E.J. Poole-Connor (1872-1962)

Edward Joshua Poole-Connor was an evangelical preacher and Christian leader.
He served as secretary of the North African Mission (now known as Arab World Ministries) between his 2 pastorates at The Talbot Tabernacle, Notting Hill, London.

He founded the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC), helped administer the The Lord’s Day Observance Society ( now called DayOne) and was a regular speaker at Sovereign Grace Advent Testimony conferences. He was also a founding member of the London Bible College.

Edward was born in Hackney, London, on 27th July 1872. He was a delicate child. His strict parents were of Irish extraction and devout Christians. Sunday , the Lord’s day, was the happiest day of the week.

He was converted early in life - some of his Sunday school pupils were older than the teacher!

Aged 21 he was baptized by immersion and took charge of Aldershot Baptist church (1893-7). He then had a short pastorate in London followed by 10 happy years in Surbiton wher he made friends with Dr. Barnardo.

He sat and passed the Ministerial Recognition Examination of the Baptist Union.

He later left the Baptist Union because of the ‘Downgrade’ controversy.
(See Spurgeon notes)
He became assistant pastor to W.Fuller Gooch , at the unsectarian Lansdown Hall at West Norwood.

In 1913 he was invited to Talbot Tabernacle as pastor. His two pastoral periods were divided by his service to the North Africa Mission which took him to the Barbary states in North Africa.

In 1922 Edward took steps to form *Fellowship of Independent Churches (FIC)
which is now called Fellowship of Independent Evangelic Churches (FIEC).
Later he serves the fellowship as national Commissioner.

After WW 11 he was Honorary Principal of All Nations Bible College for 3 years.

Edward visited a number of European countries. Aged 80 he did a preaching and lecturing tour of the USA.

On the death of Mr. W.E. Dalling he undertook the task of editing Bible League Quarterly. which is still being published. He also found time to publish 9 books. ( See ‘Writings’)

For 40 years he was a welcome speaker on the *Sovereign Grace Advent Testimony platform.

Edward’s ministry spanned the most turbulent period in British church life, from the time of Charles Spurgeon to the 1960s, and whose record and analysis of its events has been widely observed.

Sources used
wikipedia
Writings of others
The Tabernacle
FIEC