Wilson J. Manfield

Mr. W. J. Manfield of Exeter passed into the Lord’s presence on August 24th aged 88. In his younger days, he joined Mallett’s mill at Exwick as an office junior, and eventually rose to become its secretary and director. Our brother was a Precious Seed committee member from 1954 to 1979, and for many years the committee held their bimonthly meetings in his hospitable home at Exwick. Our brother used to check all scriptural references in the proofs of Precious Seed, and this accounts for the very exacting standards maintained during those years. The funeral service was held at Buller Road Evangelical Church, Exeter, where he had been in happy fellowship for almost 60 years, his wife having been called to her reward about three years previously.

At the service of thanksgiving, Mr. Ron Todd of the same fellowship, who described himself as “one of Mr. Manfield’s young men”, said: “We have lost one of God’s great servants, one who has been our example, guide and mentor for almost 60 years, having joined this assembly because he felt the importance of simple New Testament church principles.” The speaker then described our brother as a private man — rather shy and reticent; as a preaching man—sharing God’s Word with others since he possessed such a complete and almost photographic knowledge of the Bible; as a praying man—both in his personal and church life; as a punctual man— never late to an assembly meeting as coming into the Lord’s presence; and as a pilgrim man—with his sight fixed on a better and continuing city. At the graveside, Mr. J. Goldsworthy recalled a verse in the Song of Songs that Mr. Manfield had increasingly shared in his failing health: “in the secret places of the stairs”, and said that God’s dear servant now knew fully the secret. Whose faith follow.