WORK DONE BY MEN FROM OUR RANKS.
THE following facts are points of interest which crop up in the - year’s work of our College brotherhood. We attempt no complete report; it would not be possible this year, perhaps not at any time. To God be praise for substantial progress.
CHISWICK. — From the year 1867 to 1877 the little old Nonconformist chapel in this place was a preaching-station connected with our College.
Towards the latter part of that period a church was formed, which might have been classed with the “Zoars” of our denomination; for it was indeed
“a little one,” when the present pastor, Mr. W. E. Lynn, went to minister there. The divine blessing has followed our brother’s labors, and his church now numbers nearly eighty members. The lease of the old chapel expired in March, 188i, and the friends were obliged to find another home. Early last
year they secured a very good site, and have erected the commodious iron chapel in which they now worship.
POPLAR AND BROMLEY TABERNACLE, BRUNSWICK-ROAD. — About ten years ago Mr. W. T. Lambourne became pastor of the church meeting in George-street, Bromley-by-Bow, which had become reduced to a very low state for want of pastoral oversight. Great blessing was vouchsafed to our brother’s labors, and in the course of three years the friends were greatly incommoded and the work hindered for want of room. Passing over many interesting details, we have only space to say that, as a temporary
expedient, a very large tent was erected upon a suitable site, and services held therein for a considerable time till a large schoolroom could be erected. This accomplished, our earnest brother and his hardworking people set about building the chapel proper, a handsome structure, with sittings for rather more than eleven hundred persons. It was opened in September last. The membership is about two hundred.
WOOLWICH. — Mr. Spurgeon last year purchased at public auction a small chapel in Joseph Street, in which one of the students is preaching with much acceptance.
HORNCHURCH (Essex). — A Christian friend, Mr. Abraham, sought the help of Mr. Spurgeon in providing gospel privileges for this locality, and Mr. E. Dyer, of the College, was sent to Preach the word about two years ago. He has succeeded in gathering a congregation, and has seen some fruit from his labors. On July 18, last year, Mr. Spurgeon preached in the open air, and aided at the laying of the foundation-stone.of a chapel, to which he has contributed f100. The chapel was opened in September by our beloved brother, Archibald Brown. f300 more will be needed to free the place from debt.
HAWICK, N.B. — The Baptist church in this town invited our :student, Mr.
W. Seaman, to become its pastor in February, 1880. The chapel being small and inconvenient, the principal services have been conducted in the Temperance Hall, pending the erection of a suitable building. This has now been effected at a cost f1,350, and the new chapel was opened for worship on February 18, by Revelation W. Tulloch, President of the Baptist Union of Scotland.
GLASGOW. — The church, under the pastoral care of Pastor W. H. Elliott, which used to worship at the Standard Hall, Main-street, Gorbals, removed
this time last year to a neat and substantial brick :structure at the corner of Kirk and Buchan Streets. The chapel seats four hundred and fifty persons.
Our brother has been with his people.;even years. There is a fellowship of one hundred and seventy-nine members, an increase of thirty-one over last year’s return. This work deserves liberal aid.
SANDOWN (Isle of Wight). — On February 9, 1882, Pastor J. A. Spurgeon conducted service in the Old Town Hall, where Mr. A. Bird had gathered a congregation. Twenty believers were formed into a church on that
occasion; since then the membership has been doubled. A chapel, which will seat 320 persons, has been erected in Pell Street, at a cost of about f1,000. Pastor J. A. Spurgeon preached the first sermon in the new chapel on July 20. f112 were contributed during the day, including f50 from the President. The prospects of this new cause are bright, but at present it needs help from us.
LEICESTER (Carley Street). — A new chapel has been erected on the site of the old one which had been for some time too strait for the congregation; it was, moreover, in a very dilapidated condition. The Leicester General Baptists, having obtained possession of the building about eight years ago, invited Pastor Jacob Forth, then of Wirksworth, to begin Christian work therein, and soon a church of twenty members was formed: there are now more than a hundred in church-fellowship.
ST. LEONARDS-ON-SEA. — About three years since a few friends, resident in the locality, hired the Warrior Square Concert Rooms, and Pastor W. W.
Haines, of Eye, was invited to preach, with the view of establishing a Baptist church. The church, formed in 1881, now consists of eighty-five members. A substantial chapel, with school and class-rooms, has been erected in Chapel-park Road, at a cost, including freehold land of about f4,500, towards which we have contributed as much as we could spare, but would like to give a great deal more. The town needed this chapel, and we doubt not that a large and influential congregation will be gathered.
NEW BUSTER AND SOUTH WATFORD. — From 1869, when Mr. Spurgeon purchased the iron chapel in Bushey New Town, until last October, the Baptist church has made steady progress and worked hard to secure a place of worship suited to the needs of the growing neighborhood. They have happily succeeded, and now meet in their handsome chapel at Chalk- hill, which, with school-rooms, has cost f3,250. This site was generously given by Mr. Bailey. We believe that there only remains a debt of six or
seven hundred pounds. There are one hundred and ten members in fellowship, and good congregations.
ST. ALBAN’S TABERNACLE. — We know nothing as to the reasons for forming a second Baptist church in St. Alban’s; but as this congregation has chosen our friend H. W. Taylor for their pastor, we are bound to record the building of a commodious chapel and the gathering of a growing people. In loving harmony with all other existing churches may this church go from strength to strength.
WEST HAM LANE. — We know very little of the history of the chapel here known as “The Tabernacle,” but believe it was erected by a zealous Christian man, who hoped to make the building a center of usefulness, but failed to gather a sufficient number of helpers to sustain the work. The building would have been closed had not our former student, Mr. J. W.
Wilkinson, offered to conduct services in it, and met with sufficient encouragement to induce him to hire it at a rather heavy rental. A Baptist church of seventy members has been formed, and Mr. Wilkinson will, we have good reason to believe, make the undertaking a success. He is well known to many of our friends as a former successful pastor of Ventnor Baptist church.
CHRISTCHURCH (New Zealand). — During the five-and-a-half years’
pastorate of our brother Charles Dallaston the church has been greatly cheered and encouraged by signs of Divine blessing in their midst; four hundred and twenty-seven believers having been received into fellowship during that time. The crowded congregations rendered increased
accommodation necessary, and the friends were compelled to build. They have recently opened their present commodious chapel (or “church” as Colonials call a meeting-house), seated for eight hundred, and with
provision for galleries when further accommodation shall be required. The cost was about F3,200.
GIPSY ROAD (Lower Norwood). — The large and handsome chapel erected for the church under the pastoral care of Mr. Hobbs was opened in May last, and almost from the commencement has been well filled. Best of all, souls are continually being saved. During the past year over one
hundred have been added to the church. The Sunday-school, Bible-classes, Temperance and Band of Hope work, and other agencies are in active operation, and there is scarcely an evening in the week when the chapel or lecture-hall is not in use. The premises cost altogether f4,600, of which a
debt of £2,000 still remains. It is hoped that, with the help of the London Baptist Association Chapel Debts’ Fund, at least one-fourth of this amount will be removed during the present year.