Changes

In 1951, the Sunday School required over 80 teachers each week.

====Early=====Early preachers included [[Richard Weaver]], [[George Ferdinand Muller]], Dr. [[Thomas John Barnardo]], Denham Smith, [[Henry Grattan Guinness]], [[Francis Christopher Bland]], and others.

Fruits born by early missionary study groups resulted in many called to the Lord's work in Africa, India, South America and Portugal. Missionary study classes were continuing at least into the 1960's. Regular open air meetings were held in Lower O'Connell St., and the assembly engaged in neighborhood pastoral visiting, tract distibution, summer Gospel Caravan outreach, Scripture text poster displays, and a recorded telephone ministry. Further, in the 1960's, there was an evangelistic outreach entitled "Look and Live", chronicled in a local newsletter "Opportunity and Responsibility in Ireland".

In 1923, the Hall was occupied by the military for a short time. The sound fabric of the building even resisted the blast of a mine explosion nearby at some point, sustaining reparable but superficial damage. World War One and World War Two reduced attendances. Meetings for the army and police forces were meeting at least into the early 1960's.

Benjamin Lee Guinness was son of [[Arthur Guinness]] the founder of the brewery by the same name. Benjamin inherited the brewery at the death of his father in 1855, which made him "the richest man in Ireland", his estate was valued at $1.1 million, the largest will to date. He is also credited with investing $135 million in the 1840's railways, and undertaking the restoral of St. Patrick's Cathedral 1860-1865 at $2.3 million at his own expense. Values listed in 2018 terms.

First cousin of Benjamin's was [[Henry Grattan Guinness]], early Brethren missiologist that served as an elder at Merrion Hall, while simultaneously founding his "Training Home for Evangelists and Missionaries" in a large, rented Georgian house at 31 Upper Baggot St. Henry's daughter Minnie later became one of Hudson Taylor's most well-known biographers, and comfort in trial.  Eight men gathered in Henry's home to study Paley's "Evidences of Christianity" four evenings a week, including:

* [[John McCarthy]], who Michele Guinness in her volume, "Genius of Guinness", described as a "thoughtful, older man, married with three children, all of whom would make pioneer missionary explorers one day". * Tom Barnardo, who was the Guinness childrens' favorite Sunday School teacher at Merrion.