Gospel Work and other Assembly Activities

Somerset. The assembly which meets in the Gospel Hall, Alcombe, Minehead, celebrated in November fifty years of Gospel witness in the town. Invitations had been distributed locally and to friends who had been associated with the work over the years. The response was most encouraging with about fifty from the immediate neighbourhood, some not having been inside the hall before, together with friends from many miles distant. The afternoon session was addressed by C. McEwen who read Deuteronomy 32. 7 and Philippians 3. 4-14, from which all were reminded of God’s faithfulness in the past and what the attitude of believers should be to the future. All should be pressing on in the service of the Lord.

Before the evening session, transparencies were shown of assembly activities over the years. This not only revived happy memories but, the believers hope, will encourage many of the local folk who saw pictures of themselves when in Sunday School, to attend the hall more often.

During the evening, when the hall was packed, reports were given by brethren who had been in fellowship at various times during the fifty years.

Lanarkshire. Several Gospel campaigns were held in the shire during the late autumn. J. Smyth was at Low Waters Gospel Hall, Hamilton. The hall was filled to capacity on the first Lord’s Day evening, unsaved folk were present on each of the following nights and God was pleased to bless His word in the salvation of souls.

The first to be saved was a young teenage girl, then a young man in his early twenties, followed by a married couple and their young son. There were also another young lad together with a young woman. Many more were convicted concerning their sin. Following the packed conference on the last week-end, the final Gospel meeting was held with a packedhall, manyunsavedfolkbeing present. At the close of the meeting four believers brought joy to the heart of their Lord by being baptized. So having prayed together and worked together, the believers rejoiced together.

So concerned are believers for the work of the Gospel in this part of Scotland that a monthly prayer meeting has been commenced.

Peebles. The assembly in this Border town publicly opened their new hall in mid-November. The afternoon session was occupied with ministry of the Word whilst the evening was taken up with reports on the work since its inception some twelve years ago.

Northern Ireland. The Cloughfern assembly is in a fast developing area on the outskirts of Belfast. The believers keep active in the Gospel, and some time ago they commenced work in a portable hall erected in a new district. Recently J. Campbell and J. Hay had special Gospel meetings nightly for several weeks as well as meetings for children. On one occasion the army provided a tent to accommodate the youngsters. All concerned put their heart into the effort and were encouraged as many unsaved people from the area attended. Quite a number have been saved as a result and some have asked for baptism.

In the Gospel Hall at Buckna, Co. Antrim, near the foot of Slemish mountain, T. McKelvey and J. G. Hutchinson had eight weeks of well attended meetings. The folks in the area were concerned about their families and God was pleased to answer prayer, a number of their young people professing to have trusted the Saviour as did some others.

The assembly in the village of Ahoghill, also in Co. Antrim, was encouraged when blessing was seen at Gospel meetings conducted by E. Wishart and S. Thompson.

J. Brown and J. Lennox preached nightly for several weeks in Cregagh Gospel Hall in the city of Belfast. Although the area was well visited and thousands of tracts distributed, it was difficult to get many out to the meetings, no doubt partly due to the unrest in the city. However it is known that at least one professed faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour.

Comber is a small town a few miles from Belfast in Co. Down. Here J. Thompson and S. Ferguson had ten weeks of Gospel meetings when the good seed was sown, homes visited and tracts distributed. Yet there was little to encourage by way of known cases of conversion.

W. Nesbitt had encouraging Gospel meetings nightly for two months in what was really a hen house on a farm at Archill, near Baronscourt in Co. Tyrone. God gave needed help with the preaching and three elderly folk professed faith in Christ.

A. McShane and N. Turkington preached to encouraging numbers in Banbridge but although the preaching was faithful results were disappointing.

At Coleraine in North Derry the Gospel Hall was filled nightly as A. Hull and A. Ramsey preached the plain Gospel message.

Cornwall. The small assembly in Bodmin, like the many other little companies up and down the land, very much needs the prayers of the Lord’s people. During the past year there have been good contacts with teenagers and also with tramps.

At St. Austell four believers have been baptized. It has been evident that the faithful preaching of the Gospel together with the balanced presentation of the truth of baptism, has exercised these to be obedient to the truth of Scripture.

Through the personal witness of one young couple an elderly lady was saved a few months ago.

Cumbria. The local Agricultural Show and Steam Rally at Kendal was used by the local assembly as an opportunity to reach a potential audience of some forty thousand from all over the north of England. An exhibition was arranged in a tent entitled ‘Focus on New Life’, the Gospel being presented by slides and a taped commentary especially compiled for the event. Gospel literature was available, and an estimated five thousand folk passed through the tent.

Postal Sunday Schools. The Worcester School received an invitation to erect a stand at the Stourport Carnival. This was found to be a far different proposition from an agricultural show as people were pleasure bent and not interested in an exhibition stand. So the workers went to the people and distributed their literature to the youngsters who passed by. Thus we have to adapt our ways to the circumstances.

Mobile Units. One report tells that on four occasions in four months the unit was not able to go out as planned because of the lack of workers. Are we really serious about the Gospel?

The same report tells of interesting contacts in both villages and towns.