Spring Hill Gospel Hall, ME

History

In 1916, Howard Franklin "H.F." Stultz, Sr.‎‎ started Bethany Gospel Hall on Main Street in Westbrook, Cumberland, Maine, a suburb of Portland, and remained its correspondent until his death in 1982, after which the assembly closed.

In Truth & Tidings 1957-7: "Westbrook, Maine: The assembly, formerly meeting in the Bethany Gospel Hall, 540 Main St. is meeting for June, July and August at the Warren Memorial Library, 479 Main Street. Breaking of bread is at 10:30 Lord's Day. Corr. D.L. Swendsen, 76 Union St., Westbrook, Maine."

There was an addition from H.F. Stultz in T&T 1957-8: "Westbrook, Maine: We find it necessary to state that the Christians at Bethany Gospel Hall, 540 Main Street, are still carrying on the meetings as usual, in much weakness and waiting on the Lord. Any of the Lord's servants, walking in the old paths would be very welcome amongst us at any time, and surely Maine is a needy state." "Bethany Gospel Hall" was omitted from the AAB's 1958-1959, but continued to meet.

The newer meeting eventually became Spring Hill Gospel Hall, ME, meeting initially in the auditorium of the Warren Memorial Library (1879-2009), and in 1961 moved into its present location at 225 Spring Street. Clark McClelland is remembered as having helped in the early days of this meeting, having been commended from an assembly in Orillia, Ontario, Canada, and had tent meetings in Westbrook that were so crucial to him in 1946, that in 1947 he relocated to Westbrook where he remained twenty years, the first ten at Bethany Gospel Hall and the last ten at Spring Hill.

Locations

• Auditorium of Warren Memorial Library (1879-2009) on 479 Main Street 1957-1960
• 225 Spring Street 1961-2021+

Correspondents

• Donald Lewis Swendsen 1958-1959 (1929-2016 Westbrook, ME)
• Charles Richard Grob 1959-1965 (1936-2020)
  • @ orig. from Cleveland, OH assemblies; died at Pittsboro Christian Village in North Carolina
  • bro. of Homer Grob who did missions work in the Philippines with my (Doug Engle's) father in the 1950's.
• Daniel F. Chick 1966-2021+ (b. 1935)
  • was at Bethany Gospel Hall, ME since teenager, a co-founder of Spring Hill Gospel Hall.
  • descendant of Thomas Chick (b. 1641 Ottery, Devon, England - d. 1687 Kittery, York, ME), emigrated to the U.S. in 1674, Kittery was founded in 1647; also desc. of John Chick (b. 1590 Devon, England). Devon is the county containing "Plymouth" of the so-called "Plymouth Brethren". John was married to Jone Truman in 1626 in Exeter, which is where Benjamin W. Newton and Anthony Norris Groves lived, who were co-founders of the PB.
• Barry Stultz +2007-2021+
  • grandson of Howard Franklin Stultz, Sr., founder of Bethany Gospel Hall, ME in 1916. Barry was raised at Bethany, and his parents were among the co-founders of Spring Hill Gospel Hall.

Alumni

• Who's Who at Spring Hill Gospel Hall, ME 1957-2021+

Visiting Ministry

• Visiting Ministry at Spring Hill Gospel Hall, ME 1957-2021+

Also See

• SPGH's FB page
• Bethany Gospel Hall, ME 1916-1983+

Sources

• Waltericks/ECS AAB 1958-2020+
• Ancestry.com
• Truth & Tidings 1957-7/8
• Barry Stultz 1-3-2021