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OurNewChurches

Grainger’sLane,CradleyHeath

TranscriptionofArticleinthePrimitiveMethodistMagazinebyRev.F.R.BrunskillTHEhistoryofthemovementbywhichthepresentnewChurchhasbeensecuredcoversaperiodoftenorfifteenyears.ButthehistoryissocloselyrelatedtothelongstrugglesandworkofthefirstbeginningsofPrimitiveMethodisminCradleyHeath,eightyyearsago,thatitisadifficultmattertosay,withanythinglikeprecision,exactlywherethehistoryofthepresentmodernenterprisereallybegan.Itwillneverbeknownwhofirsthadthevisionoftoday,orwhodreameddreamsofsuchtriumphandvictoryoverdifficultiessogreatanddiscouraging.Whenweglancebackwardandrecallthestagesofthehistory,thereisonestageorperiodthatwillberememberedasaspeciallydifficultone.Itwaswhentheoldchapelwaswreckedbyminingsubsidencesandthemortgagewasdemanded.ItwasadayofdarkcloudsforthepeopleofourChurchwhichwillneverbeforgotten.Butwithgreatfaithandcouragethecongregationandtrusteesralliedtogetherandtriumphed.Wemighthazardanopinionthattheexperienceatthatperiodgavebirthtothevisionofthenewchurchontheoppositesideofthestreet,anditmayhavebeenthegloryofthevisionthatgavefightingstrengthtothepeopleand

nervedthemfortheheavyresponsibilitiesthatweresosuddenlythrownuponthem.Themenandwomenwhoencouragedandsympathisedwithsuchasplendidschemedeservethehighestpraise,butinthefirststagesofthehistoryofourChurchtherewerethosewhodidmarvellousploughwork;theybrokevirgingroundanddelvedinamannerthatgavetheseedsownthebestpossiblechanceofyieldingthebestresultsinlateryears.WilliamTibbettsandhissaintedwife(thephotoofthelatterwehavepleasurein

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reproducing)willberememberedaslongasourChurchshallstand,fortheirpioneerwork.Theywerealwaysinthefightingline,fullofenergy,fervour,anddivineenthusiasm.Therearemenandwomento-daywhothankGodcontinuallyforthegoodworktheydid.Mrs.Tibbettsespecially,wasoneofthechoicespiritsofthetime,andhereighty-fouryearswerespentinhallowedconsecrationtoherMasterandLord.Shegaveherlifeintenderandlovingcounselstothoseabouther,andwontheloveofailwhoeverknewher.Twoothernames-ThomasTromansandThomasTibbetts–areworthyofmentionfortheinteresttheytookinSundaySchoolworkandyoungpeople’smovements.Mr.Tromanswasbetterknownas“Mr.Greatheart”intheearlydays,andthekindlytitlesuggestsatoncewhatthepeoplethoughtofhim.Hehadaperpetualenthusiasmfor

theworkofGodandgenerallymanagedtocreateenthusiasminothers.ThenthereweremensuchasGeorgeBurford,themanofpulpiteloquenceandsoundknowledgeoftheWordofLife;ReubenTromansalso,oneofBurford’sconverts,andBenjaminWoodhouseandmanyothers.AllthesemenwerestrongandloyalsupportersoftheChurchandhandedontothepresentlivingrepresentativesasplendidheritage.Wemaymentionafewwhohavetakenuptheworkinthelaterperiod,butwhoareeitherawayinotherpartsorunabletocontinuethestrenuouslabouronaccountofill-health.RobertWhitleyofDudleyPort,JosiahWestonJohnBradford,JohnChatwin,JohnPrice,SamuelTibbetts,andothers,havealldoneagreatwork

fortheChurchandhelpedinalargemeasuretomakethepresentChurchapossibility.Thenwehavemenwithusto-daylikeGeorgeHead,theSuperintendentoftheSundaySchool,whoholdsarecordofforty-threeyears’membership;SamuelWoodhouse,hiscolleagueintheSundaySchool,isalsostillintheranksandhasbeenintheChurchallhislife.JosephEdmonds,thepreacherandfaithfulservantwhoisalwaysathispostofdutyisanotherworthyhelper.DavidRoper,GeorgeYardley,-whohasjustpassedawayaftertwenty-fiveyears’splendidserviceastheteacheroftheInfantsofourSundaySchool–JosephPoole,andCalebWoodhouse,arealsohardworkers,thelastnamedhavinghadtheverydifficultpositionofSecretaryofthenewBuildingScheme.

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Thenamesmentionedareonlyafewoftheoutstandingcharacters;therearemanyothersintheChurchthatinlessprominentwaysareexercisingmuchinfluenceforgood.ButwhilethereareanydifferenttypesofmenandwomenintheChurch,thereareoneortwocharacteristicsthatpredominateintheworkthathasbeendone.Thefirstisthespiritofpersistence.Duringthelasttenyearstherehavebeenbazaarsandspecialeffortswithoutasinglebreakandthemostvigilanteconomy.“Goon!Goon!Goon!”hasbeenthechorus,andtheheartofthemembershasalwaysbeenintunetothatmusic.Withamembership,thatuntilquiterecentlyhasbeenbelow100,therehasbeenraisedupwardsof£4,000bythe

persistentploddingoftheChurchworkers.Anothercharacteristicisenthusiasm.Probablythishaswonmoresupportersthananythingelse.Ithas“takenon”withthegeneralpublicandtheyhavebeencompelledtodohomagetosuchenthusiasmbygiftsandconstantsupport.CradleyHeathChurchhasalwaysbeenalive,andatheartintenselyinearnest,andwedonotwonderatthesuccess.OneotherfactorwhichhashelpedtobuildtheChurchisthefaithandenterpriseofthecongregation.Oncetheyhadraised£1,000,andhadpromisesforthenextthousand,theythrewasideallhesitationanddevotedthemselveswithpraiseworthyzealtothebuildingscheme.Ayearwasspentinconsideringplansandin

studyingeveryinchoftheworktobedoneandthecareandthoughtthatwasputintotheworkduringthatyearexplainsmuchofthesuccessthathasbeentheirs.TheTrusteesbuilttheChurchbeforethecontractorsentinhisprice;itwasmentallyconstructedbeforethefirstsodwascut.TheChurch,thecostofwhichisabout£5,000,isplannedontheprincipleofnaveandsideaisles,dividedbyarcadingofrichlymouldedarchesongranitecolumns.Transeptsareonrightandleftofchancel.Themainentranceisthroughanarthex,rightandleftofwhichareinnerlobbies.TheTowerdoorwayformsanentrancetotheflooroftheChurch,aswellasbeingtheentranceforthegallery,whichhasseatingaccommodationforeightypersonsormore.TheflooroftheChurch,whichisseatedfor650persons,islaidtoagradienttowardsthechancelandiscomposedofwoodblocksfortheaislesandboardingundertheseating.Thechancelisraisedtwostepsabovethefloorofthechurchandispavedwithmarblemosaic.Handsomeoakchoirstalls,withseatingaccommodationforfortypersons,havebeenprovided.Thepulpitandreredosarealsoofoak,richlymoulded,andhavingtraceriedpanelsinkeepingwiththechoirstalls.Aspaciousorganchamberisprovidedononesideofthechancelwithanarchwaybetweenitandtherighthandtransept.Oppositetheorganchamberistheminister’svestry,havingdirectcommunication

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tothechancelclosetothepulpit,aswellastowardsthepremisesattherear.Runningatrightanglesandbehindthechancelisawell-lightedcorridorleadingfromthesideentrancetotheStewards’vestry,choirvestry,andChurchHall.Convenientpositionsoffthiscorridorareutilizedforamplelavatoryaccommodationandorganblower.‘TheChurchHalliswelllightedandissoarrangedastobeconvertedintothreeclass-roomsasrequired,eachwithaseparateentrance,openingdirectintothemaincorridor.ThedesignofthebuildingsisTudorGothicthroughout,andisexecutedinredpressedbricksandstone-tintedterra-cotta.Asquareembattledtower,risingtoaheightofabout60feet,isprovidedandfurnishedforaclockandhavingaflagpole.Thetracerywindowsarerichlymouldedandglazedwithleadedcathedralglass.Thewindowinthechancelisaparticularlyhandsomefiguredone,thesubject-being:“Christblessingthechildren.”TheroofiscoveredwithgreenWelshslates,givingapleasingeffecttothewhole.Aninfants’schoolroom34ft.by21ft.onthegroundfloorandanInstituteofthesamedimensionsonthefirstfloorhavebeenaddedtotheolderbuildingwhichhasbeenusedfortheSundaySchoolandChurch.TheTrusteeshavehadinviewtheneedsofmoderntimes,andprovidedallthenecessaryroomsforthecarryingonofthevariousbranchesofChurchwork.TheChurchmaynotatpresentbeconductedonInstitutionallines,buttherewillbeeveryopportunitygivenfordevelopingsuchinstitutionsasarefoundtobemostsuitedtotheconditionsofthepeople.AlreadytherearesignsofdeepinterestinTemperanceworkandwehavetheearlypromiseofgreatservicealongTemperancelines,whichwillbeconductedbymenofsoundjudgment.TheSundaySchoolwillundergoseveralimportantalterationsinthemethodsofteaching,anditisintendedtomakeSundaySchoolandTemperanceworkthetwogreatinstitutionsoftheChurchinitsyoungersection.Brightnessandcheerfulnesstherewillbeinabundance,butverylittleofsensationalism.Theleaders’aimistogivemoralstrengthandsecuritytothelivesoftheyoung,andtothisendtheymeantogivetheemphasistosoundteachingintheSundaySchool,andtoteachthemallthesacredprinciplesofsobrietyandtruth.Thesocialagencieswilldevelopwithoutmucheffortinachurchthatisfreeinspiritandsoundinitsdoctrines.Thepulpitministrationsarelookedtoforguidanceandinspirationandthislastwordmaybesaid,thatthepulpitinCradleyHeathChurchholdsthethronefortheheartsofthepeopleandwillcontinuetodosoaslongas,bythehumblefaithandprayerofministersandpeople,firstthingsareputfirstandtheSpiritoftheCrosscontinuestobethedivineatmosphereforthelifeofthepeoplewhoworshipthere.Thesacrificeoftheyearsnowgoneby,hasbeenamplyrewardedandtheChurchrecogniseswithhumblegratitudethegiftoftheirplaceofprayerascomingfromGod.

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________________________________________________________________________________ReferencesPrimitive Methodist Magazine 1907/101