I am a retired teacher who wrote 7 photocopiable books for Teachers and one book for children Union Jack Colouring Book.
The 7books covered Geography, History (Medieval/ Tudor/ Stuart), Travel and Transport, Myself and Events (this included diaries), Race Against Time Stories (SATS based), Church Dates for Children plus Nature and Seasons (including Sport). These 7 books have been mainly broken into a number of segments.
Challenging the Physical Elements, my Geography book, is complete.
I am a retired teacher who wrote 7 photocopiable books for Teachers and one book for children Union Jack Colouring Book.
The 7books covered Geography, History (Medieval/ Tudor/ Stuart), Travel and Transport, Myself and Events (this included diaries), Race Against Time Stories (SATS based), Church Dates for Children plus Nature and Seasons (including Sport). These 7 books have been mainly broken into a number of segments.
Challenging the Physical Elements, my Geography book, is complete.
I have create a Poetry Aid for children trying to write about Wind.
I have differentiated it at two levels.
I have included a list of Wind poems I found on Wikipedia and downloaded 5 poems - 3 by Annette Wynne.1 by Christina Rossetti and another by Clara W, Raymond.
I hope the lists prove useful.
Thomas Ball Barratt (1862-1949) was a British born Norwegian pastor and one of the founding figures of the Pentecostal movement in Europe.
Thomas was born in Cornwall but his parents emigrated to Norway when he was only 4 - he was bilingual.
He began to preach at the age of 17. He pastored several churches in the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) in Norway.
In 1905 he travelled to the USA with the aim of raising funds to build a new premises in Kristiania.
The Azasa Street Revival had happened in Los Angles on 9th April that year which resulted in the forming of the Pentecostal movement.
Several ministers who were baptized in the Spirit at the Azusa Street Mission and who were passionate about helping others encounter God in this way, intersected with Barratt in New York when he was on his way home. He asked for prayer to receive the same blessing they had received. He was baptised in the Spirit on 15th November 1906 ( or 7th October if dif. source used) and thereafter spoke and even sang in tongues
( Read ‘T.B. Barratt and Revival in Norway’ which includes his personal, powerful, inspiring testimony, by Jan Miskov - her testimony - which follows, can be found on Wikipedia, is also worth reading!)
He returned to Norway in December without funds or support. Instead in 1907 he held revival meetings in Oslo at his newly formed Filadelfia assembly. This attracted international attention and he became one of the prime movers of the Pentecostal movement in Europe.
Thomas went to Kristiania in December 1906. On 23rd he told of his spiritual baptism, he stood and wept. Although he did not utter a word, it was of great importance, the spirit was present. On the 2nd Christmas Day more people experienced similar things. By New Year 1907 ten people had been baptised spiritually.
This is considered the beginning of the Pentecostal movement in Norway.
Alexander Boddy went to Norway and invited Thomas to visit his All Saints Church in Monkwearmouth in Sunderland. On 13th September 1907 Thomas wrote the eyes of the religious millions in Great Britain are now fixed on Sunderland. Alexander went onto become one of the founders of Pentecostalism in Britain.
Thomas continued to travel abroad visiting Sweden, Finland, Poland Estonia, Iceland and Denmark.
1909 the M E C terminated his membership.
He travelled to the UK to preach in Sion College, London and then to Sunderland for what became an annual Pentecostal celebration known as Whitsuntide Convention. He then went to Bournemouth to stay with Stanley Frodsham - another Pentecostal pioneer.
Thomas emigrated to the USA . He continued to travel overseas to Palestine and India.
1939 he was elected, unanimously, to be President of the Great European Pentecostal Conference in Stockholm.
On 29th January 1940 , aged 77, he died and was buried in Oslo. Up to 20,000 people lined the streets for his funeral.
Oslo
Christina 1624
Kristiania 1877
Oslo 1925
The Azusa Street Revival was a historic revival meeting place that took place in Los Angeles, California. The Holy Spirit came in waves in April 9th, 1906.
William J. Seymour, the one eyed 34 year old son of a free slave led the meeting at 216 North Bonnie Brae Street.
On April 9th, 1906, after 5 weeks of William’s preaching and praying, and 3 days into an intended 10 day fast, Edward S. Lee spoke in tongues for the first time. At the next meeting William shared Edward’s testimony and preached a sermon on Acts ch 2 v 4
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
and soon 6 others began to speak in tongues, including Jennie Moor- William’s future wife. After praying all night William spoke in tongues for the first time on 12 th April .
The news spread quickly and crowds gathered. They held their first meeting on April 14th, 1906. Services were held outside to accommodate the crowds, People were baptized in the Holy Spirit, the sick were healed and sinners received salvation.
To further accommodate the crowd an old dilapidated two storey frame building at 312 Azusa Street, in the industrial section of the city, was secured. In this humble Azusa Street Mission, originally built for an African Methodist Episcopal church, which had been turned into a livery stable, storage building and tenement house, and referred by a newspaper as a tumble down shack the Pentecostal church was born. (Read Azusa Street ‘Conditions’)
The revival was characterised by spiritual experiences accompanied with testimonies of physical healing miracles, worship services and speaking in tongues.
Proud, well dressed preachers came to ‘investigate’. Soon their high looks replaced with wonder, then conviction comes, and very often you find them in a short time wallowing on the dirty floor, asking God to forgive them and make them little children. Apostolic Faith
All sorts of people came in their 100s ( 300-1500 would attempt to fit into the building) to worship from a diversity of backgrounds and different ages. Some came with both skepticism and a desire to participate.
By the end of 1906 most leaders from Azusa Street had spun off to form other congregations. By the end of 1913 the revival at Azusa Street had lost its momentum.
There is so much more to read about -background, Azusa -Services and worship criticism , and Legacy
The revival is considered by historians to be the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century.
Today there are more than 500 million Pentecostal and charismatic believers across the globe. it is the fastest growing form of Christianity.
We continue to need more revival PENTECOSTS. ( Acts ch 2 v1-4)
Edward McKendree Bounds (1835-1913) known as E. M. Bounds was an American author, attorney and member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South clergy. He wrote 11 books, 9 on prayer, but only 2 were published before his death.
Edward was born on 15th August 1835. His parents were Thomas and Hester Bounds. It is surmised he got his middle name from the evangelist William McKendree. He was the fifth of 6 children, 3 boys, 3 girls.
His father was the first Justice of the Peace in Shelby County. As County Commissioner in 1940 he advanced the building of the First Methodist Church. He died in 1849 of tuberculosis
Edward, now aged 14, joined relatives in a trek to Mesquite Canyon in California following the discovery of gold. After 4 unsuccessful years they return to Missouri. He studied law at Hannibal Missouri. Aged 19 he became the youngest practicing lawyer in the area. Although apprenticed as an attorney he felt a call to the ministry during the Third Great Awakening. Following a brush outside revival meeting by evangelist Smith Thomas he closed his office and moved to Palmyra to enroll in the Centenary Seminary. 1859, aged 24, he was ordained and named pastor of Moticello, MIssouri Methodist Church.
12th April 1861-9th May 1865 the American Civil War.
Edward lived in the north, but did not support slavery so he was held with other non-combatants in a Federal prison in St. Louis for 18 months. He was then transferred to Memphis and released in a prison exchange.
On his release he became chaplain in the Confederate States Army. During the second battle of Franklin he suffered a sever forehead injury and taken prisoner.
On28th June 1865 he was released upon taking the oath of loyalty to the United States.
He felt compelled to return to war torn Franklin where he became the pastor of Franklin Methodist Episcopal Church. He was regionally celebrated for leading spiritual revival in Franklin. He eventually began an itinerant preaching ministry across the USA.
He served served important churches in St. Louis. He became editor of the St. Louis Christian Advocate for 8 years. Then assistant editor of *The Nashville Christian Advocate * for 4 years.
The trial of his faith came to him while in Nashville, and he quietly retired to his home without taking a pension.
His principal work in Washington was rising and praying from 4 am to 7 am.
He filled a few engagements as an evangelist during the remaining 18 years. While on speaking engagements he did not neglect his early morning time in prayer. No man could have made more melting appeals for lost souls and backslidden ministers then did Bounds. Tears ran down his face as he pleaded for us all in that room.Not a foolish word did we ever hear him utter.
The Rev. Claudius Lysias Chilton Jr., an admirer of Bounds, worked on preserving and preparing his collection of manuscripts for publication. By 1921 Homer W. Hodge completed additional editorial work. ( see ‘Published works’)
Ernest Gordon (1916-2002) was a soldier, a Japanese prisoner of War (POW) at the River Kwai Bridge, an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland, a former Presbyterian dean of the chapel at Princeton University and an author.
Ernest was born on 31st May 1916 in Greenock, Scotland. His parents were James
Gordon and Sarah R. MacMillan.
He became a company commanding officer in the 2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He fought in the Malayan Campaign and the battle of Singapore. He was captured in 1942. He was captured when trying to escape to Java. He spent 3 years in a Japanese POW - he helped build the Kwai bridge.
He became seriously ill following torturous events and was placed in the ‘Death Ward’ - left to die. But thanks to 2 soldiers- a Methodist named 'Dusty Miller and ‘Dinty’ Moore, and their 24 hour care, he recovered. They would boil rags and clean and massage his diseased legs every day. On recovering he started a university in the camp in order to add purpose and direction the lives of the men. Ernest had arrived an agnostic but thanks to their care left a Christian.
What happened to the 2 men who saved his life?
Dusty Miller was crucified by a Japanese guard who was frustrated by his calm in the face of hardship.
Dinty Moore died when the Allies sank his unmarked prisoner transport ship.
Ernest returned to Scotland and became an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland at Paisley Abbey in 1950.
He moved to the USA where he preached in Amagansett and Montauk. He then became the Presbyterian chaplain at Princeton, N.J. in 1954 and in 1955 he became dean (1955-81).
In 1962 Through the Valley of the Kwai was published which gave a first hand account of the story of the ‘railway of death’. This inspired the movie *To End All Wars. *
During his 27 year tenure at Princeton he was a frequent lecturer and author of articles on religion and morality on college campuses for theological journals and magazines.
He was the first President of the Church Service Society of America.
He served as trustee of the Purcell School and chaired the New Jersey Mental Health Research and Development Fund.
On retirement in 1981 he moved to Washington D.C. to be the president of the Christian Rescue Effort for the Emancipation of Dissidents (CREED). He helped 100s of dissidents get out of prison in the Eastern Bloc. He travelled the world as a visiting lecturer. He later moved back to Princeton.
Ernest died on 16th January 2002 aged 85. Thanks to the care of his two friends he lived another 60 years - years spent actively in the Lord’s service.
Source used
Wikipedia
Jeanne- Marie Bouvier de la Motte- Guyon (1648-1717) ( commonly known as Madame Guyon was a French mystic and was accused of advocating Quietism, although she never called herself a Quiestist.
Madame Guyon, born on the 13th April 1648, was the daughter of Claude Bouvier, a procurator of the tribunal of Montargis , in France. She was sickly as a child and her education neglected. Her childhood was spent between the convent and the home of of wealthy parents - moving 9 times in 10 years. Her parents were very religious and gave her a pious training.
In 1664, aged 15, she was forced into an arranged marriage to Jacques Guyon, aged 38. She was in an unhappy marriage being treated badly by the mother-in-law and maidservant. Relatives died -half sister, mother and father. She had 5 children, 2 of those died. Her husband died leaving her a widow at the age of 28.
During the marriage she was introduced to and instructed in mysticism by Fr. Francois La Combe. a Barnabite.
(Mysticism -popularly know as becoming one with God or the Absolute.
( See 'Mysticism)
Barnabite - religious order of clerics founded in 1530 (See Barnabites) )
After the death of her husband she lived quietly as a wealthy widower in Montargis.
In 1679 re-established contact with Francois. In 1680 felt need to go to Geneva. The bishop encouraged her to set up a house for ‘new catholics’ in Gex, Savoy. There were problems with the sisters and Francois sent to intervene. She became ill and asked her mother-in-law to look after her 2 sons. She left her personal possessions but kept an annuity for herself.
The bishop asked her to leave because of her ideas of mysticism. He expelled Francois.
They moved to Turin and then onto Grenoble in France. January 1685 she published
Moyen court et facile de faire oraison - A Short and Very Easy Method of Prayer.
Quietism - the elevating of contemplation over mediation was regarded as a heresy. (Read Quietism ‘Christian philosophy’)
The Bishop of Grenoble was perturbed- she left the city at his request. Francois was shut up in the Bastille. The arrest of Madam Guyon followed.
She was released 7 months later. Theologians examined her book and she made a retraction of the propositions. Her book resulted in secret conferences being held at Issy. The 34 articles of Issy followed and she signed submission to them and returned secretly to Paris.
On 24th December 1695 she was arrested again. She was imprisoned at Vincennes, then a convent at Vaugirard and then the Bastille. She signed another retraction on 23rd August 1699. After 7 years she was finally released on 21st March 1703.
She retired to live with one of her children in Blois. Many pilgrims visited her. She enjoyed writing. She died, aged 69, on 9th June 1717.
She never called herself a Quietist.
Her book is still available ( See ‘Amazon’)
Keith Gordon Green (1953-1982) was an American contemporary Christian music pianist, singer and songwriter. He is best known for his strong devotion to Christ and challenging others to do the same. Several of his compositions became standards.
He unfortunately died in a plane crash in 1982. !! in total died, 2 were children Josiah and Bethany.
Keith took to music at a very early age -age 3 ukulele, age 5 guitar. age 7 piano. Aged 8 he was noted by a major newspaper… Aged 10 he played the role of Kurt von Trapp in ‘The Sound of Music’.
In 1964, aged 10, he was youngest person to sign with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
In 1965 he signed a 5 year contract with Decca records.
Keith had Jewish heritage and was raised in Christian Science. He grew up reading the New Testament.
As a teenager he experimented in drugs but aged 19 he met a fellow seeker -Melody Steiner. They were inseparable and married in 1973.
In 1975 he renounced Christian Science and became a Jewish believer in Jesus, the Messiah. A week later Melody also became a believer.
They bought a small house in Los Angeles which became ‘The Greenhouse’ - the place where people grew. They were both staff songwriters for CBS Records in Hollywood and were able to support whoever came to their houses -they bought bought 1 and rented 5 more! This non-profit ministry becameLast Days Ministries.(LDM)
During his concerts he would often exhort his listeners to repent and commit themselves more wholly to follow Jesus.
When his music was in Christian book shops a second cassette was included free of charge to help spread the Gospel His recording took off. ( Read ‘Recording’)
In 1978 LDM started to published Last Days Newsletter - in mid 1985 renamed Last Days Magazine and sent to 500,000 worldwide.
The crash on 28th July 1982 happened according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) because the pilot Don Alan Burmeister unfortunately overloaded the plane beyond its operating limitations. (Read ‘Death in plane crash’).
Melody continued to lead LDM from Texas until 1996 when she moved to California. She launched LDM on line where all of Keith’s writings are free and his music can be found. The free LDM Newsletter is also sent by request. She maintains his facebook page in honour of Keith and shares her opinions on her page where she interacts with Green’s fans and LDM fans.
Sources
Wikipedia
Have also included Keith’s thought about * So You Wanna Be A Rock Star*
He finishes with these words
Amen. Let us die graciously together and endure to the end like brave soldiers who give their lives, without hesitation, for our noble and glorious King of Light.
Susanna Wesley (1669-1742) was the mother of John and Charles Wesley.
She is known as the Mother of Methodism because conscious or unconsciously would have applied the example and teachings and circumstances of their home life.
Susanna was the 25th of 25 children to be born into the Annesley Family. Her father Dr. Samuel Annesly was a Dissenter from the established church of England .
Aged 12 she stopped attending her father’s church and joined the Church of England.
She married Samuel Wesley on 12th November 1688 when she was 20, he was 27. They had 19 children. 9 died as infants - 4 were twins and one was accidentally smothered by a maid. When she died, aged 73, only 8 were still alive.
Her husband was a very authoritarian rector and unpopular with the people at Epworth - they tried twice to burn the rectory down. He was rescued from debtors prison by the personal intervention of Archbishop Sharpe of York. He left her for a year because of a minor dispute.
Susanna took responsibility for her children. She imposed s strict daily routine. From birth they were put into a regular METHOD of living. At a year old they were taught to fear the rod and to cry softly. They had 3 meals a day. At 6 in the evening, after family prayers, they had supper, washed and put to bed.
Aged 5 formal education began - they attended lessons for 6 hours a day. On day one they were expected to learn the alphabet - 2 daughters took a day and 1/2
She had the happy talent of imbuing a child’s mind with every kind of useful knowledge in such a way as to stamp it indelibly on the memory- grandson Charles.
After the second fire she was forced to place the children in different houses for nearly 2 years. She was responsible for their education and mortified that her children began to use improper speech and play more than study. She found time to spend time with each child during the week.
When her husband went to London to defend a friend, on charges of heresy, he appointed a curate. His sermon in the morning service revolved solely about repaying debts so she set up her own Sunday afternoon activities. The children read psalms, she read her husband’s sermons. The locals asked if they could join- The curate was unhappy and complained to Samuel. Susanna’s response was if he forbade her doing good, he would have to stand with her on judgement day and explain why he had issued this command. Samuel bowed to her challenge and the meetings resumed.
Samuel’s work on the Book of Job , his life’s work, had little impact on his family other than hardship.
Susanna practised daily devotions. throughout her life.
She wrote letters,meditations and scriptural commentaries. many were lost in the rectory fire but many survived. *Susanna Wesley, The complete writings
has been made accessible by Charles Wallace.
Susanna Wesley, the Mother of Methodism, died on 23rd July 1742 aged 73, and was buried at Bunhill Fields in London.
Alexander Alfred Boddy (1854-1930) was an Anglican vicar and one of the founders of Pentecostalism in Britain.
Alexander was born into an ecclesiastical family. His father was a vicar and his mother was a descendant of Mrs. Vazeille, who had been married to John Wesley.
He trained as a solicitor but following a religious experience at a Keswick Convention he was convinced he should be ordained into the Church of England.
Following several appointments the Bishop of Durham, J. B. Lightfoot, placed him in All Saints Church (ASC) in Monkwearmouth, Sunderland in 1884. In 1891 he married Mary Pollock.
Inspired by the Holiness Movement ( See notes) he had an intense religious experience in 1892.
In 1899 Mary experience healing for asthma and believed she she had the gift of healing through the laying-on of hands.
In 1904 he visited Wales during the Welsh Revival and Evan Roberts.
In 1907 visited Oslo where T.B. Barratt was leading a revival l based on the events at the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles.
Barratt visited ASC and Alexander experience speaking in tongues.People flocked to Sunderland to hear Barratt and Boddy speak.
ASC became a centre for British Pentecostalism. 28th October 1907 Mary laid hands on Smith Wigglesworth. From 1908-14 Alexander hosted a series of Sunderland Whitsuntide Conventions which gained national press attention
He exercised his leadership through 3 agencies - the Sunderland Convention, Confidence (1908-1926) and the Pentecostal Missionary Union (PMU) formed in 1909 led by Cecil Pollhill. Plus his worldwide travelling ministry.
He was the the most pivotal figure in the formative period of British Pentecostalism. His position as vicar, a highly respected position at the time, added respectability to the new element of Pentecostalism and gave him a leading role in the movement.
The outbreak of WW1 (1915-18) and the development of the Elim movement rapidly cut his leadership for 3 reasons. His ministry was limited to parish work and war related ministry, difference in attitude towards the war- he was patriotic they were for pacifism, and thirdly the rapid growth o fElim was a cause for diversity in leadership.
Also, as the movement grew, he could no longer represent the majority of Pentecostals. ( See Ku-Hyung Cho dissertation 260= pages -a few pages included)
Alexander stayed in the Church of England; he tried to discourage the creation of separate denominations.
Sources
Thesis by Khu-Hyung Cho The Move to independence from Anglican
` Leadership
Wikipedia
Evan John Roberts was mightily used by the Holy Spirit between 1904/5.
He was an evangelist and leading figure of the 1904/5 Welsh Revival.
Evan was born in Loughor, Wales on 8th June 1878. He was raised in a Calvinistic Methodist home. He attended church regularly and memorized scripture at night.
His father had a serious accident down the coal mine when his son was nearly 12. When his father was fit to work 3 months later Evan left school and began to work in the coal mines as a doorboy. He took his Bible underground and read it at every opportunity. He worked in the coal mines until 1902. Aged 21 he became an apprentice to his uncle - a blacksmith in Pontarddulais. For 15 months he worked at the forge but his desire was to preach.
Meanwhile Rev. Seth Joshua, from the beginning of the 20th century, had been praying for God to send an ordinary young man, who had worked in the mines, to lead a Revival in Wales.
In 1904 Rev. Joseph Jenkins prayed earnestly for change in the church. In February young Florrie Evans rose to her feet*I love Jesus Christ with all of my heart *
Immediately the whole meeting seemed to catch fire. Young people found it easy to pray and talk about their experiences. (Read ‘The origins of the Revival’)
13th September Evan and his friend Sidney Evans went to Newcastle Emlyn to attend Trefecca College to train for the ministry.
On September 29th he attended a conference at Blaenannerch where the Rev. Seth Joshua prayed that God would ‘bend’ the people in the congregation. Evan prayed God would ‘bend’ him. He was made utterly obedient and utterly willing.
(Read ‘Evan at Blaenannerch’)
The Holy Spirit urged him to return home to Loughor. Having sought permission to go home from Rev. Evan Phillips, the minister of Newcastle, he followed his advice and caught the train.
What followed was an incredible outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
From 31st October, in Moriah, he made pleas for people to rise and confess - each day the power of the Holy Spirit felt more powerful.
On 6th November Evan asked those attending a pray meeting in the vestry to pray the same pray.
O send the Holy spirit now for Jesus Christ’s sake.
**He descend with great fire upon the people present and they prayed until a late hour.
Read the rest of the 1904 sheets covering the Revival Meetings, The Effect of the Revival in Wales, The Out Pouring of the Holy Spirit in Wales. WONDERFUL.
This continued for 2 years. 100,000 Christians influenced the spiritual life of Wales and the world.
Evan in 1906, exhausted, mentally and physically, stayed in the home of William and Jessie Penn- Lewis.
He recovered in 1907 to became a prayer intercessor- praying up to 18 hours a day.
He occasionally spoke or counseled.
In 1930 he returned to Cardiff, Wales.
He died, aged 72, on 29th January 1951
John Harper (1872-1912) was a Scottish Baptist minister who died when th RMS Titanic sank on 15th April 1912.
John was born on the 29th May 1872 in the village of Houston, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He embraced his parents Christian faith when he was aged 14 and began preaching aged 18.
He supported himself as a young adult by doing manual work in a mill until Baptist pastor E. A. Carter of Baptist Pioneer Mission of London heard him preach. Carter placed him in ministry work in Govan, Scotland.
In 1897 he became the first pastor of Paisley Road Baptist Church in Glasgow. Under his care the church grew from 25 to over 500. They then moved to a new location on Plantation Street. In 1923 they moved to their present building on Craigiehall Street and renamed it Harper Memorial Baptist Church in his honour.
By 1912 John was pastor of Walworth Road Baptist Church, in London. He was a widower with a 6 year old daughter Annie Jessie (Nana).
He boarded the Titanic, with his daughter and sister Jessie W. Leitch, to go and preach in the Moody Church in Chicago, where he had preached the previous fall.
The ‘unsinkable’ Titanic hit an iceberg on the 14th April and was lost. His daughter and sister were placed in a lifeboat and survived. John refused a seat on the lifeboat and stayed behind. He then jumped into the water as the ship began to sink. Some survivors said that John preached the Gospel to the end
Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved Acts 16 v31
first aboard the sinking ship and then afterwards to those in the freezing water before dying himself.
One report says that John knowing he could not survive long in the icy water, took off his life jacket and threw it to another person with these words* You need it more than I do! * Moments later Harper disappeared beneath the water. 4 years later, when there was a reunion of the survivors of the Titanic the man to whom Harper had witnessed told the story of the rescue and gave testimony of his conversion recorded in a tract - I was John Harper’s Last convert
His daughter, Annie Jessie, married a pastor, and went on to be the longest living Scottish Titanic survivor and died in 1986.
A hundred plus years after his death we are still benefitting from the lasting effects of those final moments before he sank into the ocean. He left an example for 10s of 1000s of us who would never have heard of him if he had survived. God sees the big picture; we see but a small slice.
A letter, written by John before he got on board, was auctioned in 2020. at a Titanic memorabilia in Wiltshire, for £42k. The auctioneer, Andrew Aldridge said , John Harper was probably one of the bravest men on that boat.
Sources used
Wikipedia
Challenging the Physical Elements by Tony Batchelor
John Graham Lake (1870-1935 was a Canadian-American leader in the Pentecostal movement that began in the 20th century. He was known as a faith healer and missionary. With Thomas Hezmalhalch, he co-founded of the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa (AFMSA).
John was born in st. Marys, Ontario, Canada on 18th March 1870. He was born into a family of 16 sibling ( 8 died young). He claimed he was ordained into the Methodist ministry aged 21.
In 1890 he moved to a suburb of Chicago, Harvey, where he worked as roofer and construction worker until 1896. In February 1893 he married his first wife Jennie Stevens.
During the 1890s his family regularly appeared in the John Alexander Dowie services to be healed or ‘brought back from death’s door’. in 1898 he opened a small chapter at Dowie’s Christian Christian Catholic Church in Sault Ste Marie and held meetings in his parents’ attic.
In the 1900 Census his occupation was listed as carpenter, Family relocated to Zion, Illinois where he worked the theocratic town’s construction department.
1905 found new employment.
1907 converted to Pentecostalism and appeared in newspaper talking about his experience of speaking in tongues.
1908, with Thomas Hezmalhalch co-founded AFMSA and did missionary work (1908-13). According to the historian Barry Morton he played a decisive role in spreading the ‘second evangelization’ and attracted many of the early Zionists.
John’s wife Jeannie, died on 22nd December 1908. He stayed another 4 years , His sister, Irene, helped raise the 7 children. The healings that happened under his ministry were documented.
He returned to the USA on 1st February 1913. He married Florence Switzer in September 1913 - they had 5 children.
After completing his missionary work in Africa he evangelized for 20 years along the west coast of the USA. For a year he did itinerant preaching having relocated to Spokane, Washington . From 1915-20 he ran healing rooms. He moved to Portland, Oregon for 5 years He continued to found churches and healing rooms down the California coast as far as Houton TX. Finally he return to Spokane in1931. He purchased an old church and began his final church and healing room.
In 1935 John suffered a serious stroke and died on 16th September 1935, aged 65.
Several books have been written recording his experiences and miracles attributed to him. John G, Lake played an important role in the spread of Pentecostalism in South Africa, the most successful southern a=African religious movement of the 20th century,
Today The Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa (AFM) is a classical Pentecostal Christian denomination in South Africa with 1.2 million members.In 1996 all the AFM churches were united in a single multi-racial church.
Source used
Wikipedia
William Adendnegro Thompson (1811-1880) was triplet. He was an English bare-knuckle boxer who won the heavy weight championship of England from James Burke on 12th February 1839. a
As a boxer he was credited with introducing the Southpaw stance. He had 2 nicknames Bendigo and Bendego.
On 6th June 1850 he fought and beat Tom Paddock, it was his last fight. He was arrested for drunkenness and fined 5 shillings. He won 19/20 of his bare-knuckle fights
In 1870 he saved 3 people from drowning.
In 1872 he attended a congregation held by preacher Richard Weaver. He was illiterate but delivered a strong and convincing sermon. When preaching he would take up his boxer’s stance. He would point to his trophies and say
See them belts? See them cups? I used to fight for those, but now I fight for Christ.
His popularity as a boxer brought enormous crowds to his sermons with scores left outside. He spent the next few years touring the country preaching to crowds of 1000s, becoming more popular. Some noted that although he couldn’t read the Bible his straightforward manly speech could be useful
Aged 68 he fell down the stairs fracturing a rib and puncturing a lung. He died seven weeks later on 23rd August 1880
1000s lined the street for his funeral procession and The Times of London published his obituary. His tomb, with a crouching lion, at the burial grounds at Bath Street Rest Gardens, near Victoria Leisure Centre bears this inscription.
In life always brave,
Fighting like a lion
In death like a lamb,
Tranquil in Zion.
Source used
Wikipedia
Cambridge Seven were 6 students from Cambridge University and one from the Royal Military Academy(RMA). In 1885 they decided to become missionaries in China through the China Inland Mission.
For a month before they left the 7 toured University campuses of England and Scotland, holding meetings for students. During the tour someone dubbed them '‘The Cambridge Seven’
On the 18th March 1885 they arrived in Shanghai and engaged in a variety of ministries throughout China.
The 7 were;-
William Wharton Cassels
Stanley Peregrine Smith
Charles (C.T.) Thomas Studd (See separate TES entry)
Arthur T. Polhill-Turner
Cecil H. Polhill- Turner
Montagu Harry Proctor Beuchamp
Dixon Hoste (RMA (See ‘Work’ for what each of them achieved)
One of the missiological distinctives of CIM was that the missionaries were expected to wear Chinese dress and queue (pigtail). ( See picture of 7)
The conversion and example of the 7 was one of the grand gestures of 19th century missions, making them religious celebrities; as a result their story was published as 'The Evangelisation of the World: A missionary Band and became a national best seller.
The China Inland Mission was set up in 1865 by James Hudson Taylor. The missionary society became known as the Overseas Missionary Fellowship (1964), today it is called OMF International (1990s).
Source
Wikipedia
Charles Thomas Studd , often known as C.T. Studd (1860-1931) was a British missionary. He was one of the Cambridge Seven who decided to become missionaries to China through the China Inland Mission. Charles founded W. E.C International which originally was called The Heart of Africa Mission (1913). He was capped 37 times to played for England as a cricketer.
A visiting preacher convert C.T and 2 of his brothers to Christianity when they were students at Eton .
I got down on my knees and I did say ‘thank you’ to God. And right then and there joy and peace came into my soul. I knew then what it was to be ‘born again’, and the Bible which had been so dry in me before, became everything.
In February 1885 he went to China with the Cambridge Seven(See separate entry) His father died while he was in China and he gave away his inheritance. He emphasiised the life of faith, believing that God would provide for a Christian’s needs. While in China he married Priscilla.
His spirituality was intense and he mostly only read the Bible. He wrote several books. His personal testimony became part of****Fundamentals; A Testimony of the Truth. (1 of 90 documents).
On his return from China he visited his brother, Kynaston in America.
He became a pastor at Ootacamund in Southern India (1900-6).
He spent 15 years in China and 5 in India.
In 1910 he went to the Sudan.
Out of his concern for the lack of Christian faith in Central Africa he set up in 1913 the Heart for Africa Mission (which became Worldwide Evangelisation Crusade (WEC) which became Worldwide Evangelisation for Christ and today is known as WEC International). His speaking on the subject inspired a number of people. HQ for the venture 17 Highland Road, Upper Norwood, South London. Finances were often tenuous but he had the support f Lord Radstock.
In 1913, against medical advice, he went with Alfred Buxton to the Belgian Congo for the first time. He established 4 mission stations in an area inhabited by 8 different tribes He returned to England when Priscilla became ill.
He returned to the Congo in 1916 when she had recovered sufficiently to undertake the expansion of the mission into the WEC with workers in South America, Central Asia, Middle East and Africa
He built up an extensive missionary outreach based on his centre at Ibambi in Budu territory. She made a short visit to the Congo in 1928, she died in 1929. C.T. was joined by his daughter Pauline, son-in law Norman Grubb and grandson Noel who died on his first birthday. His daughter married Alfred.
In 1931, still working for the Lord C.T died at Ibambi at the age of 70. He died from untreated gallstones. To this day his name is still linked with the evangelisation of the Congo Basin. Norman Grubb wrote CTs biography -it was exceptionally popular.
Only one life 'twill soon past
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
C.T Studd
Source
Wikipedia
Benson Idahosa was a Charismatic Pentecostal preacher. he was the founder of Church of God Mission International.
Archbishop Idahosa was popularly referred to as the father of Pentecostalism in Nigeria. He was also the founder of Benson Idahosa University in Benin City.
In October 1968 he officially inaugurated the Church of God Mission international which had originally been a small prayer group.
Benson died on 12th March 1998. His wife Margaret took over as the Archbishop. She is also the Chancellor of Benson idahosa University. (BIU)
Their only son Bishop F.E. B. Idahosa is now president of BIU. He is also president of Big Ben 's Children Hospital and vice-president of All Nations for Christ Bible Institute International, among other positions.
Rees Howells (1879-1950) was born in Brynamman in Carmarthenshire, Wales on 10th October 1879
Aged 12 he left school and worked in tin and coal mines.
He went to the USA for better financial benefits. In the USA he met a Jewish Christian called Maurice Solomon who was following the Messiah and he read a book written by Professor Henry Drummond. Between them they influenced Rees to become an Evangelical Christian.
On his return to Wales he was affected by the 1904-5 Welsh Revival.
He then went with his wife to Africa as missionaries. He was led down the path of intercession for many years before seeing the Revival across Southern Africa between 1915-20.
On his return to Britain he felt called by the Holy Spirit to start a Bible College - his inspiration was the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinoiis.In 1924 he founded the Bible College of Wales at Glyderwen House, Swansea.
During WW11 God used Ree and the young people with him in a mighty way. They helped shape international events and the destiny of nations through their prayers. This company of faith filled believers became intercessors fully committed to be part of the solution
Rees was director of the college until his death in 1950. His son, Samuel Rees Howells, took over - he led the college for 53 years until his death in 2003.
The college is now called Trinity School of Ministry. It is a religious training centre in Rugby, Warwickshire. ( Read ‘Trinity School of Ministry’)
Rees Howells became well known as an intercessor, after his death, following Norman Grubb’s successful book Rees Howells Intercessor (1952) a biography of Rees life.
Every great leader in their of faith has to learned one universal lesson: there are no short cuts. These kinds of leaders are not made in a day but on a daily basis. Rees Howells was no exception to the rule, and he was lead by the Holy Spirit to build a life of faith learned through experience,
Source used
Wikipedia
David Ray Wilkinson (1931-2011) was an American Christian evangelist and author best known for his book The Cross and the Switchblade (1962).
David was born on 19th May 1931 in Indiana. he is was born into a family of preachers. In his testimony he says he was baptized with the Holy Spirit aged 8.
He began to preach when he was 14. After high school he entered Central Bible College, Springfield in Missouri which was affiliated to the Assemblies of God. In 1952 he was ordained a minister.
In 1953 he married Gwendolyn Rose ‘Gwen’ Carosso. He served as pastor in small churches in Scottdale and Philipsburg in Pennsylvania.
Early in 1958 he saw photographs in Life Magazine of 7 teenagers who were members of a gang called ‘Egyptian Dragons’ in New York. He went to the court to speak to them but the judge ejected him. Someone took a photo of him leaving and he became known as the Bible preacher who had interrupted the gang trial.
Soon after he began a street ministry to young drug addicts. In 1958 he founded Teen Challenge from a small office in Staten Island, New York (NY).
(Read ‘Our story-Teen Challenge’)
The Cross and the Switchblade book and film tells how he moved to N Y and changed the lives of the ‘Mau Maus’ teenager gang leader Nicky Cruz and his friend israel Narvaez, after they had heard him preach. The book was a best seller - 50 million copies were sold. The 1970 film stared Pat Boone.
( Read the challenging book- I did- see Amazon advert)
In 1967 he founded Youth Crusades an evangelistic ministry aimed at teenagers who were restless and bored. His goal was to prevent them becoming heavily involved with drugs, alcohol or violence, On 22nd September he founded World Challenge - which sort to promote and spread the Gospel throughout the world.
He claimed in 1986 the Holy Spirit, while in NY called him to raise a ministry in Times Square. He founded and became pastor of the non-denominational Times Square Church. In 1989 the Hellinger was leased to the Times Square Church for $1 million per year, on a 5 year lease.
(Read about ‘Mark Hellinger Theatre’)
On the 27th April, 2011 David, aged 79, died in Texas when his car crossed into the westbound lane and collided head-on with a tractor -trailer. His wife was also serious injured.
At his funeral speakers, including leadership of the church Wilkerson had founded and his relatives, honoured the evangelical pastor for a life ‘well- lived’ through personal testimonies and songs rejoicing that he in now in heaven,
It was all about Jesus Christ, Carter Conion, senior pastor of Times Square Church, said of Wilkerson’s life
HIs wife, Gewndolyn, died a year later on 5th July 2012 from cancer, aged 81.
Source used
Wikipedia
Donald Henry Frere Gee ( 1891- 1966 was an English Pentecostal Bible teacher. He wrote the book Wind and Flame which is the story of Pentecostalism in Europe in the 20th century. He was called ‘The Apostle of Balance’.
One biographer described him as pastor, author, conference speaker, editor and ecumenist (unity seeker).
Donald was born on the 10th May 1891 in London.
Seth Joshua, the Welsh revivalist, held an evangelistic meeting at Finsbury Park Congregational church in October 1905. Only 3 were saved, Donald was one of them.
At a Pentecostal meeting he met Pastor Saxby who was pastoring a divided church.
Donald spent 7 years under the influence of this pastor who was a shining example of his office.
He joined a Baptist church with his mother in 1912. He was baptised in the Holy Spirit in March 1913. It was under this ministry he made his first attempt at testifying and preaching.
When war broke out in 1914 and in 1916 he registered as a conscientious objector and worked on a farm in Buckinghamshire. He was a social outcast - he worked to the point of utter physical exhaustion
He is now married with 2 children. Their house was used for ‘Tarrying’ meetings where believers sought and received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
After the war the family returned to London. He would cycle 10 miles to preach in some Pentecostal fellowship. .
In June 1920 they moved to Scotland. He had a congregation of 12. He stayed eventually,as pastor, for 12 years. (After year 1 he fled to London for a fortnight, then returned.) His ministry in Scotland prospered. The church bought Bonnington Toll Hall. 1924 Met with others to form the Assemblies of God In Great Britain and Ireland - on executive presbytery 1925-63.
1928 he is invited to go to Australia. After praying he accepts. Over 10 months he also visits New Zealand, America and Canada.
On his return he now resigns from Bonnington Toll Hall and uses it as a base. The next 23 years he travels the world. Invitations pour in from across the world. 1931-3 saw him travel to 12 countries annually. He then became joint editor of Redemption Tidings magazine - it needed the ‘gifting’ of the teacher.
During WW11 (1939-45) he constantly travelled in Britain encouraging fellowships.
In 1947 he was chosen to edit the *World Pentecost *magazine
Aged 60 he became the unpaid Principal of the new Assemblies of God college at Keneley (1951-62). He was able to leave his mark upon the students. In 1962 he retired from all his positions and responsibilities except writing for magazines
Donald, the Apostle of Balance, died in a London taxi on 20th July 1966.
A gifted writer has laid down his pen. An eminent Bible expositor will teach no more. A distinguished editor has vacated his chair. A renowned author has concluded his last volume. A veteran leader has left our ranks. A great warrior has fought his last battle. Our friend Donald Gee has fallen asleep
John Carter at Donald’s funeral
William Frederick Padwick Burton (1886-1971) was born in England. Willie, as he was known, enjoyed a privileged childhood - his mother was from English aristocracy, his father a ship captain. His parents dedicated him to God’s work in Africa even before he was born. He brought up in evangelical Anglican church and was confirmed by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
As a youth he was not interested in spiritual things. He attended good schools in england and travelled the world. He excelled at cricket and tennis and became an accomplished artist. Realising art would not pay the bills he studied electrical engineering at st. Lawrence college, Ramsgate.
In 1905 he came under deep conviction of sin at a R.A. Torrey Evangelistic campaign in London. A few days later he experienced salvation. He immediately contacted missionary societies to no avail.
For the next 8 years he worked for an engineering firm (he invented a dynamo) and looked after his aging parents. He established a habit of daily rising early and spending 2 hours of more in Bible study.
In 1910 he heard about Pentecostal revival. So with a friend he decided to investigate their claims that Biblical spiritual gifts, such as speaking in tongues, healing and prophecy were still available to be believers. They met almost every night for the entire year.
That year he finally received the baptism of the Holy Ghost at the Preston Pentecostal Convention The Holy Ghost was poured upon him and he began to praise God in tongues. (He also had a third set of teeth - recorded in scientific magazine.)
1911 he stepped out in faith. He quit his engineering job and became a ‘tramp preacher’. For 3 years he walked across the English countryside preaching in homes and on village greens.
1914, just after WW1 started, he arrived in South Africa. He spent the first year preaching at various mission stations in South Africa and then travelled to the Congo with Jimmy Salter in 1915. They were based in Mwanza in Northen Katanga. Those early days were spent fighting malaria, encountering cannibal tribesman, learning the language and mapping.
Willie married Hettie Trollip in 1918.
1919 the Congo Evangelistic Mission (CEM) was formed, co-founded by Willie and Jimmy, but it became known as ‘Burton’s Mission.’ He was their first field director and was in favour of indigenous (local) leadership of the church.
CEM (1919) - Zaire EM (1971) - Central African M International (May 2014)
Willie employed his significant giftings as a builder, engineer, teacher and artist to advance the gospel. He authored 26 books which included Congo fables and proverbs. The Pentecostal Evangel published 90 of his articles - he was read on both sides of the Atlantic.
He raised money by selling his paintings and ink drawings of Congolese landscapes and life.
By the time he went to the Lord the CEM had grown to almost 2,000 churches.
Willie was a larger-than- life figure in the history of African Pentecostalism