Brethren Archive

G.F. Vallance


Began in Goodmayes, Essex in the 1920s, then moved not long after to "The Ambassador Office", Barkingside.

See pictures in Comments, and also George Frederick Vallance.






Comments:
Tom said ...

The following was in Threshed Wheat 1933 - I think they had moved their depot from Goodmayes to Barkingside not long before.

FROM time to time our readers ask us just where Barkingside is, and it may be there are others who have not asked, but to whom the question has often occurred.
Barkingside is nine miles from London, and three miles from Goodmayes, where the Ambassador Office originated. We are within easy reach of the City, and friends desiring to visit us are advised to take the train from Liverpool Street Station to Ilford, and then No. 26 Bus, which passes the door.
But there is another matter in connection with Barkingside which is the real purpose of this paragraph. Around us there are a considerable number of new houses being built, and in a short while there will be quite a fair sized London suburb, but at the present time in the whole of this district there is no Church, no Chapel, Mission Hall or, in fact, any hall of any kind which can be used for Gospel purposes. And it is also interesting in this connection to mention that there is neither Cinema, Theatre nor Dance Hall.
That there are Christians living in this area we have had abundant proof, and more than one parent has requested us to do what we could to commence a Sunday School for their children, as although only nine miles from London, there was no Sunday School handy to which their child could be sent.
This matter reached a climax in May last when one mother came to tell us that her child was in tears because 'she could not go to Sunday School. There was no alternative but to tell her to send her child down the following Sunday and we would arrange a Sunday School— Somehow—Somewhere. That Sunday no less than fifty-three children presented themselves for Sunday School, and fortunately the weather was such that it was possible to conduct this on the lawn behind the Ambaissador Office. Excellent attention was given and many Gospel choruses learned. This was repeated the following Sunday and again the next, but as the weather was inclement we had to bring them into the Ambassador building.
As several friends have helped us in this matter, we feel we would like them to know that we have now been able to procure a large Marque which has been erected next to our building and in which the Services, are now being conducted from week to week; already 105 children attend, and we are confident that the numbers will grow rapidly.
We ask for a place in your prayers and trust that you will give us your kind thoughts at this time, as there is no doubt that this is a work of God brought to our notice to meet a present and immediate need, and had we failed to have done what was practically forced upon us, we feel we should have failed im our purpose of being here. One has often emphasised the fact that there is no need to go to darkest Africa to evangelise, as the need is often at one\s doors, but little did we think or anticipate that this would be exemplified in such a remarkable way as we have briefly detailed above. Any friend interested will be welcomed Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m., and if any would like further information we should be pleased to furnish same upon hearing from you. Winter when the Marque will not be of service,
We have to face the coming Autumn and Winter when the marque will not be of service, but we are waiting upon God for definite guidance in this matter so that we may not be behind when the time comes.
Yours in the Master's service,

Monday, Sep 3, 2018 : 14:54
Tom said ...

The interesting story of the Sunday School work continues in T.W. 1933 p105 with a picture of a Tent that was being used for this as well as other Gospel meetings, p117 a further breif description, and p137 an article "The Story of Pat" about how it all commenced. (All these page numbers as per the pdf not the original.)

In the next year's volume (1934), p10 a picture of the new hall which is to be built. p33, an update on this, and p45 "Opening of the new Fairlop Gospel Hall". p70, a full page article about the opening services at the new hall. p129 another update.

The hall is listed in the 1959 list as being located on Fencepiece Road.

Today it still exists, but is called "Fairlop Evangelical Church" .. a picture can be seen from Google Street View;

 

Monday, Sep 3, 2018 : 17:54
Tom said ...

Picture of the new depot from T.W. 1932.

Monday, Sep 3, 2018 : 18:35
Iain Jamieson said ...
Hi Tom,

I actually live just around the corner from Fairlop Evangelical and have visited the saints there. There are a small number meeting there (perhaps about 15) now. They have a Gospel Meeting inthe morning and then a Breaking of Bread in the afternoon.

They seemed to be quite knowledgeable about how the meeting had started. In fact, just above the door you can still see a small stained glass panel which reads, 'A little child shall lead them' - referencing the desire of the little girl for a Sunday school.

There is another hall on Regarder Road, Hainault which was an assembly at one time and is now called 'Hainault Evangelical Church'.

In Him,

Iain Jamieson

Monday, Sep 17, 2018 : 21:08
Tom said ...

Thanks Iain .. nice to hear from you btw :)  It's good that the church retains some assembly characteristics, and the Breaking of Bread.

The other one looks to be in the 1959 Book, and listed as; Hainault, Essex, Community Centre, Manford Way.

 

Tuesday, Sep 18, 2018 : 06:32
Iain Jamieson said ...
Hi Tom,

I was actually at the Fairlop prayer meeting last night and was mentioning these articles to the saints there - they were really intrigued and would love to see them.

Is there any way that I could make copies of these articles for them? I think it would be a real encouragement to them.

In Him,

Iain Jamieson
Friday, Sep 28, 2018 : 17:11
Tom said ...
Hi Iain,
Those articles are all taken from the Threshed Wheat periodicals for 1932 - 34. You can download these from my Periodicals page .. there seemed to be a little article in every monthly issue about the progress of the work.
Friday, Sep 28, 2018 : 17:56
Iain Jamieson said ...
Hi Tom,

I hope this finds you well and encouraged in the Lord.

I was wondering if you might be able to help with something. In an open meeting in Suffolk there are two elderly sisters who attend the Gospel Meeting on Lord's Day evenings. They are from some branch of exclusivism, but I can't work out which. One of the things they hold to is that the Breaking of Bread ought to be practiced in the evening. Apprently the group used to have a hall in Upton Lane, West Ham or thereabouts.

Any ideas?

Many thanks,

Iain
Monday, Nov 25, 2019 : 19:07
Tom said ...
Hi Iain,

The only Brethren related group I'm aware of who believe in meeting in the evening are the followers of Percy Heward, though they have no links to Exclusives. According to the details here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_W._Heward he had quite a presence in East London, so possibly that is it. Unless anyone else has suggestions?

best, Tom
Tuesday, Nov 26, 2019 : 02:19
Iain Jamieson said ...
Hello Tom,

That's great, that sounds about right. These two sisters are lovely but they won't participate in the Breaking of Bread in the morning because of their convictions about this. I think that led the folks in the assembly to conclude that it must have been an exclusive grouping, but that sounds correct. Many thanks.

Iain
Tuesday, Nov 26, 2019 : 21:39
Tom said ...
6 or 7 years ago now, I first encountered this group when they visited the Easter conference we have, that at the time was held at Canterbury University. They didn't actually attend the conference but put their 'tracts' on the car window screens! Thought it was a funny thing to do to come all that distance for such a purpose. Maybe later that same year, I actually got to speak to one of them as I had gone to a Saturday night ministry meeting at Harrow Gospel Hall, and coming out afterwards one of them was giving out these leaflets. He turned out to be a young guy from Germany (I think that's where they mainly exist now), and had come to London for the w/e just for this purpose!! I talked with him a while and had a bit of email correspondence afterwards. They don't believe in Dispensationalism either, I can't remember what else.
Tuesday, Nov 26, 2019 : 23:09
Paul said ...
Hello, I'm intrigued to find these entries on the web detailing the origins of the mission work at Fairlop through the child in 1933 whose mother came asking if there was a Sunday School that her little girl could attend, and from which request the Sunday School and then the Mission was established. That little girl was my mother, Patricia Rosier (nee Rogers), and I've just been writing about this for a family archive. do you have any material you might be willing to share with me that gives this story in greater detail, please?
I'm Paul Rosier, a retired Baptist minister now living in Cromer, Norfolk, and would be delighted to hear from someone about this. Thank you.
Monday, Mar 11, 2024 : 23:33


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