Thomas George Lawrence

Thomas studied with William Haydn Rees at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, both graduating in 1933.

1920's

1928

• "Passaic Daily Herald" of Passaic, New Jersey, 12-13-1928
  • The Lawrence brothers are staying at the Y.M.C.A..

• "The Record" of Hackensack, New Jersey, 12-15-1928
  • "The Lawrence brothers, pilgrim preachers from Wales, will have charge of the special evangelistic services Sunday night at 7:45 o'clock at the Gospel hall, Central Boulevard and Broad avenue, Palisades Park. Other services for the day are Sunday school at 9:30 and worship meeting at 10:45 a.m. Prayer meeting will be held Tuesday night at 8 and Bible study Thursday night at 8 o'clock."

• "Passaic Daily Herald" of Passaic, New Jersey, 12-15-1928
  • Gospel Mission, 126 Madison St., Passaic, NJ Special Services by the Lawrence Brothers of the Pilgrim Preachers. Dec. 15th-23rd 7:45 p.m. Mr. George Rainey will preach Sunday, Dec. 18th at 4 p.m. Thomas Lawrence will sing. Mr. John Sorokon will preach to Russian and Polish people, Sunday Dec. 18th at 7:45 p.m.

1929

"Former Welsh Miners Will Tell Gospel Story David and Thomas Lawrence, formerly coal miners in Wales and now members of the Pilgrim Preachers Band, will speak tomorrow afternoon in the Rochester Gospel Center. The "Pilgrim Preachers" are a group of 12 men who travel throughout the British Isles telling the Gospel story. They are said to have covered more than 10,000 miles in the last ten years. In the Winter they break up into smaller groups working independently. The Lawrence brothers have been in America about two months and expect to remain until the end of May."

"Rochester Gospel Center, 134 South - 3:30 p.m., David and Thomas Lawrence of Pilgrim Preachers Band; 5, Prayer service."

1930's

1930

Bethany Chapel, 204 Fenimore St., Brooklyn, NY 4-20-1930; Speaker: Tom Lawrence; Songleader: Mr. Thomas; Reading: R. Hill;

1931

• "Pastor Ordained and Installed in Slatington Baptist Church"
  • "At impressive services attended by a large congregation and by clergymen from thruout this section of the state, Rev. Thomas G. Lawrence was ordained and installed as pastor of the First Baptist church, Slatington, where the services were held.

The program began on Monday afternoon with the final examination of Rev. Thomas by the church board. In the evening, ordination services were held at which Dr. H.W. Barros, dean of the Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, delivered the sermon.

Dr. Barros had as his text the tenth verse from the seventh chapter of Ezra and adjured the newly ordained pastor to seek the law of God, do the law of God and teach the law of God."

"Rev. Thomas G. Lawrence was born in the beautiful Rhondda Valley, South Wales and at the age of six years, he entered the grammar school of that place. Immediately following his graduation from the required course of grammar school education, Mr. Lawrence continued his education in the high school of Rhondda. His desire was the same desire which grips so many men and women of South Wales, that of serving His Lord and His Master. After completing his high school career, he enrolled in the South Wales Bible Training Institute and there completed the course in Theology.

Mr. Lawrence became an eloquent orator of the Gospel and for five years he was associated with the Pilgrim Preachers of Great Britain, traveling over the entire British Isles. His work in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales attracted widespread attention. He was finally persuaded to come across the waters to America and here continue his wonderful Evangelistic work. His efforts in America were heralded far and wide and although just a boy, comparatively speaking, his work met with great success in his travels all over this great land of America.

After completing his preaching tour of America, he returned to his native land, Wales. A short time later, however, an elder brother of his, also a preacher of the Gospel who had settled in America persuaded him to again come to the United States. He did so as did also his parents and sisters, together with a boyhood chum of Mr. Lawrence, namely, Hayden Rees. The family settled in Brooklyn, N.Y. and the two young men, Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Rees, decided to continue their education in an American institution of learning. Accordingly, both men entered the Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Philadelphia.

Both Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Rees supplied the pulpit of the First Baptist church of Slatington many times from September last until the end of December, 1930. During the month of January, 1931, the congregation of the church met and unanimously elected to call Mr. Lawrence as its pastor. He accepted this call and has been filling the pulpit of the Slatington church since that time. Mr. Lawrence will complete his studies at the Eastern Seminary in May of this year, at which time he will take up his residence in Slatington."

1934

• "The Record" of Hackensack, NJ 9-15-1934

To Hold Services: Dumont Pastor Still Suffering From Accident Injuries "Because of the illness of the Rev. Malvern L. Andariese, pastor of the Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church, Dumont, services will be resumed tomorrow with visiting clergymen in charge. The local pastor is recovering from injuries received in an automobile accident when he and Mrs. Andariese were vacationing at their summer home at Ocean Grove. In the mishap a truck rammed their car, overturning it."

"Due to his condition, church officials have released Mr. Andariese from the responsibilities of conducting services tomorrow. There will be two services, at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Two speakers have been secured, though it is not definitely known at which particular service they will officiate. They are the Rev. Thomas Lawrence, now pastor of the First Baptist Church of Slatington, Pa., a member of the Pilgrim Preachers of England, and the Rev. Donald Miller D.D., former pastor of the Congregational Church in Mountain View, who has charge of the Men's Neighborhood Bible Class in the Presbyterian Church, Hackensack."

1940's

1940

"Christian Youth Conference will hear the Rev. T.G. Laurence (sic), pastor of Chester Avenue Baptist Church, Philadelphia, at its session in Hydewood Park Baptist Church at 7:45 p.m. tomorrow. The Rev. Mr. Laurence (sic) was formerly connected with the Pilgrim Preachers Church in British Isles and was affiliated with the extension staff of the magazine "Our Hope" edited by Arno Clemens Gaebelein (1861-1945) of Stony Brook."

Sources

• Newspapers.com
  • ""Passaic Daily Herald" of Passaic, New Jersey
    • 12-13-1928, p. 5
    • 12-15-1928, p. 4
  • "The Record" of Hackensack, New Jersey
    • 12-15-1928, p. 12
    • 9-15-1934, p. 4
  • "Democrat and Chronicle" of Rochester, New York, 1-26-1929, p. 6-7
  • "The Brooklyn Daily Eagle" of Brooklyn, New York, 4-19-1930, p. 20
  • "The Morning Call" of Allentown, Pennsylvania, 3-24-1931, p. 5
  • "The Courier-News" of Bridgewater, New Jersey, 7-18-1940, p. 10
    • fuller article with history of the Slatington Baptist available at Newspapers.com