John Robert Stephen

Is any thing more known about J.R.Stephen? At the time he wrote 'The New Taylor Hymn Book of 1932' he must have been among the Kelly Brethren as it is published by C.A.Hammond. But 'Haggai' is published Central Bible Truth Depot, the Glanton publishers. When did he move from one to the other? Was he every among the Raven-Taylor Brethren? Was he with the Darbyities before the Kelly division?

Further to my previous comment, there are in existence two different versions of the pamphlet 'The New Taylor Hymn Book of 1932'. The copy held by the CBA at Manchester is simply titled 'The New Hymn Book'. This version states 'May be obtained of the author: Rocksley, Queen's Road W., Aberdeen, or of Green & Co., Publishers, Lowestoft'. At the end this version gives his full name John R. Stephen rather than just his initials. The foreword does not included the bracketed comment about the 1928 revision. The rest of the content appears to be the same although pagenated slightly differently. It does read as if the author had been in the Raven-Taylor fellowship up to this time.

John R. Stephen was co-editor with James Gordon of the report of the conference that the Glanton brethren held in September 1922 in Aberdeen. (Among the well known speakers were Messrs Arthur Cutting, Hamilton Smith, C.N. Snow, J.C. Trench, H.J. Vine and Wm Hy Westcott.)

“The New Hymn Book” by J.R.S., published by Green and Co. of Lowestoft, seems to be in response to the Stow Hill, “The Hymn Book Revision” (see his footnote on page 3), regarding the expunging of all reference to the Eternal Son from “The Little Flock” [James Green of Lowestoft is not to be confused with James Green of South Norwood.]

In North East Scotland the Stuart brethren came into fellowship with Glanton about 1919. There were also ‘London’ brethren, but neither Lowe nor Kelly meetings in that part of the country.