Woodstock Gospel Hall, ON

From BrethrenPedia

Jump to: navigation, search

In 1845, hymnwriter of What A Friend We Have In Jesus, Joseph Medlicott Scriven emigrated to Woodstock, Oxford, Ontario, Canada where he broke bread with friends, this meeting eventually split with other exclusives to become a Raven-Taylor (now PBCC exclusive) meeting which met from +1954-2015+ on Mill Street in Woodstock, and another at City Hall, neither of which are presently open to the general public.

In 1883, the open brethren publication Barley Cake reported: "Brother Muir is in Bay City. He is preparing for the tent season, and is longing for a fellow laborer. Brother Goodfellow, who has been laboring with James Reid in Woodstock may join him."

In 1908, Arthur Richard Crocker was standing on a street corner in Woodstock at the age of 23, and was converted to Christ thru the preaching of a Mr. Lester and a Mr. Brown who later served in Argentina. See his bio for testimony.

Prior to 1927, there was an open brethren meeting known as Woodstock Gospel Hall that met first at 704 Dundas St., then in the home of Ralph E. Tree by 1947 then folded. Afterwards, there were a few families meeting in the home of John Josiek, where it was rebranded in 1966 as Park Row Community Chapel, ON, which folded in 1976. Still existent Gospel Halls in Oxford county are located in West Zorra (Embro) & Burgessville. There are also Bible Chapels in Tavistock & Tillsonburg.

Locations

  • 704 Dundas St. +1936-1973+
  • home of Ralph E. Tree +1947

Correspondents

  • Ralph E. Tree +1927-1947

Meeting Times

  • Times:
    • +1936-1943+: Su B 11am, SS 3pm, G 7:15pm;
    • +1947+: Su B 11am;

Visiting Ministry at Woodstock Gospel Hall

Itinerants

  • George Fraser 1934

1930's

  • L&L 1935-1: "George Fraser had meetings in Rugby, Warminster, Sparrow Lake, Woodstock and Haileybury with blessing to saved and unsaved. Now in New Liskeard, but he hopes to go to an unevangelized district thirty-six miles away, called Kennabec. Prayer will be valued."

Later Woodstock ministry

T&T

Gospel Hall itinerants continued ministry in Woodstock at surrounding areas in the early to mid-1990's, including the Woodstock Wood Show, advertised at Festivals Toronto as "Canada's oldest consumer woodworking show" (started in 1987) at the Woodstock Fairgrounds.

Steve Kember, etc.

  • 1988-6: Woodstock, ON: "Steve Kember plans to put up a tent south of Woodstock this summer and expects to be helped by Art Ward and Paul Kember. This will be the third year the tent has been in this area. After the tent came down last summer, meetings were held in a 50 foot trailer and three professed."

Lorne Langfield

  • 1990-11: Woodstock, ON: "LL expected to have a gospel display at the Woodstock Wood Show in October."
  • 1992-11: Pickering, ON: "LL reports that the gospel outreach at the Plowing Match at Lindsay was very good, with many tracts and texts distributed. Some John 3:16 texts went to other countries, including Germany, Latvia, Netherlands and Switzerland. The outreach at the Woodstock Wood Show in October was also encouraging."
  • 1993-12: Goodwood, ON: LL reported "many good contacts" at the fall fairs including the Walkerton Ploughing Match, Woodstock Wood Show, and Orillia Fair.
  • 1994-9: LL had had "encouraging children's meetings" in Goodwood, and expected to have further children's meetings at Newmarket & Valens in August, and in the Fall, he was planning a gospel display at the Orillia Fall Fair, the International Plowing Match (near Ottawa), and the Woodstock Wood Show.

Jim Bergsma

  • 1995-3: address change for Jim Bergsma at 137 Dundas St., Unit 15 in Woodstock.

Who's Who at Woodstock Gospel Hall

Crocker family

"Brother Crocker went home on July 25 after a lingering illness, patiently borne. He was born in London, England, was born again in Woodstock, Canada, received in fellowship in Brandon, Manitoba, and commended to the work of the Lord in Galt, Ontario.

He had been operated on six times and had been in fourteen hospitals, some of them being the largest and best in the country. The Lord richly blessed his testimony to the salvation of souls contacted, outstanding among them was Col. French, at Peter-Bent-Bingham Hospital (Harvard). Also a medical student, Warner, was saved while he was there. He had come all the way from Chile to study at Harvard.

For a good many years our brother labored on Manitoulin Island, and many years in Florida where he had the joy of seeing the good hand of the Lord in conversions. The last several years were spent in Los Angeles where he sought to help in ministering to the saints there. Brother Crocker's last words were from Psalm 62:5 (JND Translation), "Upon God alone does my soul rest peacefully."

We commend the widow (1507 S. Stanley, Los Angeles, California) to the prayers of the Lord's people. Brother Westwood and Olson spoke at the funeral services."


Elsbrie family

1904 @ Salford Gospel Hall, ON

  • James Elsbrie +1931+ (b. 1851 England, emig. 1872, d. 1948 Ingersoll, ON).
  • Mary Anne Gillard Elsbrie +1931 (b. 1854 Drayton, Somerset, England - d. 1931 Woodstock, ON), dau. of Joseph Gillard (b. 1827 Drayton, Eng. - d. 1909 Oxford, ON) & Elizabeth Millish Gillard (b. 1829 Wedmore, Somerset, Eng. - 1895 Elgin, ON).
    • OR 1931-4: "Woodstock, ON: On March 2, Mrs. Jas. Elsbrie departed to be with Christ, in her 76th year. She was saved at the opening of the Straffordville Hall, on July 1, 1880. Bro. R.E. Tree conducted the services."

May family

Unsure that Norman May was ever at Woodstock Gospel Hall, but he was born in that city, according to his obit in T&T, so worth a mention.

  • Norman May (1924-1992)
    • T&T 1992-7: Obits: "Norman May of Bradford, Ontario on May 30, age 68. Our dear brother was born in Woodstock and raised in Goodwood. Norman was saved when he was 19 years of age and was in fellowship in West Toronto, Eglinton, Goodwood and Newmarket. He helped in the founding of the Goodwood and Newmarket assemblies. Norman is survived by his wife, Joyce, three sons, two daughters and grandchildren, all saved. He had a love for souls and was always very active in door to door visitation and faithful in assembly activities. The very large funeral was shared by Timothy Walker and Harry Pronk."

Sources

  • OB AB's 1927, 1936, 1941, 1943, 1947
  • EB AB's 1880, 1959
  • Periodicals
    • Light & Liberty: 1935-1
    • Our Record: 1931-4
    • Truth & Tidings: 1988-6; 1990-11; 1992-7; 1992-11; 1995-3;
    • Barley Cake: 1883
    • Assembly Annals: 1955-8
Retrieved from "https://brethrenpedia.org/index.php?title=Woodstock_Gospel_Hall,_ON&oldid=16884"