Bible worker, Maud Livings, madean impression on the family, and the Owens became the founding members of the church in Mountain Ash. Idris Owen was just 6 years of age at the time butremembers quite vividly the Standard of Attainment Courses that were set forAdventists. His musical career began at the age of 12 when he went to the organist of the Baptist Church for tuition in the harmonium. A year later theteacher suggested that a new teacher should be engaged as Idris had reached a high standard. He was to win the 12-16-year-old piano competition at anEisteddfod in Burry Port.

Of those early years at Mountain Ashi, Idris still remembers the Public Debatein 1913 between the Adventist evangelist Morgan Nicholls and a leadingSpiritualist. The reporter from the Aberdare Leader said that Nicholls had ‘won theday’. When a Conference was held in Mountain Ash in 1914, the local church had36 members, but by 1916 they had just 17 members as some had moved away.

Idris was soon to follow, and found himself in Stanborough College. He beganto teach music at the college but was invited about 1922 to move to the new col-lege being set up at Collonges in France. He taught music there for eighteen years,but returned to Watford on the eve of the Second World War. He conducted TheStanborough Park Male Voice Choir that supported evangelistic campaigns in manyparts of the country. The next step in his musical career was to teach music foreighteen years at an Adventist school in New Zealand. On retirement, he returnedto Britain and settled for a while in the Grantham area. His next move was back toWales where he has often played, with a masterful touch, the organ at theCarmarthen church.

This centenarian’s memory is keen today as he reviews the history of theAdventist Church for almost a century. He has seen many changes but remembersstill the excitement of those early years when they were telling their neighboursand friends of the soon coming of Jesus.BRIAN PHILLIPS

Idris Owen’s Stanborough Park Choir in 1947

Irene has a sense of humour, excellent hearing, sight, quality oflife; a brilliant memory – and she

will be 100 in January.Irene Himsworth was born in

Manchester in January 1903 just twoyears into the reign of King Edward VII.The world into which she was bornwas innocent of world wars, broad-casting and totalitarian regimes, andknew little or nothing about man-powered flight. Winston Churchill wasa young man. The present Queen’sparents were still in their infancy. Aquarter of the planet was administeredfrom Whitehall. And the British PrimeMinister was wondering if it was timeto abandon ‘Splendid Isolation’.

By the age of 10 Irene had accept-ed Jesus as her Saviour and was read-ing all she could about him. There is aphotograph of Irene, aged 16, holdinga copy of Our Day in the Light ofProphecy, a book published by theInternational Tract Society, the parentof The Stanborough Press. It expound-ed the apocalyptic portions of scrip-ture. Her interest in the Bible had ledher to attend tent campaigns in hernative city. They were conducted by J. D. Gillatt, a pastor with a pince nez, a fly-away collar and waxed mustachios that would have donecredit to Hercule Poirot.

Along with Sidney Beardsell, Irenewas baptised on 31 July 1918. Shebecame a member of the 100-strongSouth Manchester church. Sidney’sparents, William and FlorenaBeardsell, had been baptised in 1916.

Things had not always gone wellfor the young Irene. As a result ofrheumatic fever she had been takenout of her state school. Her parentshad paid for her to go to a small private school. From this period thereis a photograph of Irene as part of thecast of As You Like It.

At 15 Irene began working in anoffice. She presided over a telephoneswitchboard, a technological marvel inthose days. For four years she used allavailable spare time to do canvassingwork from door to door. The first WorldWar had underlined the urgency of theend-time message. There were soulsto be won. No time to waste.

By the time Lloyd George andClemenceau were signing the Treaty ofVersailles in 1919, Irene had enrolledas a student at Stanborough College

An EdwardianLady

where one of her music teachers wasyoung Idris Owen, at the beginning of aglittering career; now, at 101, a mem-ber of the Carmarthen congregation.Another was Phyllis Hardinge. Irenetook Phyllis’s younger brothers, Leslieand Mervyn, bird-spotting. Part of hertuition for the college was paid for by Mrs Vera Beardsell of Manchester,wife of Sidney. Sidney and Vera subsequently joined Irene at college.Sidney became a pastor and his son – seventy years later – theCollege principal.

At 23 Irene Himsworth became aBible worker. Her final year at the college would have included John A.McMillan, a future Union president.Her first assignment was to work withthe evangelist William Maudsley inGlasgow. Two years later she was sentto work in Dundee where there was nopastor. Such were the communicationproblems in those days that Irene wasconducting all services and working asa de facto pastor. A decade later shewould work for an extended period inthe Derby district as a de facto pastor.A very youthful Donald Lowe, later tobe a president in both conferences,was keen to have a ride on Irene’snew bicycle. Irene Himsworth was oneof a number of women employed bythe denomination in a quasi-pastoralcapacity in Britain in the first half ofthe twentieth century. Female pastorswere invented long before 1990!

A photograph of Irene taken at theage of 23 shows her as a stylish and,indeed, a glamorous young lady. Sheappears – along with W. H. Meredith,Harry Armstrong, Ted Craven, J. D.Gillatt, and many others – in the work-ers’ groups of the period. With evan-gelist Robert Madgwick, Irene helpedbuild up the Edinburgh church. Shesubsequently worked with pastors inthe Huddersfield, Nottingham,Sheffield and Manchester districts. Itwas while working in her home citythat Irene was again attacked by rheu-matic fever, a disease which is knownto weaken the heart. As a result, in1948, conference president O. M.Dorland recommended Irene’s move tothe VOP Bible School where she tookmany of us through the GreatTeachings correspondence coursesfrom which we derived our groundingin the faith.

It was at the VOP that Irene

renewed her friendship with Victor andRhona Cooper. At 61, in 1964, Irenemarried John Osborne. Victor conduct-ed the service and Ray Vine was bestman. Irene and John retired first toTunbridge Wells, then to Bournemouth.John was well known as a gardener.

Seventeen years ago Irene Osbornemoved to the denomination’s apart-ment complex in Oulton Broad, Suffolk.Her visitors’ book reads like a ‘Who’sWho’ of Adventism. An interesting feature of it is that the same visitorskeep coming back. Not surprisinglyIrene’s visitors become her friends.The qualities that made thisEdwardian lady an effective minister, Bible worker and teacher are now used to make her an

effective counsellor and prayer warrior.Irene has a tremendous ability to

make friends – and keep in touch withthem. Her trust is in her foreverFriend, and his life is being livedthrough hers. He is a Friend withwhom she has never lost touch. Shehas a great love for his Church andhas no political perceptions of it. Sheis patient and happy to accept all theplans he has for her with the assur-ance that she will spend eternity in hiscompany. Her attitude to life is one ofthankfulness for blessings received;she overlooks its negative aspects inthe knowledge that every battle hasalready been won – and Jesus is thevictor.DAVID MARSHALL

Top left: Pastor J. D.Gillatt who conductedthe campaign inManchester that resulted in Irene’sbaptism.Top right: Miss IreneHimsworth, aged 23,when she leftStanborough Collegeto begin her careeras a Bible worker.Middle: Irene, aged16, at the time of herbaptism with a copyof ‘Our Day in the Lightof Prophey.’Right: Irene Osbornein her flat at OultonBroad, 27 September2002.

Idris Owen at 101

Most of the identifications are as follows:

Sitting (from left): Arthur Sanders, Roland Hamblin, William Coates, EddieWatson, Walter Dobbs, Fred Archer, Idris Owen (Choir leader), Violette Owen(pianist, now Mrs G. Meredith), Frank Male, Edward Parry, Roy Burgess, JackCannon, Reg Burgess.

Second row: Herbert Barham, Edward J. Wallis, David Throssel, ?, RonEmmerson, Dennis Archer, Desmond Nolan, Dennis Young, ?, Bert Carter,Alan Joyce, F. W. Coppock, Albert Allen, Ronald Freeth, Laurence Allen, AlbertBalderstone, Reg Swain.

Back row: Stan Bevan, Walter Kidd, Clive Blackburn, Arthur Cannon, RoyHulbert, George Freeman, Mervyn Whiting, Brother Swinford, Basil Powell,Leslie Denn, Cliff Westwood, Eric College, Charles Tew, Andrew Proudley,Ronald Coombe, Alf Dutton.

Messenger 7

Centenary

My dreams and aspirationsfor the Church

Darell Philip(Trainee elder and Communication

secretary, Hackney)

As a young person, mydreams and aspirationsfor the future of the

Church are to see the fulfilmentof young people being the nextgeneration of leaders andstewards of God’s work.Although the current crop ofyoung people are inexperi-enced and have much to learn,there is no shortage of giftsand talents among them. Thislooks set to shape the Churchas a place of exuberance andpower in the near future. A lotof young people need to begiven the experience of leader-ship-type roles. Their talentstoo must be developed. I ampassionate about this becauseI myself am in a positionwhere God is teaching me howto witness to people throughpreaching and teaching. If Iwas to go back in time I wouldnever have guessed that Iwould be in a leadership rolesuch as an elder or Sabbathschool teacher. It just goes to show that God works inmysterious ways!

I think that in time theChurch will be led by youngpeople who, like the Hebrewboys – Shadrach, Meshachand Abednego – will stand forprinciple. I believe that likeDavid when he defeated thegiant Goliath in battle, youngpeople will also turn the worldupside down because of theinfluence God will have in theirlives.

Pictures from the Past

Literature- evangelismLiterature-evangelists prepared theground in most British cities. The pub-lishing work reached its heyday underthe leadership of John Arthur, BritishUnion publishing director, when thephotograph (below) was taken atSwanwick in 1970. The photograph(right) is of a group of literature-evangelists in Leeds in 1929. Frontrow, second left and second right arePublishing directors B. Belton and G. R. Bell. Third right is Pastor ArthurMaxwell (Uncle Arthur), then editor ofThe Stanborough Press.

Adventist dynastiesUntil the 1970s there was something ‘dynastic’ about the Seventh-day Adventistministry in the British Isles. The photograph below, taken at Swanwick in 1974,commemorates this fact. On the left is Pastor W. J. Newman, in the photograph byvirtue of the fact that his son David is a pastor. Next along is Pastor R. D. Vinewith his twin sons Robert and Richard. Pastor Dennis Conroy stands behind hisson Pastor Alan Conroy; Pastor Fred Edwards behind his son Pastor Ron Edwards;Pastor H. K. Munson behind his son Pastor Geoff Munson; Pastor K. A. Eliasbehind his son Pastor Dalbert Elias. On the right of the picture are two gener-ations of the Trevena family, both pastors.

Birth of the BUCAt Leeds in 1902 the British Church agreed to the formation of aunion conference comprising two local conferences and three missions. The constitution for the union was not approved until the session at Southsea in 1903.

Stanborough CollegeBoaters were in fashion when the new extension to Stanborough College wasopened in 1922. The stout Edwardian building, plus the 1922 extension, was bulldozed in the late 1980s to make way for the new Stanborough School. Manyremember the old building with great affection.

New Camp HillThe new Camp Hill church was one of the largest to be built by the denominationin the 1980s. Nearby, the West Midlands Centre, containing the Harper BellSchool, was purchased.

John LoughboroughSchoolWhen a new school was opened in Tottenham on 26 October 1980 it was namedafter the man who brought the Advent truth to the British Isles in 1878. W. J.

Arthur reported that 3,000 members were present for theopening and that Mrs R. M. Luxton, the BUC Educationdirector, had ‘done much of the spade work’. Mr OrvilleWoolford was the first headmaster.

Master of Ceremonies and general organiser of theopening day was Dr Silburn Reid. In 1981 Dr Reid was tobecome president of the South England Conference. In1982 he was to reintroduce camp meeting to the BritishIsles. Pastor Theodore McLeary had become the firstblack departmental director (SEC, early 1970s) and Dr E. L. Henry (NBC, 1978) had become the first black

conference officer. However, Dr Reid was the first black conference president.The first half of 1979 saw the arrival from the Caribbean of a number of

pastoral families. These families were welcomed by the Editor in the 27 July 1979 issue of MESSENGER. Two of the original pastoral families have made their permanent home in Britain – the Perrys and the McFarlanes.

Stanborough ParkThe Stanborough Park estate wasbought in 1907. By the time this photograph was taken – circa 1960 –most of the estate had been sold off todevelopers. What was left accommo-dated, on the extreme left edge of thepicture, ‘Holy Row’, which housed thechurch leaders; together with GranoseFoods Ltd and The Stanborough PressLtd; more central on the shot are theStanboroughs Hydro (closed in 1968),

Stanborough Schooland the VOP building.At the extreme right ofthe picture are theBUC offices, opened inthe late 1950s. Below,Leslie Emmerson,Nelson Knight andWorsley Armstrong,Union president

(standing) at the Stanborough ParkGolden Jubilee in 1957.

A plot in the countryWhen the Park estate was bought it was beyond the reach, it seemed, of thenorthern edge of Watford. St Albans Road was a country lane.

Ministerial Council, Swanwick, June 1974

Park Golden Jubilee 1957

Leeds Session 1902

Orville Woolford

Dr S. Reid, 1981

Aerial view of Stanborough Park

Official opening of the extension to Stanborough College, 1922

Literature-evangelist Convention, Swanwick, January 1970

Colporteur Council at Leeds, 1929

Stanborough Park entrance, St Albans Road

John Loughborough students, 1981

Camp Hill church

6 Messenger

Centenary

My dream for the Church

Elizabeth JonesColchester

How do we move forwardwith the times? How can webring secular people to our

church in a non-threatening way?These are questions that need tobe considered if we want to bringour message to the world in thetwenty-first century.

Evangelistic meetings and lec-tures on the Bible may reach a fewpeople, but the majority these daysare not interested when you men-tion church or the Bible.

For years I have thought hownice it would be to own my owncafé-bookshop where people couldcome and relax from the pressuresand stresses of life.

At first this was just a pipedream. Then one day in the MESSENGER I saw that TheStanborough Press was openingbookshops in two London church-es – North Wembley and theAdvent Centre. The idea crossedmy mind, ‘Why don’t church mem-bers open cafés, which are alsobookshops, as a non-threateningmeans of outreach?’ They wouldcreate an environment in which itwould be possible to come in,have a drink and something to eat,browse through the books, have achat, and basically enjoy time outfrom the stresses of life, yet not feelpressured.

Apparently the Newbold churchhas done just that, by setting asidean area for a similar project. Agood idea, but maybe it would bebetter to establish café-bookshopsaway from church premises toattract people who would not wantto go near a church. Only 9% ofpeople in our country ever attendchurch, so it is important to findways and means of reaching outto the other 91%.

A café-bookshop is not an easyproject to undertake. No one coulddo it alone. Perhaps this is something the BUC would like to consider.

Pictures of the Past:the Last Decade

NET ’98The NET ’98 satellite series was thefirst evangelistic programme to involvea majority of the churches in theBritish Union’s territories. DwightNelson’s powerful sermons weredownlinked, many attended and a significant number of baptisms tookplace. Pastor Dalbert Elias was theprincipal promoter. The idea of a satel-lite downlink programme had beentried out in Ireland already by PastorAlan Hodges. NET ’99 would follow.

New Stanborough SchoolThe decade began with the launch of the new Stanborough School project. Whilemany had mixed feelings about the destruction of the old Edwardian building,most agreed it was a time for rejoicing.

Big day at the Royal Albert HallThe South England Conference celebrated the millennium in October 1999 by a

massive Day of Fellowship at the Albert Hall atwhich Les Pollard was the preacher.

Stanborough Centre openingSabbath 8 September 2001 was the day of the opening of The StanboroughCentre, the Park church’s new extension. Denver Annable, the chairman of thechurch’s development committee, said that the need for additional room was evident decades ago. Church member Doris Clark, 95, snipped the ribbon and theMayor of Watford opened the front door.

Leamington SpaMissionOctober 28, 2000 marked the opening ofthe Leamington Spa Mission. Built in1828, The Mission was bought by theChurch in 1993. Pastor Alan Conroy and adedicated group of believers, havingplanted a new church in Leamington,worked tirelessly to renovate this period building and to fit it to the requirementsof modern worship. £180,000 was raised to bring the building back to life.

WestminsterlaunchActor Jeremy Irons and politiciansBaroness Chalker and Baroness Coxhelped The Stanborough Press tolaunch a book in its Autumn Houserange titled An Idea of Bosnia in 1996.The launch took place in the mostancient part of Westminster Palace,the medieval Westminster Hall. Thesame book was the subject of EstherRantzen’s ‘Hearts of Gold’ programmeon BBC1.

Preacher of theYearOn 27 November 1998,Sheffield minister Pastor IanSweeney became the firstSeventh-day Adventist to winThe Times Preacher of the YearAward.

MBEsMyrtle Roole of Stratford and the late Alf Kelly of Stanborough Park both receivedMBEs from Her Majesty the Queen for their services to the community.

Grant maintainedstatusAt a press conference in the House ofCommons, 9 March 1998, MP the lateBernie Grant, along with leaders of theSeventh-day Adventist Church,announced that Grant MaintainedStatus had been given to the JohnLoughborough School, Tottenham. The Chorale factor

Since the London Adventist Chorale won the BBC2 Sainsbury Choir of the Yearcompetition, and the Croydon Gospel Choir came second, no one has done moreto raise the profile of the Adventist Church, either nationally or internationally,than their conductor Ken Burton. It is exceptional if one of Ken’s choirs is not featured on Songs of Praise these days. And it is believed that, in the JubileeProm at the Palace, the Chorale broadcast to at least two hundred million people.

UN Goodwill AmbassadorAt the Café Royale, Regent Street, on 9 June 2001 Stanborough School’s LauraSweeting became, at 16, the United Nation’s youngest goodwill ambassador.Headmaster Steven Rivers indicated that Laura’s selection took place after theDaily Mail published a one-page feature telling how the school – drawing itsintake from thirty-six countries – was itself a United Nations.

Stanborough School

The Royal Albert Hall

Stanborough Park church with the new extension

Pastor Ian Sweeney

Alf Kelly, Stanborough ParkMyrtle Roole, Stratford

Jeremy Irons talking with the press

Leamington Spa Mission

8 Messenger Messenger 9

The four Adventist representatives

The Queen greets members of the Adventist Chorale

Laura Sweeting

Glen Aufderhar and Pastor Dalbert Elias

BUC Workers’ Meeting January 1998

The Oxford church youth club held itsyouth weekend on 16 August. Hill End,a campsite in the beautiful countrysideof Farmoor, Oxfordshire, provided thesetting for this exciting and inspira-tional weekend. Oxford youth aged 11-16 were able to invite their friends fora weekend of fun and spiritual nurture.Nature walks and outdoor activitieswere enhanced by the glorious weath-er. Al fresco meals and a campfire inthe evening encouraged the warm

spirit present at this youth event. Abaking competition provided somefriendly competition. Friends invited tothis youth weekend have now decidedto attend the Oxford church on a regu-lar basis. Spiritual food was providedby Nigel Nicholls, Gerald Hanson andOxford minister Pastor David Spearing.Many thanks go to Sonia MacIntosh,Youth sponsor, for her inspiration andorganisation of this event.COMMUNICATION SECRETARY

Messenger 11

The Glorious Twelfth (of August) had a special significance for Pastor Ronand Rachel Surridge of Grantham, for it was on that day fifty years ago thatthey started their life together as man and wife.

Ordained to the ministry in July 1961, Pastor Surridge and his wife spenttime in Nigeria and Ghana on mission service, where Rachel taught in schoolsserving the children of missionaries from a variety of nationalities.

Pastor Surridge has an impressive CV, having been president of the thenNorth British Conference, which at that time included Scotland, as well as Youthleader on a different occasion. He was president of the Irish Mission for fouryears, as well as Youth leader for the Division, the British Union, and in Africa. It was while he was serving as Youth leader for the North England Conference,that the Aberdaron campsite facility was purchased early in 1964. It was withthe late Bill Griffiths, that tons of soil were moved by hand and barrow, on the newly-acquired site in North Wales, the first step of what has becomesomething of a flagship for the youth work in Britain. Later that year the

Surridges set off for their six-year period of mission service in Africa.Pastor Surridge has been Head of the Theology department at Newbold

College, a post he held for four years. He also pastored the Stanborough Parkchurch for three years.

A short while ago a fresh challenge was presented, when Pastor Surridge wasinvited to lecture to a summer school in Australia. So it was that the coupleembarked on another long journey, but this time Rachel did not have to teach! Thelectures he was asked to present were on the duties, other than theological, thatnew ministers have to face as they go about their day-to-day routine, a seriesthat was greatly appreciated by those who recognised their tutor as being a manof real experience!

Today they are proud parents of two sons, both in the Adventist ministry, andare very young looking grandparents!

Officially retired, Pastor Surridge, who originally comes from just a few milesfrom Grantham, is still in demand as a guest preacher both in his adopted homechurch, and elsewhere. Rachel, a very accomplished pianist, is often asked to beaccompanist for both choir and soloists, and to tell the children’s story during thedivine service at Grantham.

It was on Sabbath 10 August that the Grantham church honoured theSurridges with a basket of flowers presented by one of the local elders. It came asa complete surprise to the couple who had thought that their special day hadescaped the attention of the church members!MIKE COWEN

10 Messenger

Newsbreak

Oxford youth go camping

Philippians 4:13 is the focal pointof our after-school facility – Ican do all things through Christ.

The dream was simply a dream inApril 2001, but by 6 June CAN becamea reality. CAN is a community after-school project that is currently held inthe North Wembley Community church

The CAN SchoolChildren Achieving Now

The Brixton Adventist Gospel Choir(BGC) has made history by becomingthe first UK gospel choir to receivenational prime-time air-play on mainstream radio stations up, downand across the UK with their debutsingle ‘Shout it!’, featuring Lurine Catoand Pastor Nigel Graham David. Oneradio DJ, Jenny Francis, labelled thetrack ‘the best UK gospel track thisyear’.

The track was written, arrangedand produced by Bishop Brad, whogoes on to say, ‘Shout it! is a chal-

on two Sundays a month. We have 15children aged 4-11.

On 21 July 2002 our first academicyear was completed and we culminat-ed this event with a weekend ofthanksgiving together with a graduation service.

We were supported during thisweekend by educators who presentedthe message on both days. Laura Osei presented the Sabbath message.We were also privileged to have Dr O. Woolford, TED Education director,

as our speaker for the graduationservice. His emphasis was on whatour children achieve through a ‘CANDO’ attitude.

Our second year began in Sep-tember. We extended our facilities toinclude ages 12-16, focusing on theessential subjects. This has increasedour intake to 22 children. The interestin our facilities has required us to create a waiting list. To satisfy theneed we are currently acquiring more voluntary assistance.

Our greatest joy was what a parentsaid about our school after the mostrecent parents’ review. ‘I’ve seen animprovement in my child, and this hashelped with school performance.’C. GOLDING, CAN School co-ordinator

Hackney: ‘Ready torumble!’The Hackney Adventist church held itsNo More Drama youth campaign 17-31 August. The speaker was PastorCarlos Ming, 30, who was born andraised in Jamaica, and has been anAdventist for eight years.

Night after night visitors came tohear a man who preached the word ofGod with conviction and with holyboldness. Many young people wereimpressed with his God-given ability torecite long texts from memory.

All the messages that Pastor Ming gave were of relevance andimportance; however, there were twoin particular that stood out. In onesermon, ‘Let’s Get Ready to Rumble’,Pastor Ming convincingly illustratedthe nature of a WWF tag-team

wrestling match where two wrestlerswork together to overcome the teamon the opposite side. A huge roar ofpraise and exaltation went up asPastor Ming said: ‘Jesus will not makea breakthrough in your life until youallow him to roll the stone away. Weare in a battle like the WWF – we getsmacked down, but we keep onfighting. Reach out and tag yourpartner The Rock, Christ Jesus, the same rock that Moses struck and water came from, the same rock that David threw into that giantGoliath’s head, knocking him down for ten.’

In another message entitled ‘But’,Pastor Ming revealed how Jesus canturn what Satan deems negative into apositive. There was rapturousapplause when he pointed out: ‘Satanwants you just to believe that thewages of sin is death, but Jesus tellsyou that the gift of salvation is eternallife. Satan wants you to believe thatweeping endures for the night, butJesus has come to tell you that joycomes in the morning.’

Each evening visitors touched bythe messages and impressed by theHoly Spirit would answer the call tohave a closer relationship with Jesus,and there were contributions frommembers and non-members in poetry,testimony and song. Among the groupswho ministered to us in song were thequartet, Blessed Voices, who won theChannel Four Gospel competitionearlier this year.

At the end of the campaign aspecial presentation was made toPastor Ming by trainee elder DarellPhilip and Deborah Burton, the AYSleader.DARELL PHILIP

lenge to every Christian believer to goout and spread God’s love and tellthem that he is coming back verysoon!’

BGC was formed over twenty yearsago and now, under the direction ofMiss Paulette DeLisser, plans toembark on a national UK promotionalcampaign in a lead-up to the single’srelease in November.

For further information contactBishop on 07956 281179. Email: bishop@bishopbrad.com. Watch this space!

Brixton Gospel Choir

Service in HebrewPastor Roy Morgan, Personal Ministriesdirector of the NEC, was the speakerfor the Personal Ministries Day ofFellowship held at Burngreave churchin Sheffield on 8 June.

The scripture reading was readwith a difference in that Pastor Morganand the congregation read each verse

alternately in Hebrew and English.First Pastor Morgan read in Hebrewand the congregation responded read-ing the same verse in English. Theprogramme was also interspersed withspecial renditions of vocal music bymembers from Africa and Korea. Theorganist was one of our brethren fromMalaysia. The theme of the sermonwas ‘The amazing difference that one

Campers enjoyed a baking competition

person can make who is connected toYahweh,’ which theme continued intothe afternoon programme when avideo was shown about soul-winning.ROSEMARY BLENMAN

Oxford students:congratulations!Congratulations to Marion Lewis,Barbara Remez and John Woodfieldfrom the Oxford church. John obtaineda First Class Honours BA degree inAncient History from the University ofDurham. He has a place at King’sCollege, Cambridge, to do furtherstudies leading to an MPhil degree inthe same field. Marion Lewis andBarbara Remez obtained BSc and BAdegrees at Coventry and Oxfordrespectively.COMMUNICATION SECRETARY

Togetherness even inbaptismIt is so nice to find a couple who doeverything together. Simba and PritiNduku met at the Walsgrave hospitalin Coventry as student nurses. To-gether they studied nursing, and thenSimba introduced the study of theword of God and together they studiedthe Bible. Friendship turned to court-ship and together they were united inmarriage last November. Bible studiescontinued and Priti (a Hindu) decided‘your God will be my God’, and thatshe would follow her new husband inthe faith that he held dear. Simba,

already a baptised member, decidedthat they would go under the waters ofbaptism together. On 13 July they tooktheir public stand together to followChrist, and became members of theCoventry (Bell Green) church. We trustthat they will continue together on thispath, and that in time to come ‘theywill be caught up together to meet theLord in the air’.LORRAINE McDONALD

Burngreave: AIDSand kindness‘A leper in our path’ was the topic ofthe sermon preached on 3 August forthe Community Services Visitors’ Dayat Burngreave church, Sheffield, byPastor Cyril Sweeney, CommunityServices director of the NEC. He talkedabout the terminal disease of AIDS,and how the church can help the community in these situations.

In the afternoon Pastor Sweeneyspoke on kindness, and outlined fourways to make it a habit:1. Make kindness a priority in your

daily life.2. Act kindly whenever possible as

soon as possible.3. Avoid inaction – don’t delay and

don’t deny.4. Turn your pain into another’s gain.

To kindness add compassion andgentleness to complete a trinity ofqualities essential to Christian living,he admonished.ROSEMARY BLENMAN

Still active for GodSabbath 21 September was a veryspecial day in Newport. Harold Bakerwas the centre of the proceedingswhich took place prior to divine wor-ship. The reason? He had reached theage of 90, seventy years of which hehad spent in the service of the Lord.

Despite partial blindness, Haroldstill preaches from memory, and is aparticipant in all the various churchproceedings.

His main interest has always beenthe Temperance work. Before retiringfrom the Newport Temperance Societyhe worked unfailingly for alcoholicslocally and in the surrounding districts,setting up hostels, counselling andvisiting prisoners and their depen-dants.

On behalf of the church MichaelSammons presented a bouquet to MrsBaker and a basket of fruit with acheque to Harold. A cheque was alsopresented by Vera Machell, presidentof the Newport Temperance Society. Inreply Harold gave all the praise to Godfor guidance and blessing in his longand still active life.VERA MACHELL

Highest Grade AwardJoseph Flynn of the Smethwick churchwon the Highest Grade Award in theMidland Musical Contest last year.Smethwick is proud of this devoted,well-mannered and talented youngman. Joseph has now left us to furtherhis musical studies at university.P. SWABY

270,000 Euros for ADRA-IrelandOver the years ADRA-Ireland hasreceived substantial funding from theIrish Government and this year has beenno different. On 6 September a chequewas received by the ADRA-Ireland treas-urer, George Sisson, for €270,000, mak-ing the total for 2002 so far €289,227.

We have received the funds for theBeteriko Community Water & SanitationProject in East Nigeria for which wereceived €17,760. We also receivedthree grants of just over €90,000 eachto build three Day Care Centres in Brazil;for Engenheiro Coelho and Itanhaem bothin Saõ Paulo State and for Planaltina,Goias State. Over the past three yearswith the co-operation of ADRA-Brazil,ADRA-Ireland with the support of IrelandAid has built nine day care centres inBrazil. These centres are built in theshanty towns and provide much neededspace for children to learn and play.There are also classrooms where healtheducation and other subjects are taughtto the adult population.

Ireland Aid has been very happy tosupport the work of ADRA for many yearsand a close relationship has been formedwith its officers and the Irish Mission.Pastor Alan Hodges continues to work forADRA-Ireland and tells me that althoughwe are nearing the end of 2002 he stillhopes that a further project in Nigeria tobuild a school for the deaf will receivefunding. DOUGLAS McCORMAC

Torquay’s V-E DayThe last weekend of August was atime of great celebration for Ernestand Vera Campion, long-timemembers of the Torquay church.Family and friends from California,Florida, Somalia, and different parts of Britain descended on South Devonen masse to honour Vera on her 90thbirthday.

The Sabbath church services weretaken over by the extended Campionclan. Daughters Betty and Ruth led outin Sabbath school, and the missionsappeal was presented by nephewSteve Cooper – director of ADRA-Somalia. During the divine service,Ernest and Vera’s thirteenth great-grandchild, Juliana Hughes, wasdedicated by Pastor Peter Cooper(Betty’s husband, now retired after40+ years of ministry in Africa, Asiaand North America). An address on‘Reflections’ was given by John Arthur(husband of second daughter Ruth).

A superb fellowship meal preparedby the local church members wasenjoyed by fifty attendees in the rearhall. Then in the afternoon MargaretShipton (sister of Dorothy Taylor andorganist at the Torquay church formany decades) arranged for her choir,consisting of twenty ladies fromseveral different churches in theregion, to present an hour-long concertof sacred music. This inspiringprogramme by the ‘Shipton Singers’ in honour of Ernest and Vera wasgreatly appreciated by all who werepresent.

On the Sunday, almost onehundred guests – including membersfrom the Torquay church, neighbours,farming friends, and relatives –assembled at the seafront LivermeadHouse Hotel on a cloudless sunny day.A vintage Rolls Royce brought Ernestand Vera from their home for a goodold chin-wag in the floral gardens,followed by a delightful Devonshirecream tea.

During a brief speech John Arthurmentioned that Ernest (now 91) andVera have been married for 67 years.They have lived in the same houseduring the whole period (apart fromthe war years), and have beenmembers of the Adventist Church for61 years. He outlined some of the

changes which have taken place in theworld during their life-span, andincluded a few humorous anecdotes.

V-E Day (Vera-Ernest Day), as itwas named within the family, was acelebration of the lives of two

nonogenerians who have sought to livein accordance with God’s will. And it isto God that gratitude is extended forthe fulfilment and longevity which theyhave both experienced.RUTH ARTHUR

Messenger 13

September 1 dawned warm andgloriously sunny, a jewel inScotland’s crown and just as

rare, as families and friends from allover Scotland gathered for the firstScottish Activities Day.

Events got under way with theteams having to make team bannersand cheerleaders’ outfits from bits ofstring, paper and napkins – Blue Peterin real life!

After that, events became morestrenuous as the teams were cheeredon to great athletic feats. The water-filled wellie-throwing competitioncaused much hilarity and organisersmay wish to provide crash helmetsand umbrellas for spectators next year.

Many fun-filled games followed inwhich all ages participated, ablyumpired by the Scottish Mission

president, Pastor Llew Edwards. Theballoon-stomping competition drewquite a crowd of passing spectatorswho remained for much of the day,enjoying the fun and asking questionsabout the group. Who said witnessingcan’t be fun!

Energy reserveswere replenished witha picnic lunch, afterwhich battle recom-menced. The tug-of-war decided the win-ners, the Wildcats,and the fun finishedwith an energeticgame of the ‘flyingDutchman’, which leftmany requiring oxy-gen and a rest!LYNN RETALLICK

12 Messenger

Edinburgh on the move x 2Edinburgh church is now meeting in the United Reformed church in BoswellParkway, Granton, Edinburgh, where a warm welcome awaits you! This is a temporary move until a permanent home is found.

Edinburgh is also on the move, marching forward with the Good News of theGospel. The small enthusiastic and dedicated evangelistic team, led by RudolphBerki, has delivered over 8,000 questionnaires to local residents around the newchurch. The questionnaire included requests for further information, books andBible studies.

The Lord has blessed this endeavour with over 380 responses to date. Over160 individuals have requested books and so far two people are actively workingthrough Bible studies.LYNN RETALLICK

Edinburgh Activities Day

The congregations at Preston,Blackpool and Lancaster gathered fora special programme of songs,speeches and a presentation, to thankPastor Fred Mapp for his ministry intheir district. Many spoke words ofappreciation of this man of God, withhis infectious smile and mischievoussense of humour.

He was to most of us ‘a pastorwho also became a friend’, and will bemissed by all, but especially by thechildren. He developed a special rela-tionship and rapport with them. On hisbehalf they were happy to sing a songabout God’s book and expressed theirsadness on his leaving, but wishedhim well.

Preston saysfarewell to Pastor Mapp

He leaves to take up his new posi-tion as (part-time) NEC MinisterialAssociation secretary and (full-time)pastor of Bolton church.

The members also said ‘hello andwelcome’ to their new minister PastorKevin Johns, his wife Margaret andtwo sons, Dwight and Aaron.

Pastor Johns was born in WestBromwich, West Midlands, grew up inNottingham, and started theologicalstudies at West Indies College,Mandeville, Jamaica. He completed hisBA at Newbold College, started theStonebridge church in London (1996),did his internship and was a pastor inSt Lucia, 2000-2002.COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT

Pastor Fred Mapp, centre, with Pastor & Mrs Kevin Johns and the Preston elders

Zara Retallick, cheerleaderTeams in ‘pass the bucket’ competition

Left to right: Adele Smith, Joy Campbell and Rudolph Berki

Book Review

3:16I’ve been meeting the name of Robert H. Parr as a by-line for virtually the

whole of my adult life. And, I add in the same breath, it has often faced mewith a challenge.At first, the articles in question were in an old-time church paper titled

Youth’s Instructor, and they posed a problem. You see, they were captivatingenough to suggest preservation and they had enigmatic titles like ‘Artless Artieand me’, ‘My debt to a pound of sausages’ and ‘The GQ of Albert K’. However,I never succeeded in arranging them under the time-honoured array of subjectheadings to be found in most filing systems.

The solution? I took a manila folder, replete with the clippings, and simplywrote on it ‘(RH) Parr’ – and then tucked it in between ‘Papacy’ and‘Perseverance’, where it remains to this day, over forty-five years after I firstcaught sight of the articles.

Now, these decades later, I have to tell you that Pastor Robert Parr hasdone it again. This time with a book whose short title has no words in it at all– simply 3:16. It may be a little unusual to catalogue, but I predict you’dvalue having it in your library, in your heart and, for good value, in yourSabbath school Bible study time and devotional presentations.

My copy of 3:16 is destined to sit (when I’m not referring to it) on a shelflabelled ‘Devotional Theology’. It turns out (and you quite likely guessed it)that this hot-off-the-press, 224-page missive is a personable, armchair chataround the inspirational themes of every text in the New Testament (21 ofthem) that carries the 3:16 chapter-verse identification.

You might ask: Isn’t it something of a risk committing oneself to findingdevotional matters related to the gospel of Jesus in 21 texts selected on thesole basis of their common numerical reference? You’d better believe that ourAustralian church-school-teacher-cum-principal, editor, conference president,church pastor, prison chaplain and author is incurably of the opinion that ‘allScripture is given by inspiration of God’ and that it can well be used for ‘doc-trine . . . reproof . . . correction . . . instruction in righteousness’. And that, itturns out, is a quote from one of the 3:16s in question (2 Timothy, in fact).

You will note, when you get the chance to browse through the variouschapter titles, that the word gospel appears in every one. Apart from the big3:16 (John, which may well have been the first text you memorised), you’llfind, for example: ‘The first glimpse of the gospel’ (Galatians); ‘The riches ofthe glory of the gospel’ (Ephesians)’; and ‘The gospel of the thankful heart ‘(Colossians). In there, too, are the cautionary tones of the Laodicean warning(Revelation) under ‘Beware of a lukewarm gospel’.

Pastor Parr owns up to the fact that writing 3:16 has been a personalblessing to him in the process. It shouldn’t be any other way, of course. And

I’m confident it can be that to hisreaders as well as we who ramblewith him (I speak figuratively; I haveit on some authority that he is notthe world’s most avid walker)through themes that can resonate soheartily with us all.

3:16 The Joy of the Gospel by RobertH. Parr was published by AutumnHouse, 2002. Soft cover. 224 pages.Price £6.95. Available from theAdventist Book Centre or directlyfrom The Stanborough Press. Orderthrough your PM Secretary or, if youhave a credit card, directly on 01476539900 Monday-Thursday. 3:16 has been reviewed by TrevorLloyd who writes from Australia.

could be tested for leaks, and electri-cal fittings were fixed. They had com-pleted the work with one day to spare.

A party was planned to celebratethe completion of the work. Invitationswere given to all the BESSO orphanchildren, now numbering forty-eight,Solomon, his family and all his work-ers, the BESSO helpers, STOP boardmembers, and all the volunteers fromEngland. There were over eighty in thelarge hall decorated with bunting, bal-loons and streamers. All the childrenwashed their hands, were seated inrows, and the volunteers served themtheir meals. Some volunteers evenhelped feed some of the younger children.

It was a great party with deliciousfood catered by a local restaurant thatsupplied ice cream for dessert. Afterthe party they distributed the sweetsand toys which were brought fromEngland. The volunteers also boughtthe children skipping ropes, frisbees,footballs, volleyballs and a cricket set,and played games with them for sometime. Goalposts were made from con-struction iron rods and a football pitchwas marked out. The children were soexcited they overlooked all footballrules and freely chased and kicked theball. They had never before had somuch space in which to run and playin safety.

Before the children could occupythe facility, BESSO needed to sign aten-year lease contract with STOP. Atthe end of the ten years the ownershipof the entire facility will transfer toBESSO. On Thursday 22 August thecontract was signed and registered atthe Kelamangalam District Registrar’sOffice. That was the final formality ofthe BESSO Project 2002 and markedthe culmination of all that STOPInternational had worked to achieveover the past two years.

The last day was a sad time, say-ing goodbye to the fifty children. (Twomore were added in the final weekunder tragic circumstances.) The chil-dren hugged and kissed the volunteersand hung on to their arms as if to say,‘Don’t leave us.’ They clung on for aslong as they were allowed before thevolunteers had to leave. However, theyparted with the satisfaction of knowingthat after nearly two years of planningand two weeks of hard work on site,the children would have a comfortable,safe, hygienic living facility where theywill grow and develop into young peo-ple able to face the big world outside.

STOP hopes they will recognisethat a loving God provided them withnew, loving friends in the volunteersfrom England and a decent home inwhich to spend their childhood, andtrusts that this experience will confirm

their faith in a generous and graciousGod. This same God the volunteers, asChristians, have come to know andlove through his Son Jesus in whomthey trust.

The total cost of the project was£31,500, and included the purchase ofthe land and construction of a sur-rounding wall with a security gate, digging a bore well, installing a pumpbuilding and furnishing the home. The STOP volunteers, their friends,well-wishers of the project andStanborough Park church members allhelped raise funds during 2001 andthe beginning of 2002. The STOP fund-raising committee organised cakesales, a sponsored non-stop 24-hourbadminton marathon, a sponsoredbike ride, Christmas Carol singing atthe local shopping mall, packing bagsfor customers at the local ASDA hyper-market. Funds were further boostedwhen a local charity, ADRA-UK, includ-ed the BESSO 2002 project on their listof fund-raising projects and committed£6,000 to STOP. Keith Didcock, a parent of one of the students at Stan-borough School, Watford, requestedthat mourners donate money to acharity rather than buy flowers at hisfuneral. When he passed away earlierin 2002, his friends and family handedover the £445 donation to STOPInternational. A mango tree was plant-ed in his honour at the orphanage.Another supporter of STOP Inter-national had his head shaved, whichraised £400 for the project. There werenumerous others who donated varioussums ranging from £10 given by alocal child out of pocket money originally intended to buy Christmas presents, to an individual donation of£4,000, all to make this home a realityfor the children. May God bless eachone of them.

STOP International has approved a project for two weeks in February/March 2003 in a town just outsideRanchi in the state of Jharkhand (OldBihar), East India. The PrabhudasOrphanage needs classrooms in whichto educate their children. STOP Inter-national is looking for volunteers committed to this work of the gospelwho will give two weeks of their timeand raise their own airfare, board andlodging, to complete this project. If youwould like to apply to join the team,please write to: The Project Manager,The Ranchi Project, 7 The Conifers,Watford, WD25 0JP, or email: stopinternational@supanet.com.

* Kish Poddar is a teacher at StanboroughSecondary School and an elder atStanborough Park church.

GREEN, Veta – d. 29 July. It is with great sorrow that wereport the death of our very dear sister. Veta was born in1931 in Sherwood Forest, Portland, Jamaica, the tenthof eleven children born to her parents, Ralph andPricilla Bignall. She grew up in Portland where she metand married Noel Green in 1954. While living inPortland they were blessed with six children and, aftertheir arrival in Bradford in December 1960, they wereblessed with four more. Although baptised into theAdventist faith at an early age, Veta renewed her com-mitment to God in 1991. She knew that she should fullycommit herself to the Lord who had been such a rock inthe life of her late mother. At that moment in time shehad no idea that the road ahead would be one that con-stantly tested her faith in God. Despite receiving the bestof medical care, Veta, a diabetic, began to suffer healthproblems that resulted in the loss of both her legs. Shealso underwent triple heart bypass surgery that offereda 50/50% chance of survival. Throughout her trials sheremained a living testimony to all who knew her. Overthe years as her health deteriorated her faith in the Lordgrew. She knew her God and, come what may, she livedto witness to his love and goodness. Veta drew immensestrength and courage from the many promises in theBible. In a letter to a brother she wrote that the Lordnever promised that the road would be easy. He prom-ised, ‘I will never leave you. I will never abandon you.Don’t be afraid or discouraged for I, the Lord your Godam with you wherever you go.’ It was this and the manyother promises that comforted Veta when she was tired.That gave her strength when she was weak. God didn’tgive up on her and she didn’t give up on him. She livedfor the Lord and now she rests awaiting his triumphantreturn. SUBMITTED BY VETA’S GRANDSON SHAUN

GIRLING, Walter – d. 17 August. Walter was born inMochdre, Newtown, Wales, where his father WalterArthur Girling was colporteuring at the time. Later hegrew up in Gillingham, Kent, where his father operateda shoe repair business employing many Adventists whowere finding it hard to get work due to their Sabbathneeds. After some years in Kent the family moved toWinslow, Bucks, where they established a garage busi-ness. Walter was brought up in the Adventist Churchand, in 1958, he and his wife Ethel helped to found theOxford church, where he was church treasurer for manyyears. Walter passed away on 17 August, leaving twodaughters, two grandchildren and two great-grandchil-dren who look forward to the day when they will meethim again at the great reunion with Jesus. JEN READ

WEDDINGBAKER-HAWKINS. On a lovely Sunday, 21 July, two of ouryoung people were united in marriage at Crieff church.One hundred people – family and friends – were thereto watch the wedding of Christopher Baker from Irvine,Scotland, and Karen Hawkins, Denver, USA. Karen worea beautiful diamond white straight wedding dress withbeaded bodice and carried cream roses. Her sisterAndrea, dressed in blue, was her bridesmaid. Thegroom wore his Russell tartan kilt and was ably attendedby his friend Keith Thompson as best man, who alsowore a kilt. Two candles were lit in church by the moth-ers at the beginning of the service in honour of the livesof the bride and groom, and before signing the registerthe newlyweds lit one large candle which signified themerging of their lives together. We shall miss them asthey set up home in Texas, and wish them God’s bless-ing on their marriage. M. BAKER

SITUATION VACANTNEC, Receptionist-telephonistA friendly, energetic person needed for full-timeposition in NEC office. Required to assist withgeneral office duties. Good people skills andwillingness to learn.Closing date for applications: 8 November.Apply in writing, with cv, or for further details:Executive Secretary, North England Conference,22 Zulla Road, Nottingham, NG3 5DB.Email: plockham@necadventist.org.uk. Tel: 0115 960 6312.

Messenger 15

Iwould definitely go on one of theseagain,’ was the response of a vol-unteer (aged 22).The BESSO Project 2002 began in

February 2001 when a team of twen-ty-two STOP (Save The OrphansPlease) International volunteers,mainly from Watford, went to the vil-lage of Thally, in India, to constructliving accommodation for the directorof the Captain Azariah Children’sHome. While there they met the chil-dren of another orphanage run byBESSO (Bethel Education and SocialServices Organisation), an Indian reg-istered charity. The thirty-three BESSOorphans, aged between 4 and 13, wereliving in two overcrowded and unsuit-able rooms rented from a local land-lord. This was all they could afford.STOP International had decided itwanted to build a new orphanage withsome land of their own on which thechildren could play in safety. The vol-unteers selected a plot of land meas-uring just less than half an acre on theoutskirts of Hosur, India. A price was

ridicule from his peers in the construc-tion industry. They questioned his ability to complete the project for thequoted price or to complete at all!They did not appreciate Solomon’sdetermination to complete or his com-mitment to his work. They were notaware of his Christian experience andfaith in God.

After constructing a solid concretesecurity wall around the boundary ofthe property and a shed for supplies,the work of digging the foundationsbegan in early February. This proved tobe more difficult than first thought asthe part of the site where the buildingwas to be erected included an outcropof granite. Solomon had to use dyna-mite in order to prepare the ground forthe foundation!

While Solomon and his dedicatedteam of workers were constructing theorphanage building, in Watford a teamof fourteen volunteers aged between16 and 62 was preparing to visit inJuly to complete the building andgrounds in readiness for occupation.

They came from various backgrounds– three students, a paramedic, abuilder, a fitness trainer, two teachers,an accountant, a computer engineer,an assistant manager and three vol-unteers who were unemployed. All thevolunteers raised their own airfare andcost of board, lodging and travel whilein India for the two-week trip. Theywere also organising all their jabs andstarting their course of malariatablets, and stocking up with insectrepellant and suntan lotion. Children’sclothes and toys were being collectedfor the children of BESSO and seven-teen cardboard boxes were packedready to be flown over.

In April the British Governmentissued advice to tourists not to travelto India due to its conflict withPakistan along the Kashmir border.Having planned for a year and a halffor this project, STOP put this beforethe Lord. Three weeks before theplanned departure the advice wasrelaxed which opened the way forplans to send the volunteers to Horsuron 28 July for two weeks.

When the volunteers arrived at thesite on the first day, the building was95% complete. It was thrilling to seethe superb facility where the orphanswere to live. However, there were onlyten days in which to complete thebuilding, so the volunteers really had

their work cut out. The building sitewas a mile from where they stayed sothey hired bicycles and eight of thefourteen volunteers rode to and fromwork daily. They also borrowed twomopeds and a car, which helped tocarry lunch, building supplies and vol-unteers. Work started at 8am and con-tinued right through to 5.30pm withshort breaks for lunch and rests. Thework involved painting the interiorwalls, doors and window frames, fitting taps, shower heads, electricalswitches and sockets, plumbing to andfrom the overhead water storagetanks, erecting swings for the children,planting saplings of mango, custardapple, guava, coconut, jackfruit andsapota, digging up boulders to create alevel play area for the children andclearing the site of the building debris.The first day’s work progressed betterthan expected and on the second daymost of the painting had been com-pleted. They were ahead of scheduleand by Friday, the fifth day, all thepainting was completed, most of thefruit trees planted, and almost all theplumbing finished.

In the second week the menworked on the electrics and clearedthe building debris. The ladies washedthe floors and shelves. They pur-chased bougainvilleas, rose bushes,and coleus to add colour and plantedthem around the property.

Application for electrical connec-tion was made to the local authoritiesand it was hoped that it would beobtained by the second Monday of thegroup’s stay. Unfortunately, localbureaucracy prevented this so a dieselgenerator was hired to complete thedrilling work and to pump water intothe overhead tank. All the plumbing

14 Messenger

An Orphanage for IndiaOverseas Enterprise

A report on the BESSO Project 2002by Kish Poddar, Executive secretary, STOP International *

Joanna feeding some of the younger orphans

All 48 orphans

Obituaries

Children should be seen– and heard!On Sabbath 31 August the children atthe Wolverhampton Oxford Streetchurch confounded the dictum thatchildren should be seen and not heard.Directed by the leaders of the JuniorSabbath school, the children centredthe day under the theme ‘I can do allthings through Christ’. The ages ofpresenters ranged from 2 to the ‘veterans’ aged 11; and every childexecuted his or her role with notableprofessionalism and confidence.

There were four preachers for theday: Stephen Blake (11), BenjaminDockery (10), Jordan Palmer (11), andNaomi Brown (8). Using the story ofDavid and Goliath, and in front of a fullchurch and video cameras, eachpreacher motivated listeners to haveconfidence in the Lord. Watch out forthese preachers in the future!

The afternoon programme incor-porated a Children’s AchievementAwards ceremony in which the children were publicly recognised for their individual achievements. Each child was presented with a certificate of recognition.

We are indebted to the commit-ment of the Sabbath school leaderCollis Parchment and fellow teachersfor their dedication to the children, notonly for this special day but from weekto week. MARK PALMER

Adventists in the mediaTwo Wolverhampton Oxford Streetmembers have received extensivemedia coverage over the last fewmonths.

Ian Palmer, well known gospelsinger and choir leader, receivedrecognition from The TimesEducational Supplement, TheBirmingham Evening Mail and thelocal newspapers due to his rare roleas a black, male school nurse. As wellas undertaking his role as a schoolnurse in Birmingham, Ian is pioneeringwork with disaffected pupils in thecity, focusing on behavioural issuesand sex education. His managers andcolleagues view Ian as an excellentcommunicator and invaluable assetwithin the city.

Donald Brown has built a repu-tation as a talented sculptor both inEngland and America. Articles in TheVoice and Nu Nation and the localpress highlight that this young manhas been blessed with an exceptionalgift that he has used wisely. Donaldhas also received accolades fromworld famous individuals such as thewriter Maya Angelou who acknowl-edges that Donald is truly gifted.

Trained at the University of

Wolverhampton in the late 80s, Donaldwas recently invited back by the university to receive an award inrecognition of his work which spansboth sides of the Atlantic.MARK PALMER

‘

agreed with the land agent and it waspurchased and dedicated for the con-struction of suitable living accommo-dation for the children of the BESSOorphanage.

Mr Ken Halls, an architect by pro-fession and one of the STOP volun-teers on the trip in 2001, drew upplans for a building measuring 3,250square feet, capable of comfortablyaccommodating thirty-plus children.The plans were sent to India wherebuilding permission was obtained andSTOP engaged the services ofSolomon, a Christian building contrac-tor. He had not previously attempted aproject as large as this, and faced

16 Messenger

SunsetSunset times are reproduced with permission from

data supplied by the Science Research Council.Lond Card Nott Edin Belf

Oct 25 5.47 5.59 5.48 5.49 6.03Nov 1 4.34 4.46 4.34 4.33 4.48

8 4.22 4.34 4.21 4.18 4.3415 4.12 4.24 4.10 4.06 4.22

MESSENGER SUBSCRIPTIONSCost to member supplied in bulk to churches £6.

Single copy subscription by post £13.Overseas airmail £27.50

MessengerVolume 107 Number 23 25 October 2002

EDITOR: D. N. MARSHALL

COPY FOR No. 25 – 30 OctoberCopy should be sent to the Editor, MESSENGER, The Stanborough Press Limited, Alma Park, Grantham,

Lincolnshire, NG31 9SL. Tel: (01476) 591700. Fax No: (01476) 577144. Email: Editordnm@aol.comABC Sales line: (01476) 539900 Mon-Thurs only, 7.30 - 6pm.

The Editor may alter, clarify, précis or expand articles sent to him if he thinks it necessary.Published fortnightly on Fridays by the British Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

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Visit the BUC website at: www.adventist.org.uk ISSN 0309-3654

For a complete list of upcoming events check out the database on the BUC website, www.adventist.org.uk.

News Digest

Chalford: 50 years’ celebrationSabbath 4 September was a very special day in the life of Chalford church. Itmarked the commemoration of the 50years since the church commencedwith a special celebratory service.

A church that normally holds only ahandful of faithful members each weekwas totally transformed, beautifullydecorated and filled to capacity withover sixty past members and pastors inattendance, and visitors from the localcommunity.

The service began with a warm andvibrant welcome by the present minis-ter, Pastor Richard Daly, followed by anappropriate hymn ‘Now thank we all ourGod’.

Former ministers, Pastors Ron Davey, Margaret Stewart, Ian Lorek and DerekClothier, were given the opportunity to share their experiences during their pas-torates at Chalford. Gerald Whiting and Basil Hyatt, two of the longest-standingmembers, shared the history of Chalford church from its inception to the presentday. Basil Hyatt also received a special plaque from the church for his manyyears of faithful and dedicated service and for initially drawing up the plans forthe building.

The guest speaker for the day was conference president Pastor Don McFarlanewhose sermon was entitled ‘Built on the Rock’. We were reminded that with thechurch being built on the ‘rock’, Christ Jesus, it will always be triumphant.

The day’s celebrations ended with a fellowship lunch at the village hall.COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT

West Country eventsOn 13-15 September several members from the Bodmin, Redruth, St Austell andPlymouth churches joined together for a family camp. Ray Allen from AdventistWorld Radio came with his family and led the weekend break. His theme was theLove of God. We had a good time of fellowship and fun. On the Sabbath over fiftypeople attended from the area, plus members from Croscombe and Chelmsfordchurches who were down in Cornwall on holiday.

The Area 1 Day of Fellowship was held at Oldway Mansion in Paignton onSabbath 28 September. Pastor Orville Woolford led the day’s worship. His themewas, ‘He is faithful’. In the afternoon he shared with us his experiences during his travels through the Trans-European Division. The day was interspersed withmusical items from the youth and a song service in the afternoon.

We were also able to welcome Pastor Bertie De-Nysschen and his wifeThessie who have recently taken on Exeter and Torquay churches.PASTOR RON CLEMOW

The Oldway Mansion crowdSome of the Chalford members with SEC president Pastor Don McFarlane andlocal minister Pastor Richard Daly

Basil Hyatt with the plaque honouring his faithful, dedicatedservice to the churchThe West Country Family Camp

ABC BOOK SALES 2002October

27 John Loughborough 10am-2pm

November 3 West Midlands 10am-2pm

16-17 Women’s Ministries Convention24 John Loughborough 10am-2pm

The Stanborough Press LtdGraphic designer requiredA full-time position has arisen for anadditional graphic designer to assist inthe Pre-Press area. The successfulapplicant will be conversant with several software applications includingQuarkExpress, Photoshop andIllustrator.

He or she will be involved in allaspects of page layout and designusing a Mac-based system, working ona variety of different products includingbook and magazine work, brochures,leaflets, posters, etc.

Applicants must be self-motivatedand able to work to challenging time-scales as part of a small team.

All replies need to be in writing andaccompanied by CV before 7 Novemberto: The Manager, The StanboroughPress Ltd, Alma Park, Grantham, Lincs,NG31 9SL.

Elder’s wife baptisedThe members and visiting friends ofEltham Green church were overjoyedto witness the baptism of ‘Monie’Norris, the wife of our first elder, LeoNorris, on 27 July at the Greenwichchurch.

We have all been praying for thismoment, and God has answered ourprayers. Sister Monie said it is thebest thing that has ever happened to

her and we are all rejoicing with her.JOY MONTEITH

Bread and waterHarvest Thanksgiving service inTorquay church was different this year.Our display was just bread and water,with emphasis on how fortunate weare in this country with our manychoices of food, compared with thosewho think themselves lucky to eat at

all. Thanks to the generosity ofSafeways in Paignton who donatedsome of the bread, our display showedtwenty-two different types of breadthat are easily obtainable in our shops.During one of the hymns, members ofthe congregation came forward withdonations to put into one of the largebaskets in the display. The grand sumof £146 was sent to ADRA.JEN READ