Testimony

Further Reminiscences

The following took place between  September, 1972 and April 1974.

We arrived in Grimsby, my family and I, where I took up my first teaching post. I was 36 years old.

We were received into the assembly meeting at the Gospel Hall, Springfield Road, Scartho. I had tried to research this assembly before we moved but few brethren had heard of them.

It wasn’t long before we discovered we had joined a hotch-potch of Glantonites (exclusive brethren)  and liberal open brethren who had got fed up with the leading light at Wellowgate, Grimsby.

Dr Churchward a one-time missionary, joined his  Glantonite partner and a crowd followed on after him to start a conglomerate assembly in Scartho.

Mr Tharp, who also ran a Glanton meeting outside Grimsby, “reminded” us in a ministry meeting that The Church Is In Ruins. This is foundational exclusive heresy so I raised an objection.

And thus my troubles began. It is a serious offence to question any utterance of a senior brother so I was carpeted.

Dr Churchward interviewed me. I had said Tharp’s words were blasphemous and so I had upset him.

The church is the body of Christ and to describe it as just so much rubble is to mock Christ.

But I must learn to suppress my foolish notions or there would be no place for me at Scartho.

What did Dr Churchward believe? I was never told.

A few weeks later another notable leader, Mr McClean (an SMO) told us (I quote) “when Christ was on earth He was in essence less than God” .

I withdrew from this assembly the same morning, quit my teaching post the following Monday, put our house up for sale and returned to Lutom.

….and then my troubles really began......

We returned to the assembly we had left two years earlier; Onslow Road Gospel Hall, and where I had attended the weeknight meetings for the previous three months while commuting from Grimsby. But we had no  Letter of Commendation  from the Grimsby assembly so we were refused fellowship. My movements, manner of life, doctrine were of course fully known to the Brethren in Luton but I was no longer a licenced member so I was barred. The three elders at Luton wanted to receive me but certain men were determined to keep me out. I was told, no letter – no membership.

Gordon Brind, one of the three elders, wrote to the Grimsby assembly and asked if they could supply a letter. They were willing to do so and I was then received with my family at Luton.

With hindsight I see this as evidence of my brainwashed state at that time. If  blaspheming men at Grimsby were ready to receive me then the Luton assembly would do likewise. Very unwisely I accepted this.

So it was “out of the frying pan and into the fire.”