Our New Churches Grainger’s Lane, Cradley Heath ......1 Our New Churches Grainger’s Lane,...
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1 Our New Churches Grainger’s Lane, Cradley Heath Transcription of Article in the Primitive Methodist Magazine by Rev. F.R. Brunskill THE history of the movement by which the present new Church has been secured covers a period of ten or fifteen years. But the history is so closely related to the long struggles and work of the first beginnings of Primitive Methodism in Cradley Heath, eighty years ago, that it is a difficult matter to say, with anything like precision, exactly where the history of the present modern enterprise really began. It will never be known who first had the vision of to day, or who dreamed dreams of such triumph and victory over difficulties so great and discouraging. When we glance backward and recall the stages of the history, there is one stage or period that will be remembered as a specially difficult one. It was when the old chapel was wrecked by mining subsidences and the mortgage was demanded. It was a day of dark clouds for the people of our Church which will never be forgotten. But with great faith and courage the congregation and trustees rallied together and triumphed. We might hazard an opinion that the experience at that period gave birth to the vision of the new church on the opposite side of the street, and it may have been the glory of the vision that gave fighting strength to the people and nerved them for the heavy responsibilities that were so suddenly thrown upon them. The men and women who encouraged and sympathised with such a splendid scheme deserve the highest praise, but in the first stages of the history of our Church there were those who did marvellous plough work; they broke virgin ground and delved in a manner that gave the seed sown the best possible chance of yielding the best results in later years. William Tibbetts and his sainted wife (the photo of the latter we have pleasure in
Transcript of Our New Churches Grainger’s Lane, Cradley Heath ......1 Our New Churches Grainger’s Lane,...
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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
