Augusta Gospel Hall, ME

History

Around 1937, Fred Allison Thompson founded an open brethren assembly in Augusta, Kennebec, southwest Maine that continues thru the present day, known as "Christians at the Gospel Hall". It was founded with five others as a breaking of bread and Sunday School.

Fred was formerly a Baptist preacher in a couple churches in nearby Sidney. He was introduced to the Brethren thru his brother Walter Eric Thompson in the 1910's, the nearest assembly at that point was Byfield Gospel Hall, MA, he would drive over Saturday and break bread Sunday. By 1920 he was involved at Bethany Gospel Hall, ME in Westbrook. Words in Season 1920 obit of dad's first wife. Fred initially utilized an old Baptist church in Manchester, Maine for the assembly, then paid $500 for an unused Methodist-Episcopal church on Belgrade, where the meeting continues. One of the recent correspondents, James "Jim" P. Thompson (1938-2024), was a son of the founder. See Jim's obit.

Letters of Interest 1938

LOI 1938-3: Feb. 7, 1938: Hugh Thorpe, Brighton, Mass.: "I am at present in this large State of Maine. It is rather a hard field and little has been accomplished as yet, (as far as assemblies gathered together unto the Lord's Name are concerned). Still it is well to keep at it, and give help where it is needed and I feel the need to help small, struggling assemblies.

This is my 14th year with periodical visits to this State of Maine, both in winter as well as summer, having meetings in homes and in schoolhouses also. As far as I know, there are no assemblies in Vermont, New Hampshire and only one in Maine, until recently when about six Christians near Augusta gathered together to remember the Lord and to conduct a Sunday School. So there is need of young men who are willing to "peddle the Gospel" in these states mentioned."

AKA

• North Augusta Gospel Hall +1959+
• Christians at the Gospel Hall +2004-2020+

Locations

• Old Baptist church in Manchester 1938-1960
• unused Methodist-Episcopal church at Old Belgrade Rd. 1961-current
  • 893 Old Belgrade Rd. 1961?-2003; 421 Old Belgrade Rd. 2004-current

Correspondents

• Fred Allison Thompson 1938-1979 (b. 1891 Revere, Suffolk, MA - d. 1982 Sidney, Kennebec, ME), employed as a mail carrier in 1940.
• James P. Thompson 1980-2024 (1938- Nov.24,2024)
• Jeff Mills +2013-2020+

Also See

• Who's Who at Augusta Gospel Hall, ME notable alumni
• Visiting Ministry at Augusta Gospel Hall, ME ministry reports

Sources

• Waltericks/ECS AAB's 1943-2020
• James P. Thompson 1-1-2021
• Letters of Interest 1938-3 via James Stahr (1926-2019) archive