|
New Year Memories Whilst
January is traditionally a quiet month at Bethel, giving us all a rest and
allowing us time to meditate upon God’s nearness and blessings February and March with the promise of Spring not far away usually sees
the renewal of energy amongst Bethelites and plans are made for the year
ahead. The minutes of the Sunday school teachers meeting in March 1935
recorded that the teachers were contemplating holding the Sunday School treat
‘at a Distance (e.g. Kinver)’ via Charabanc. Unfortunately the
Midland Red Omnibus Company was unable to provide the transport required to
accommodate the 250 participants in one go so, with regret this plan had to
be abandoned. The treat was eventually held in one of Mr Donald Pardoe’s
fields at Lutley, it was agreed that everyone would meet at the Wynall Co-Op
and all 250 of them would proceed from there, it must have been quite a
sight. Over thirty years later Bethelites were still planning coach trips,
March 1989 was a particularly puzzling affair when two coach loads left
Bethel for a mystery trip. Jacqui Shilton won the prize for being first to
guess that Hereford was the destination. There was a sub agenda for the trip
in that Bethel needed to fund a PA system to complement the more contemporary
style of worship that was happening on a Sunday morning, the proceeds from
the trip meant that the money was raised in full. So thank you God that we
can enjoy the beautiful music that helps us to focus upon you in our worship. As
a self funding church, Bethels finances always have to be closely attended
to, even so the generosity of God has always been evident at Bethel even
through the hardest times. The Bethel Mission ‘income received’ book from 1890
kept by the Superintendent Mr Ernest
Cox, shows that in the couple of years since it had been formed the
society had managed its affairs faithfully. When it was decided to formally
appoint a financial committee on 3rd February 1890, the book showed a balance
of over £4. In the years to follow the society faced many challenges in order
to remain and worship in Lye. They had to borrow enough money to purchase and
maintain two subsequent premises, plus, instead of saving resources they
often lent generously to the local community, so it must have been a
wonderful moment when at the Annual General Meeting of February 1941 it was
announced that the for the first time in over 50 years the Chapel was free of
debt!!
As
is so often the case life can be bittersweet, in the midst of celebrating
their solvency, Bethel also mourned the loss one of its founders Mr Albert
Perks. He had been Bethels fist secretary and still held that office at
the time of death in spring 1941. In addition to all this Britain was still
at war with Germany and the threat to life was ever present. In March 1941
the committee voted to allow the Firewatchers of Hill Street to use a room
for their meetings, whilst the secretary was charged with the task of
investigating insurance against air raid damage. Always
an early date in the Bethel calendar, Prize giving this year is on 1st
of February. As ever, it is such a joy to see all the wonderful young people,
who are God’s promise to us that there is hope for the future of His world,
receive their books. Over the years children have chosen books or had books chosen for them, in the early
1930’s children were allowed to request particular books which were obviously
prized by all family, so much so that the
1935 Bethel Magazine announced that it had been observed that ‘children
had been asking for books that were of
no interest to them- being obviously for parents or older members of
the family’ so for that year the choice of books was limited to those
approved by teachers as being suitable
for children!! Spring
is traditionally a time of new beginnings in the church. March 1990 saw the
dawn of a new Bethel outreach, Waterhole. This youth club, started by Steve
Bloomer opened its doors on 19th March, the prayer had been for twenty young
people to attend and on that very first evening nineteen youngsters turned up
and stayed rising to twenty four the week after. After nineteen years of
faith filled service from Steve along with the dedication of past and present
staff Waterholers are still playing football and pool, going ice skating playing on the computers and just enjoying each others company as well
as eating Bethel out of house and home on a Monday night. The book of Hebrews tells us that
life is a race marked out for each of us to run with perseverance. Sometimes
as a church God gives us the opportunity to run a section of the race
alongside the young people that become part of our church family. We don’t
know how much of the race we will run with them or where the race will take
them but we are thankful that for a while we are blessed to be able to
encourage them as they each run their race. Every year, as January fades into February Bethel’s
events calendar seems to fill almost within the space of a few days. For any
large church, the logistics of ensuring everyone is informed of everything is
a monumental task .However, in the early days of Bethel this was not a
problem. Although it was a large church, nearly all of the Bethel church
family lived and worked in Lye thus seeing each other on a daily basis;
rather, it was hard to keep something quiet! In the 1920’s a Bethel magazine
was launched, taking the form of reviewing recent events and news. By the
late 1930’s members were not living and working in such close proximity so an
effective means of communication had to be devised. The problem was solved by
asking all members to contribute 3d ( 1p) every three months toward the
printing of a Society plan which would than be distributed by Alfred Worton
and George Perks to all society members. The Quarterly plan and the magazine
eventually merged and was published for several decades. There may have been
a puritanical streak in one of the magazines editorial staff for the minutes
of 1938 show that it was proposed that advertising was banned from the
magazine. The magazine has reappeared over the years in various guises,
indeed this is the second anniversary of the Bethel Magazine in its current
guise, it seems God refuses to give up on this idea!!! That we are now
able to publish ‘in house’ is largely due to the wonderful office facilities
we have at Bethel. The office is the hub of the administration for all the
Bethel departments. We are always humbled by the generosity of God and never
take for granted all that we share at Bethel. A church as large and busy as
Bethel needs an excellent administrative staff (with which we are blessed)
and the equipment and resources to
enable the staff to do an effective job, these things Bethel now has in abundance. Yet, the Bethel
office is a relatively new innovation in the Bethel story. In February 1990
the editor of the Bethel Magazine (Glenda Harvey) proudly announced that as a
result of successful appeals for donations of
equipment, the Bethel Office was now in working order complete
with filing cabinets, desk and a rather smart swivel chair courtesy of Judy
Winning! We were still hoping for a word processor and photocopier all of
which the Lord has since provided through the generosity of his listening
faithful servants. The office was manned or womanned every Monday morning.
Further excitement was to follow a month later when, as a result of various
fundraising events including a coffee
evening hosted by Wendy Weston, the telephone was installed. Traditionally one
of the first events in the start of the New Year at Bethel is the Sunday
School Prize Giving. At the beginning of the twentieth century books were not
as freely available as they are today and each book was a valued possession
to the recipients. On February 17th 1929, 200 prizes were given out in
recognition of attendance throughout 1928. We are fortunate that families
have donated to the archives some of the Sunday School Prizes of their loved
ones. The earliest Prize we have was presented for good attendance Beatrice
Watkins in 1906. During the Second
World War acquiring suitable books was becoming a real problem, ships which
normally carried paper pulp were being requisitioned for essential supplies
and paper was in short supply and in 1944 the decision was taken that Prize
Giving could not he held that year. On a happier note the February 1945
magazine was anticipating the imminent end to the war and expressing the hope
that paper supplies would soon improve in order that children may receive
books in 1946. I am happy to report is exactly what happened.
Throughout the
years Bethel has been entrusted with the precious privilege of being able to
tell children about Jesus. The Prize is a symbol of Bethel’s thanks and
appreciation to each child for their allowing us this joy. In 1991 it was
decided to offer children the opportunity to choose their own book the week before Prize Giving. This year it is
change about again with the children all being given a surprise book chosen
specifically for them, I personally suspect Pastor Jill has had a whale of a
time reading all of them cover to cover in order to select who would like
what! In earlier times the books were given out class by
class but nowadays it is in random order. As the children and young people go
forward to receive their prizes it is wonderful to see each of those precious
children and know they are safe in the care of Jesus. Thank you, God for
blessing us with so many beautiful children to teach.
Bethel
- Home of Song to Worship God at Easter time and always. This is a newspaper cutting from 1982 and the report
that goes with it starts: “For nearly 40 years, 74 year old Fred Dickens and
his choir have been gathering in Lye.”
Since then, Bethel has continued to
be the home for an Easter performance—usually of Stainer’s Crucifixion, but
over the last few years we have risked “Olivet To Calvary” three or four
times. The newspaper article also says
“many of the choir have never missed a performance, and even the soloists -
Cecil Drew (bass) and Herbert Bowen (tenor) have been the same for over
twenty years. Actually, we celebrated
over 50 years of that marvellous combination of soloists. Here is the photo of the choir at the 50th
celebrations, in 1992 with the soloists at the front - the late Herbert Bowen
on the left and Cecil Drew on the right.
Another couple of decades on, the Choral Society now
makes a Christmas and Easter performance, and the
legacy of music and choral singing given by Fred lives on. April,
brings the promise of lighter evenings and warmer days and optimism swells
our hearts as we plan for the brighter days ahead. Earlier Bethelites felt
this too, the magazine of April 1934 reported that Bethel Social and Sports
Club was feeling very uplifted by the success of their efforts over the
previous year to bring the tennis court (which used to be on the grass where
the garden is now) up to standard as well as improving facilities for the
other sports the club members took part in. They were looking forward to the
prospect of enjoying the fruits of their labours in the fine weather to come.
The
Bethel Organ Fund committee were also planning for the Spring season ahead,
organising a Sausage and Mash supper, using potatoes kindly donated by Mr
Howard Homer and Mr W Mobberley. Their generosity did not go unappreciated,
according to the April minutes there was not a morsel left. This was followed
a couple of weeks later by a concert in aid of the said fund. The records
show that there were many people involved in the planning and execution of
the Bethel concerts but I think Mr Fowkes and Mr Hill probably had the best
fun being entrusted to operate the curtains! Bethel concerts seem to have
been held in some renown, the minutes show regular requests from other groups
for Bethel to help them produce their concerts, and one such request appears
in the minutes for March 1936 when Bethel agreed to produce Two Gates Concert
party. For
many years the words Sunday School,
Spring and Anniversary were synonymous. As soon as Easter celebrations were
over, teachers’ thoughts turned to songs and poems. May 1941 newsletter noted the excitement in
Sunday School due to the nearness of the Anniversary it reported that the
girls who were in training for the service were diligently attending all the
other local Anniversaries, the editor of the time suspected it was for purposes of comparison rather then piety!
Enthusiasm to appear on the Platform was often high, in 1936 the Sunday
School had to adopt a one child per family policy! whilst the May 1945
Magazine records more enthusiasm than ever for the Anniversary celebration,
indeed, some very little volunteers were having to be discouraged from
participation because it was felt the demands that three services in one day
placed upon the child would be just too much for them, the tradition of three
services continued right up until 1989.
For
Christians the most holy festival of the year is Easter. The celebration is a roller coaster of
emotions, from the happiness of Palm Sunday we go to sadness as we remember
Jesus betrayed on Maundy Thursday then crucified on Good Friday. Tradition for many years indeed since the
1930’s has been for Stainer’s Crucifixion to be sung in Bethel on Good Friday
evening. The editor of the 1992
magazine, Glenda Harvey states that the choir that particular year provided
the ‘best shout of ‘Crucify’ so far! They earned their tea and hot cross buns
that year. Palm
Sunday 1992 year was one to remember too, it had been decided to hold a
joint afternoon service at which the
children would march into church carrying banners and palm leaves whilst the
choir sang ‘Makeway.’ They also sang several other songs including a
‘make-it-up-as-you-go-along’ song when the choir and keyboard briefly parted
company! Happily they managed to coincide a little further on! Later in the
week on Maundy Thursday Bethelites shared the deeply moving experience of
eating a Passover meal as our Lord would have celebrated on the night before
He died. The evening gave us a chance to look at the traditions and try
authentic food and for many it was a rewarding and enlightening experience
although there were some very funny faces pulled at the taste of the bitter
herbs. Celebrations
often includes eating as a way of sharing and marking the occasion and Easter
at Bethel is no exception as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and the promise
of an eternal home with him in Heaven. In the 1990’s the Bethel church family
often shared breakfast after Easter morning service. There were competitions
for the young and the daft including in 1990 an egg decorating contest,
Glenda thought she would romp to victory with her ‘Eggwina Currie’ but alas
it was not to be. In 1993 we introduced the now traditional ‘Sonrise’ service
at Wollescote Park. The distress caused by having to arrive at the park at
some unearthly hour is forgotten when we see the world in the same light as
those faithful women who went to tend the body of their Saviour that first
Easter morning only to find that he was not there but risen. Bethel Chapel building as we know it
today, first opened its doors and invited everyone in for public worship on 2nd April 1900. Contrary to what
could well be popular assumption the service was held on a Monday afternoon.
Mr E Lucas presided and congratulated the fellowship upon their labours, for
many of them had worked on the building in their spare time in order to reduce
costs as much as possible. The sermon was taken from Acts 11: 19-21. Mr Lucas
likened the founders of Bethel to those who had founded the first Christian church among
the Gentiles, at Antioch, in that both
were founded by:- ‘a few earnest men whose only qualification, and that a
perfectly sufficient one, was that they had received the divine truth, and
were constrained to give utterance to the faith that was in them.’
(County Express 7th April 1900) The opening was followed by a public
tea for 200 people and evening worship. On 1st
April 1936 Bethelites were still digesting a sausage and mash supper held the
night before, which was organised by the Bethel Organ Fund Committee.
Apparently, a good night was had by all who partook, consuming 144lbs of potatoes
and 25lbs of sausages between them!!! Their efforts were not in vain, we
still enjoy the beautiful sounds of the prized reed organ. By 1940 the Second World War was overshadowing the
life of all British citizens. The members of Bethel, like most of their
compatriots, were determined to bring whatever comfort they could to the men
fighting on the front lines. To this
end, in April 1940 the secretary of the Bethel Comfort Fund was able to
report that in the four months since its inception, Bethelites had sent 1400
cigarettes, 15lbs of chocolate, 14 tablets of pears soap, 2 dozen
handkerchiefs, 1 dozen towels and 14 pairs of socks; and received numerous
letters from the grateful recipients at the front. Coming to more modern times, the 16th April 2000 saw the first ever
Icebreaker wedding. It was a very joyous occasion when Miss Helen Lees said ‘I do’ to Mr Mark Baynham. Summer For
many people early Summer is time of happiness, enjoying the light evenings
and being outdoors. Bethelites are no exception in taking advantage of the
better weather and many summer activities traditionally take place out of
doors. In July 1936 the Sports and Social club were glad to announce their
first win in three seasons. Their victory at Stevens Park against Timmis
& Co seemed to surprise everyone. Seemingly the lads refused to give up
even when all seemed lost, but with 7 wickets down for 37 runs, the last two
men, Joe Dickens and Horace Kirton went in to bat and managed to save the day
with the final score of 106 to 96. Such were the celebrations that a special
victory supper was arranged for the heroic eleven.
The Sunday School movement which began in the late 18th
century has its roots in the Non-Conformist Churches. Initiated by Robert
Raikes, the Sunday Schools were run by
lay people and taught poor children to read using the Bible as their
text. To honour Robert Raikes, it was
traditional during July for Sunday Schools to take part in local
‘demonstrations’ (a sort of march) which would have been accompanied by a
marching band. In the drab early twentieth century industrial town that was
Lye it must have made an exciting and colourful spectacle. As the largest
Sunday School in Lye and Wollescote Bethel traditionally marched at the head
carrying a rather splendid banner. All the demonstrators would be treated to
a tea held at the ‘Oxpiece’ now known as the Sandon Road side of the Pedmore
Hill Estate. The demonstrations are a thing of the past but the lovely banner
remains. It can be seen in Bethel as one enters the Church facing to the
right proclaiming the motto ‘God Bless our Sunday School’ Summer
treats have always been a highlight in the calendar for all Bethel
groups. During the 1930’s it seemed
the Mothers Class had got themselves very well organised as there are reports
every year in the magazine of their annual day out. Rhyl and Porthcawl seemed to be the most
popular destinations when upward of fifty mothers and their friends would set
off to enjoy sun, sea and sand followed by high tea, entrusting their little
darlings to the tender care of those left behind. For the Sunday School
children and staff there was the ‘field’ treat which always included
lots of organised games followed by a tea which included cake and sweets. The
children who participated in the anniversary also had a charabanc trip, and
in the 1930’s when private cars were only for the very wealthy, travelling
further afield must have seemed a very exciting prospect. So much so, that
there are reports in the July 1935 magazine of some children not eligible for
the anniversary trip trying to buy their way on the charabanc! A definite ‘no no.’ During the war
years, life became very austere and
Bethelites had to be creative as they maintained traditions. One example was the decision to merge the
Anniversary and Sunday School treats. In July 1940 the treat was to be held
in Stourport, however, rationing
presented a problem when it came to providing the treat tea. Always looking
to their faith for inspiration Bethelites followed the example of the early
Apostles, everyone pooled their meagre resources and it seems the sum total
was greater than its’ parts for everyone was able to enjoy buttered rolls and
sugar in their tea! Towards
the end of the last century the Sunday school expanded rapidly and the
anniversary treat once again became quite a big affair, quite often several
coaches leaving in convoy. In June 1989 it was destination Alton Towers, adults and children alike enjoying the
delights ranging from the sedate ‘cups and saucers’ ideal for those like myself of a sensitive
disposition, to the thrills of the ‘white knuckle’ rides. In June 1990 we visited Chester Zoo
unfortunately, the weather was not so kind that year causing many Bethelites
to have a prolonged look around the lovely warm tropical house. Conversely,
June 1992 saw arguably one of the hottest Bethel treats when happily
Southport beach turned out to be the ideal destination for such a lovely day. Finally we cannot forget that summer
perennial, the Summer Fair, formerly known as the Garden Party. Whilst some of the old favourites remain
such as the Darts, Bottles and Stationery, some stalls are no longer with us.
The account book of 1963 lists Eastern Trumpet and Spanish Dancers fees under
Garden Party expenses, whilst in the summer of 1961 Iris Kendrick
painstakingly counted currants so that patrons of the Garden Party could play
(yes, you’ve guessed it) ‘How many currants in the cake.’ Bring them all back
I say! Summer Fayre this year is on
July 4th 12 noon, so please all come along and join in the
fellowship and fun as we celebrate the Son in the sun.
The Bethel Summer Fayre is a very renowned event
in the Lye locality. It is a happy occasion where we are all able to greet
old friends and catch up on news as well as having the pleasure of welcoming
new faces in to God’s House. In the history of Bethel, the
term ‘Fayre’ can be regarded as a fairly new innovation. The main Summer event previously went under
the rather sedate and lovely title of ‘The Garden Party.’ Before any outdoor event at Bethel, our Almighty
God is petitioned well in advance for the blessing of fair weather and our
prayers are faithfully answered. July
11th 1987 was no exception to this, and the sunny day had attracted a large
crowd. That particular year had a
fancy dress theme which included all the stall holders. The winner of the
fancy dress competition was a little girl dressed as a cat— none other than
our own Helen Baynham née
Lees. Funny to think this year Helen
will be dressing her own children for the fancy dress competition!!
The fancy dress theme for stall holders
resurfaced in July 2000, the centenary year of the Chapel building we all
love. The theme of the entire fayre
was Victorian including the grand opening of the event by no less a personage
than Queen Victoria accompanied by her beloved Prince Albert (alias Jim and
Judith Dickens). Many families took advantage of the Victorian photographer
and had their portrait taken in the Victorian parlour alongside the
traditional potted aspidistra. The fancy dress competition has been recently
re-introduced and is always well supported. To see the children all looking
so proud in their wonderful costumes is always a joy.
Obviously as well as being a very happy social
events, the Fayres are a valuable fundraiser and help towards the maintenance
of Bethels’ ministries within the Lye
community. Transportation has become a
major factor in all the Bethel clubs and societies, whether it be taking the children out and about,
collecting the bids for the various
socials including Cornerstone and Sunday evenings or the many other myriad
journeys it makes. These all require the services of a minibus, the first of
which was snapped up in June 1989 by
our dear Pastor Jill, always a girl with an eye for a bargain. A sweet old
blue bus, it only required a bit of work (well a lot of work actually) to
make it roadworthy. With the devoted expertise of Mike Bruton it was
confidently predicted that the said bus would be fit to make its inaugural
trip to Greenbelt in August with a full contingent of Bethelites plus camping
equipment. Since then, the demands
upon the minibuses have increased, thus it has been, that more than once, the
proceeds from the Fayre have gone towards purchasing a minibus— this years’
being no exception now that Reggie the red bus has departed this mortal coil to be
replaced by a younger and needless to
say more expensive model. We are grateful to our God who has blessed Bethel
so much that as a Church, we have so many users, that we need two buses and
that God has duly provided them. Beat the goalie, skittles, Steve Bloomer in a
starring role as Aunt Sally braving the wet sponges, Duck the Maiden, guess
the name or birthday of a cute doll or toy you name it or hook a bag. Over the years, Bethel has offered all the
fun of the fayre. Alternatively you can relax with a cup of tea and a piece
of cake or dine like a Duchess on a hot pork sandwich followed by Strawberries
and Cream, the choice is yours. But, I
know where the children will head for first— the bouncy castle! In the early 1990’s the records show that for a
few years instead of a fayre, there were events such as coffee evenings and
sponsored activities. The July 1992 newsletter records a child’s dream come
true, when all the Bethel children’s groups were invited to take part in a
sponsored bounce the week before the Summer Fayre. Needless to say it was a roaring success
and raised £400. What an excellent way
to make money out of inflation!! This
year’s Fayre is Saturday 14th
June, and the ‘Son’ will shine as we
all gather together to enjoy this wonderful day the Lord has provided, and as
we play, laugh, eat and drink and look forward to resting our tired feet at
the end of the day, we exalt God and dedicate this day to His Glory. Summer
Wedding Season People get married at all sorts of days and months
and times, but the Summer is certainly the most popular. We started being licensed for marriages
here at Bethel in 1915 and the first entry in the register is the marriage of
George Harry Hill and Mary Ann Cartwright, 21st of November. Harry Hill was the president here at Bethel
for many years and lived to be 100 years old. Just a few other notable entries of well-known
Bethelites include ·
Wesley Perrins
and Mary Evans, 30th of July 1932 ·
Alfred Dickens
and Gwendoline Annie Dublin 20th July 1935
(Alan’s parents) ·
Geoffrey Robert
Hill and Olive Margery Keen 16th April 1949 (Glenda’s parents) ·
Herbert Harry
Kendrick and Iris Worton 10th April 1950 ·
James Charles
Dickens and Judith Ann Harper 11th June 1955 ·
Alan John
Dickens and Ann Cartwright 25th September 1965 ·
Gerald Lewis
Harvey and Glenda Alison Hill 5th April 1975 ·
Stephen Robert
Bloomer and Sandra Elizabeth Floyd 18th April 1981 ·
Alan Gough and
Jacqueline Degville 6th June 1998 ·
Martin John
Woodhouse and Deborah Perry 24th July 1999 ·
Mark Ian
Baynham and Helen Michelle Lees 16th April 2000 ·
Colin Bolton
and Anne Elizabeth Dunn 13th August 2005 There are 335 weddings that have been registered
here to date, and I wonder who the
next ones will be?????? If you got married here and wouldn't mind us looking
at the photos - please let us have a copy.
The following has been submitted by Maggie
Brookes under the title “Brides at Bethel” -
This is my mom and dad, Stan and Enid Hughes. Some people may remember them from
attending Bethel many years ago, or from them owning a shop on the corner of
Crabbe Street and King Street. Their
wedding was here at Bethel on 8th January 1955. Sadly dad died in 1998 and mom on 8th
January 2000 - yes, she died on what would have been their 45th wedding
anniversary. I reckon she decided she’d have a better 45th wedding
anniversary up there with those who’d already gone than she would lying in a
body past it’s sell by date in a bed in Mary Steven’s Hospice. The bridesmaid on the left is none other than our
very own Iris Kendrick (Enid’s sister), and if anyone can recognise any of
the other people, I would be very grateful if they would contact us, as I’d love to know who they are. We
are blessed at Bethel to see so many children entering the doors week after
week and to have such a lively Sunday School with dedicated teachers. One
hundred years ago the situation was no different with the superintendents
register for1907 listing many scholars who attended every week without fail. A register was also taken of teachers who
shared the same immaculate attendance record as their pupils. It is
interesting to note that there was no such things as holidays hence the
attendance never fluctuated throughout the year and the only reason for
absence noted was ‘S’ for sickness. Newsletters from the late 1930’s
demonstrate how things changed when teachers reported diminished numbers due
to families being absent for their weeks summer holiday, hop picking! In the days before the NHS, hospital treatment was a
privilege and the poor relied upon the hospital committees fundraising effort
to help towards their medical care. The minutes of August 18th 1926 record
that the committee voted to loan the tea urns and tables to the Corbett
Hospital Committee for their fundraising event, and that this loan would be
free of all charge. The records show that Bethel was constantly lending their
hard earned possessions to benefit other groups, which was very generous when
one considers that this was at the beginning of the depression in Britain,
there had been a general strike and work was often irregular. Furthermore the
Bethel congregation still owed a considerable sum on the loan repayment for
the Chapel building. Their cheerful willingness to put their Christian duty
to their fellow humans before liquidating their debt was rewarded. The
minutes of August 18th 1936 show that the society was in a position to repay
£50.00 that month, which left a balance of £150.00, a further £50.00 was paid
the following August. For those amongst us who blame Global Warming for
this Summer’s terrible weather, take heart in the fact that before we had
even heard of the subject, Bethel folk in August 1939 were feeling rather fed
up with the terrible rain they had been experiencing that Summer. The tennis
club had to curtail its summer programme due to the inclement conditions. The
Sunday School Treat was a bit of a wash out with cakes and tea providing the
only consolation!! The
newsletters of the late 1980’s and early 90’s record that the Summer Fairs
were often held in August. Our own Mrs Glenda Harvey was the newsletter
editor for many years and in promoting the said Fair due to be held in August
1988 she promised ‘fun
and fellowship for all, lots of side stalls and games, a bouncing castle for
the littlies, a barbecue for the hungry and a raffle for the lucky!!’ as you can see only the date has
changed, the tradition has remained! As the 20th century progressed, August customarily
became the month for holidays and outings and socials. Bethelites soon got
into the swing of this convention. Outings became a Bethel family feature.
Many of the August newsletters describe trips for the various groups, the
Mothers class went to Porthcawl.
The younger people hired a charabanc and had fun at
Church Stretton and Long Mynd, whilst the Sunday school children of 1947
visited Hartlebury Common for the day. The only disappointment for those
pocket money laden children was ‘the lack of a shop and the ‘Hartlebury
equivalent of ‘Ambrose’??’ (can anyone enlighten me?). To this day we
celebrate the Summer as a church family with social events and just relaxing
with each other grateful for the busy twelve months that have gone before and
with pleasant anticipation to the impending Bethel Church cycle which is
always heralded in by the beautiful celebration of Harvest. We thank God for
His generosity and we remember, as did the earliest Bethelites, that He asks
us to share this bounteousness with our brothers and sisters here in Lye and
throughout the His world. Autumn The great Autumn tradition in the Church calendar is
the celebration of Harvest. The celebration of Harvest at Bethel has always
been a joyful time of sharing. The magazines and Committee minutes from the
1930’s onwards tell of traditions which lasted for decades. Decorating the
Church would often begin on the Friday, in readiness for the traditional
Sunday Harvest services, followed by a public tea on the Monday. The October 1938 minutes record that the charge for
that year’s much anticipated public
tea was a mere 6d (for those of you too young to be pre-decimal, 2½p!)
Following the said feast was the high point of the evening, the ‘auction’.
1938 saw Mr Fred Dickens gamely agreeing to preside over the sale of the
Harvest produce, with a good time
being had by all. The Bethel archives seem to indicate that Harvest weekend
celebrations continued throughout the war years, even when rationing was at
it’s severest. The Harvest services thanking God for the food that was
available in such austere times must have been very moving, proving that the
Holy Spirit that appears when two or more are gathered in His name is
stronger than any enemy’s efforts to destroy the fortitude of the people of
Bethel and The Lye!.
The Harvest tradition was still in
full swing in the 1980’s, and the November 1987 news-sheet recounts a particularly
hectic Harvest weekend. Friday saw the Chapel being decorated with many
floral arrangements, all having a harvest theme as well as the fabulously
colourful fruit and vegetable displays, meant that the Chapel smelled as
beautiful as it looked! Saturday was an open day for all who wished to view
the wonderful things that were in God’s storehouse, whilst the Sunday School
children sang their anniversary songs; it was all helped along by coffee and
Madge Berry’s (mother of Pastor Jill) famous Welsh Cakes. Sunday Harvest services were followed by
the Harvest tea and auction on Monday evening. The evening began quietly
enough, but soon became rather noisy when the bidding commenced . The
auctioneer, Mr James Dickens Esquire described each ‘lot’ in increasingly
glowing terms. His eloquence inspired many to participate in some rather
competitive bidding for many of the items!! The evening ended with many well
fed and satisfied revellers and a healthy donation for the building fund to
erect the entrance hall and kitchen that we all benefit from today, good
result all round I say!!
In the 1990’s the tradition of
celebrating Harvest as a church family continued with skittle evenings and
barn dances. However, the Harvest service took on a new tradition when Bethel
introduced the ‘gift tree.’ Symbolic of the ‘Tree of Life’ financial gifts
are placed around this tree during the service, which are then donated to a designated
charity each year in order that we may share our harvest a little further
afield.
This year the Harvest celebrations see a new ‘first’
for Bethel. The harvest festival will span two weekends; an added bonus is
that the beautiful displays done by Jean Harris and the team of gifted people
who work with her will be enjoyed for much more than a few hours. The
traditional services on the 7th of
October will be followed on 14th of October by a family celebration which
incorporates a time of worship and a faith supper followed by a Barn Dance,
which is always a sight to behold! We
thank our God who has arranged for ‘for all our needs to be supplied.’ Bethel
Chapel has always considered itself the Church in the community and for the
community. Enshrined in its traditions is the custom of reaching out into the
local community in service and love. Mission is a Biblical command which
Bethel feels called to obey. Indeed from its inception in1888 Bethel styled
itself the Bethel Mission. The minute book of 1890 tells how in March 1890
the Bethel Mission decided to purchase two cottages in Pump Street for
conversion into a Chapel building. It was at a subsequent meeting on 3rd
June 1890 that Mr Amos Perrins proposed that the name be changed from Bethel
Mission to Bethel Society; this was seconded by Mr A Wooldridge and passed
unanimously. The Pump Street property required a lot of alteration which, in
turn necessitated a lot of financial outlay. Never ones to shirk hard work,
those first Bethelites stepped out in faith, they erected a new brew house,
replaced windows and invested in a new broom. A stove to keep them all warm
was the last big purchase before the Winter set in, and Autumn 1890 saw the
Bethel Society happily settled in Pump Street doing God’s work in what was to
be their home for the next ten years. Whilst
Bethel often runs Summer clubs and activities for all ages, September sees
the start of the Bethel year. With Summer holidays finished, the Bethel
community meets in full again with all the various groups starting up after
the sporadic activities and attendance of the July and August months. Sunday
School has always been typical of this pattern. For example, the Bethel magazine of October
1935 reported an increase in the numbers of children attending and was
advertising a vacancy for an extra Sunday School teacher. The editor
confidently predicted he would be overwhelmed with applications as there was
of late a tendency for all the lady teachers to be ‘snapped up and
married’ very soon after being appointed! We see this pattern again in
the September 1897, with the newsletter reporting increased attendances
resulting in the appointment of extra teachers to supplement the gifted and
dedicated teachers already serving the Lord. Two of those teaching in 1987,
Jacqui Shilton and Jane Hodges, still
teach those precious little souls entrusted to Bethel and we thank the
for their dedication. P.S. Both
Jacq and Jane have been teaching now for well over 25 years!!) In addition to Sunday School, a new outreach
was started in 1987, called ‘One Way’
Club, and as it was proving to be very popular, by the Autumn of 1987 it too
was calling for volunteers to assist Jill
and Jacqui (as well as the children)
in the gluing, making and baking activities that went on each week (still do in fact), or even just willing
hands to clear up after the gluing, making and baking! September
1989 saw the launch of another new Bethel venture, the Playgroup. Initially
started by Judy Winning helped by Wendy Weston and Anita Tollerton, the
playgroup opened three mornings a week. October 1989 reports that after the
first session which was an open day for children, parents and staff, the
subsequent sessions were flourishing. In October 1991 Sandra Bloomer and Mal
Hawker took on leadership of the playgroup, re-naming it Little Lambs. The
first Lambs arrived late that year as term could not start until the end of October due to completion of what is
commonly known as the ‘extension’ and
the rest as they say is History! Bethel
considers it a privilege to welcome in the name of Jesus, all who step
through it’s doors, but there are some whom we have not had the pleasure of
welcoming, so following Jesus’ command to take the Good News to the people,
Bethel joined forces with the Lye
Churches in September 1989 and took Jesus to the people of Lye. The ‘Makeway’
marchers, resplendent with banners and PA system, sang their way from St
Andrews Church in Wollescote via Pedmore Hill to Lye High Street. What
started as 130 people plus many toddlers singing joyously in their
pushchairs, swelled to over 200 by the time the open air celebration began
outside Lye Church. The rain forecast for that day stayed away . Autumn
and Harvest are synonymous in the Church calendar, and in a few weeks,
Bethel will celebrate this beautiful
festival and as always the Chapel will look and smell wonderful. Every year at the beginning of October,
whether in years of plenty or in the
lean years such as times of economic depression or war, the Church is
decorated as a symbol of our thanks for all our gracious God has provided.
Records from 1939 show that despite the declaration of war between Britain
and Germany and the uncertainty as to what lay ahead, the Harvest display of
1939 was a lovely as ever. The actual Harvest service was very well attended
although not without drama, for the November 1939 magazine records that the
preacher missed the bus and had to walk four miles in order to get to the
service. Happily, although late, he managed to arrive in time to preach. To
read of this level of commitment in order to share the Lord’s Word is quite
humbling. The
picture below shows Bethel’s Harvest Festival 1915, and a copy of this
picture was sent to all the Bethel lads who were away fighting in the First
World War to remind them of all that they were fighting for and how loved and
missed they were.
As
we thank our God this Harvest for all that we have and for the joy that
having Him involved in our lives brings, we also thank God for bringing us to
the Church that meets at Bethel and giving us the opportunity to serve the
Lord who came to serve us. September
is the month when we start preparing ourselves for the shorter gloomier days
ahead. In Autumn 1933 the evening services seemed a lot brighter thanks to
the recently completed installation of electric light by Major Bird
Contractors at the princely cost of £26.00.
In September 1939 the prospect of shorter days ahead must have seemed
even gloomier, for Britain had just declared war on Germany. Bethelites were preparing for the struggles
ahead including adhering to the new regulations which dictated that all
windows had to blacked out at dusk. In
September 1939 committee members decided to purchase fifty yards of black
material for darkening the Chapel windows. In October 1939 they resolved do ‘their
bit’ even more and formed the Soldiers Comfort Fund committee with Mr G.
Hill and Mr G T Share among the founder members. This fund ran throughout the
entire war raising money in order to buy comforts such as soap, cigarettes,
chocolate and warm socks for the lads at the front. One of the recipients
could well have been Simon Williams. Sim, as he was known, was a young
Bethelite who was serving in the army.
On 22nd April 1944 at the age of 21 he obtained special
leave in order to marry his childhood sweetheart Doreen, at Bethel. Sadly Sim
was badly injured on D-Day, although he did survive his wounds he died at the
age of 41. There
is the expression ‘man proposes and God disposes’ and at Bethel we are
very aware that the Holy Spirit moves where it needs to not where we
think it needs to. Harvest services being no exception, the minutes of the
October 1936 committee meeting records the discussion regarding the printing
of the Harvest order of service sheets and whether the visiting preacher
would stick to said order. Eventually
it was decided to print a footnote advising that the preacher may add some
extra prayers. The Holy Spirit still never fails to prod us when we may be
spiritually napping, a case in point was the believers baptism service in
October 1990, six people had been ‘dunked’ and it seemed the service was
drawing to the expected close when another three people announced they felt
moved to come forward for baptism, all of whom were without a change of
clothes, it was a lovely evening although a few drips went home that night! In
1938 the sports and Social club was still going strong although not exactly
breaking any records. The magazine for November 1938 states that the Billiard
players competed in the Wollescote and
District League and proved themselves the
‘strongest side by holding up the rest of the league (from the bottom)’ The
report adds they were hoping to improve, well, sometimes the only way is up! One
sure way to dispel November chills is the celebration of bonfire night. In
the late 1980’s the Bethel bonfire became a popular family night of
fellowship, with food and fireworks proving to equally popular amongst the
young. But, as they say be careful what you wish for, because the October
1988 magazine carried an appeal for firewood which did not fall on deaf ears,
for on the morning of the bonfire party there was a queue of cars and lorries
in Hill Street waiting to off load. Volunteers braved rusty nails and
splinters to build a rather splendid and rather large Bonfire. Well the
fireworks went, the food went and eventually the fire went out as well but
not after a certain fears had been voiced as to the safety of the new paint
on the hut (the old church hall which was made of corrugated metal.) At least we weren’t hiding our light under
a bushel that night!
The old outdoor kitchen and toilet block November
1991 saw another momentous event when the extension was finally completed.
After many years of fundraising we were finally able to build a new kitchen
and toilet block and have the space between church and hut covered. For all
those who had braved the old cold brew house kitchen and the old toilets
which although clean, were definitely not for the squeamish, the extension
was wondrous to behold! The dedication
service was held on 17th November and the building was dedicated
to the memory of Nora Dickens, loving wife of Joe and mother of Jim, who
spent her gentle life in the service of God.
Over
the years Bethel has been the beneficiary of so many faithful Christians whose
dedication to God has been made manifest in the wonderful way they have
served their church family and the surrounding community. Our lives have been
the richer for their faithfulness, so, as November is traditionally the month
of remembrance we reflect upon all those who walked the Jesus path in front
of us acting ‘as a lamp unto our feet’ and say ‘we will remember
them.’ November is a time for remembrance.
For Bethel, November is traditionally a time when we
remember our founders to whose faithfulness we owe so much today. It is also
the time when we honour those service men and women who have fought on our
behalf in the armed conflicts since 1914 in order to safeguard the freedom we
have today. Throughout the years young men and women from the
Bethel community have, and still do serve in the armed forces. The November
1932 magazine reflects upon the 1918 Armistice Day and exhorts the readers
not to let their sacrifice be in vain. The writer is concerned about public
apathy towards Adolf Hitler in Germany, and asks the good people of Bethel to
join the local branch League of Nations in order to educate public opinion ‘so that peace
and not war shall prevail in the future’.
Sadly as we all know, this was not to be. In November 1942 the magazine reported that the
Comfort Fund (which was set up by Bethelites to raise funds in order to send
gifts to those serving at the battle front) reported that they had 36 Bethel
soldiers on their list to whom they had been able to send regular financial
gifts. The Comfort Fund also sent quarterly consignments of gift parcels to
soldiers to remind them that they were held in everyone’s hearts. In November 2004 Bethel was blessed when the British
Legion held their annual service of Remembrance within its walls, and this
beautiful service has now become part of the Bethel year. It is with grateful
hearts that we thank God for the privilege of being able to join with the
British Legion in honouring those who
helped make our world a safer place, and especially remembering those
who for our tomorrow ‘gave their today’.
Amen Christmas
has always been a busy time for the church that meets at Towards
the end of 1944 Bethelites decided to launch the projector fund and in true By
Christmas 1945 the war had ended and Bethelites were looking forward the
first peacetime Christmas for five years. Whilst giving thanks for the return
of many of their young men, there was sadness for those that had been lost to
the The magazine for November/January 1945
records ‘If the world is to be saved from passing through another period
of chaos and destruction, it will be by the Christian influence of humble men
and women whose lives have been consecrated and dedicated to God and the
service of others’ faith filled words are timeless and they are as
salutary today as they were in 1945. December
1986 newsletter records how the Bethel Mums and Toddlers group celebrated its
first birthday on 18th November. The occasion was marked by a mini
party with cake for all. The outreach was started by our own Mrs Bloomer,
whilst Madge
Nativity from late ‘80’s Shepherds: Gareth Harvey, Luke Bartlett?? Angels: Samantha Harvey, Innkeeper: Russell Prentice, Joseph: Tom Woodhouse, Mary: Emily Gould With
the 1986 Christmas Carol service looming it was decided that in order for the
children to practise adequately, Sunday School would be extended to
midday!!!!!. For anyone who remembers just how cold the hut was, it will come
as no surprise to learn that there were those who preferred stay at home in
the warm rather than brave one and a half hours in that bracing atmosphere;
these less hardy souls were enticed back by the promise of continuous heat,
courtesy of the two recently purchased fan heaters!!! The now traditional candlelit Christmas
carol service began in the 1980’s with the call going out to members to lend
their family silver to illuminate the service. Whilst the children looked
resplendent as only children can in stripy recycled sheets, tea towels, and
tinsel, the congregation shed a tear, as we will surely do this year, as we
experience yet again the wonder of the birth of the infant Jesus, as
re-enacted by the youngest members of our church family. Looking through Over
2000 years ago in a Bethlehem a little town in the troubled land of Israel a little
child was born. As he grew he filled his mother’s heart with a bittersweet
mixture of joy and trepidation for, it proved to be as the angel had foretold
to her, that her baby son, Jesus, would be the Messiah. This world saving event is joyfully celebrated
every year Bethel. The
Advent season usually begins with the Christmas Fayre which is a time to
welcome friends old and new through the doors of Bethel. This event has
become such a permanent feature of the Bethel year that it stands out when the
November 1990 newsletter asserted that there would be no Christmas Fayre that
December, just a Christmas Coffee Morning with refreshments but no stalls or
games of any kind. It had been strongly felt that God had advised people’s
spirits against such an event. By the time of the January 1991 newsletter it
was quite clear just how wise Bethelites were to listen to this advice. The
day planned for the Coffee morning which would in other circumstances have
been the day of the Fayre saw such a downfall of snow that most people could
not venture out of their front doors let alone make the journey to Church.
Oftentimes our gracious God gives us the solution long before we even know
there will be a problem! As
we celebrate our Saviour’s birth the chapel abounds with parties as the
various departments and groups celebrate the birth of our Saviour. Dear old
Santa always visits to join in with all the fun, delighted to see all the
children whilst they are awake rather than asleep! In December 1990 he dropped in to visit
parents and children after the Nativity Service, in order to distribute
presents to the Sunday School children as well as collect gifts they had
asked him to give to those less fortunate. Unfortunately for him and the rest
of the adults someone had forgotten to switch the urn on, so whilst Rudolph
and friends were doing quite nicely on the roof eating carrots poor old Santa
had a bit of a dry time. After much laughter, kettles were found, pressed
into service and eventually Santa went on his way north, refreshed and
restored. Never
let it be said that the Christmas fun is confined to the littlies, the adults
too have had their share of parties over the years. There have been dances, discos and dinners
a plenty, whilst the more mature Cornerstone members always enjoy a rather
splendid lunch party. The committee
members planning the festivities in 1947 received an intriguing proposal from
Mr E Dickens and Mr F Stinton - they suggested that “we have a men’s effort
for Christmas” I vote we have one of those every Christmas! In
December 1940 the war was affecting every aspect of life. It was decided that
Committee would meet before Sunday evening service, the service itself would
be limited to one hour exactly, and the Sunday afternoon classes were to amalgamate
in order to conserve fuel. Sunday School would continue in the mornings as
usual, however, because the regular nightly air raids kept many people out of
bed for most of the night, attendance was very sparse because anxious parents
tried to ensure that their children caught up with lost sleep at weekends. By
the late 1980’s Sunday School attendance was very high and with many parents
choosing to stay rather than go home the morning service enjoyed a new lease
of life. In 1989 the Sunday school decided
to do something rather innovative with customary nativity service. They took
the service past the manger scene and bought it up to date by celebrating
with a party, in fact the service was subtitled ‘Heaven Invites You to a
Party’ and culminated with party poppers, streamers and banners. The church
was packed for the carol service and many took the joyful message of
Christmas home with them.
In
more recent years the Nativity Service has returned to traditional roots,
with the children of Little Lambs and Sunday School blessing us as they
present to us the story of Jesus’ birth.. The witness of their happiness and
wonder and genuine pleasure as they worship
and give thanks for someone who
was once just like them, reminds us that Jesus told us that it is to children
‘such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs’ May we all find the child in our
hearts this Christmas and as we celebrate our gift from God, our own share in
the kingdom of heaven. May we remember to share this gift with all those that
we meet so that we may all feel the touch of heaven on earth. Yet
more Christmastime Memories! The lead up to Christmas is a
beautiful, if somewhat demanding time at Bethel and central to our festive
celebrations are the younger members of our Bethel church family. The
importance of young people in the life of Bethel has been one of Bethels core
values almost since the chapel was founded. The minutes show that in September
1897 it was decided to open a Bible class for the young people who had
outgrown Sunday School, originally it was to run for a one month trial but
proved so successful that three months later on 26th December 1897 the class was made a permanent fixture. Under
its leader, Mr Charles Dickens, the class met on Sunday afternoons and
flourished well into the middle of the twentieth century. It seemed the only worry of the scholars in
those early days was that as they were no longer officially ‘Sunday school’ they may lose their attendance
marks and not receive the highly valued book prize at the end of the year!
Eventually it was agreed that ‘their marks for prizes would count
proportionately.’ In these days of cheap books and other media resources that
enhance our understanding of the Christina faith it is humbling to realise
just how precious the book prizes were to the recipients How blessed by
God is our beautiful chapel? When we
look at all we have now we realise how indebted we are to the vision and faith
of Bethels founders. Two years after its inception in 1888 Bethelites moved
into two houses in Pump Street which they converted into a chapel with the
agreement that if the Chapel flourished the houses would be paid for, if it
failed the owner would take back possession of the property. The agreed
purchase price was £74.00 - a leap of faith when the accounts for December
1890 show the weekly offerings averaged five shillings which, for those lucky
enough not to remember pounds shillings and pence is 25p. One interesting
expense for Dec 1890 was the purchase of bags of sawdust for the chapel
floor, this would have been used to absorb all the mud and wetness from
congregations boots. God is good and these days we praise and serve Him in a
beautifully carpeted building. Having said that, the carpet is a relatively
new innovation, first proposed to committee in December 1936 it was voted
out; the dream eventually becoming reality in January 1989 after much hard
work and fundraising the Christmas Fayre proceeds enabled us to buy the red
one that is still in situ today. Yes, the Christmas Fayre was mentioned and
yes it would not be the Bethel we know and love without this annual time of
fun laughter fellowship and aching feet.
This year it will be on 28th November so see you there.
Enjoy the games, win enough bottles of bubble bath and sauce to last
you until the next bottle tombola, then, treat yourself to a hot pork
sandwich followed by a mince pie and nice cup of tea whilst deciding what
competition to enter. Sadly we can’t
emulate the Christmas Bazaar of 1964 where bizarrely one of the competition
prizes was a nightdress! I guess you
will just have to console yourself by estimating the weight of the Christmas
cake this year. ‘The church that
plays together stays together’ is a well known saying and not to be outdone
by the children, maturer Bethelites have always enjoyed their own festive
merriment. Looking through the old
records it seemed that the most popular event was dancing the night away to
sound of a local dance band. By the nineties things had got more
adventurous with the merry band of revellers partying in Stourton, sampling
the gastronomic delights of chicken and chips whilst skittling in Kinver, or
enjoying the sophistication of Dingos wine bar in Halesowen, in fact it was
there in December 1989, twenty years ago, that a certain lady pastor who
shall remain nameless, celebrated her thirtieth birthday (can you do the
maths?).
The Children, in their opinion have
always had much more fun partying with Santa.
In 1991 he even brought a magician along complete with fluffy white
rabbit. During the war years due to
flying restrictions he was not always able to make it the parties so, in
December 1942 the children were treated to a film show entitled ‘Father
Christmas in other Lands’
apparently the children were fascinated by the contrast between their own
wartime Utility Christmas and the abundance of things the film showed Santa
taking down chimneys in other lands, all I can think is that it must have
been a pre war American film! As the advent
season draws upon us we reflect that it is a time of mixed emotions, for many
it will bring laughter, for others it will be tinged with sadness and maybe
even loneliness but the beautiful truth is that God loved each of us so much
that he risked entrusting us with his precious son so that we may say ‘Yes’ to him. A birthday worth
celebrating I think; Happy Birthday Jesus. May His Holy Spirit cover this
Earth and bless each of us who dwell upon it with a peaceful, Jesus-filled
Christmas. Winter Memories ‘A bit of snow and everything seems to grind to a
standstill’ has been a phrase oft repeated recently and I am sure
we have all been reminded by our elders ‘this is nothing compared to the
winter of 1946/1947!’ Contemporary Bethel magazine reports reflect the
severity of that winter listing some activities as having to be curtailed or
cancelled. The Bethel Choral society was one such casualty, it had been
enjoying a renaissance after the war, as the young men returning home from
the front meant that Tenors were no longer in short supply. The choirmaster
lamented the fact that they had not been able to meet for seven weeks due to
the inclement weather but he was quietly confident that the weather was about
to turn and there would soon be arias a plenty once again. The Sunday School
report for the same period records that due to good foresight and
anticipation they were able to keep a fire burning throughout the winter in
spite of the scarcity of coal whereas many other local Sunday Schools had
been forced to close. The Mothers’ class recounted that despite the
difficulties their members found in coping with post war rationing they too
were grateful that most Sundays there was a bit of coal left for a fire as
they met together to worship. There seems to be a Bethel tradition
of being at the cutting edge, maybe it is a characteristic that is inherited
when becoming adopted into God’s family. In spring 1947 and throughout the
rest of the year, Bethel life seems to have been revolutionised by the
purchase of a projector, it appears that all the groups were being treated to
a ‘talkie’. There must have been some who were grumbling that a little
too much pleasure was being had via this cine projector because the editor of
the Sunday School report for March/April 1947 is at pains to explain that it
is not Sunday School’s intention to become frivolous rather to teach these
young and precious minds with all suitable means and the ‘eyegate’ was just
one of them. Innovation was evident in Bethel’s very early years for one of
its founder members Mr Ernest Cox was involved in the Bible ‘Vanners’ They
were people who spread the good news by travelling to areas that were poorly
served by churches either due to locality or social class. The ‘Vanners’
arrived via a horse drawn van which was equipped as a Sunday School ready
that to teach any who wished to learn.
We see another example of Bethel ‘go
ahead’ in the 1934 spring issue of the magazine, it describes how attendance
at the Sunday afternoon young peoples class was greatly boosted because so many
were keen to partake of the Gramophone recital that was being offered to the
Sunday scholars. The programme was ‘Religious
works of Music and Song’ with the promise of further sessions of this
nature to follow. Talking of creative,
Bethelites had their powers of invention tested when in February 1948 God
blessed Sunday School with triplets called Maureen, Margaret and Michael.
Whilst Michael was easy to recognise it seems the two girls were posing quite
a challenge as they were almost indistinguishable except to their mother, who
took pity on the teachers and told them the secret of identifying who was
whom. The
months after Christmas can leave us feeling a bit low so it is good to have
something to look forward to. In February and March 1990 it seems there was a
determination to liven things up a bit. The first event was the Bethel family
party held in the old hut where the sight of Bethel ladies dancing an
impromptu Can Can was something not to be missed. Apparently there were many
requests for further parties but I think sadly the Bethel belles was a once
in a lifetime performance. Further excitement was to be had in March 1990
when a car treasure hunt was organised. About 50 people set off in various
directions trying to unravel clues. They all eventually made it to the finish
(some via Kuwait it seems) at the Bridgnorth Motor Museum. The winners on
mileage were declared to be Jill San Steve and Sarah. For the less energetic
and more sedate Bethelites entertainment was available in the form of the
newly opened Bethel library, offering on free loan a wide variety of
Christian books tapes and videos. A regular feature of March is the Ladies day
service always held on Mothering Sunday. We give thanks to God for the women
who gave us life and those who nurtured us, not always one and the same
person. Traditionally ladies are always presented with flowers, but in March
1991 there was a further treat in store when a bunch of dashing waiters
replete with dickey bows appeared to serve tea and cakes to the assembled
ladies. Closer inspection was followed by amazement when the waiters were
unmasked as the very men we knew and loved but who had always seemed a bit
afraid of using a kettle! God does indeed work miracles! It is good to belong to the Bethel
church family. We laugh together and cry together, care for each other in
good times as well as bad. As with all families some of us are scattered far
and wide, others have work and carers commitments or health issues which
precludes them from getting to Bethel, but nevertheless we are all children
of God and therefore part of His family and bonded by the wonderful
birthright we share as part of this family, for we share the security of
knowing that thanks to the love of our Lord and His gift of the Holy Spirit we will never
be alone again. The Credit Crunch is a
topic that one does not seem able to escape from at the moment. For those of
us of maturer years this ‘Crunch’ is not the first and probably not the last,
and hopefully we have gained enough wisdom to realise they are temporal and
transient, they are human in their manufacture and they come and they go.
Financial constraints have often been a major consideration for Bethelites
since the Chapel was founded, but, what God orders God pays for and armed
with this trust, the Bethel Society purchased their first Chapel building in
Pump Street. There being very little money for the refurbishment, it was
agreed that materials would only be ordered when there was enough cash to pay
for them. To keep costs to a minimum the majority of the conversion work was
done by members after work and at weekends. Despite their best efforts some
professional help was necessary and a local contractor Mr Samuel Brettle was
approached. The deputation from Bethel waited anxiously to hear how much
money they would have to advance to secure his services, but all Mr Brettle
required was an undertaking that the account would be paid when the bill was
presented. It would seem that this very generous soul had no intention of
charging for the goods and labour he supplied and by 1950 the records show
that the bill had still not been presented. It is heartening when so much is
swept way in order for profit to be made, that there are business people for
whom profit is not the only consideration. Looking back over the decades it seems that each
generation of Bethelites have, by the grace of God, been able hand His House
to the next generation of custodians in good order, so that the work of
Bethel Chapel, started by such faithful servants of God over 100
years ago, can continue until the Lord returns. In 1926 Britain was again
in the grip of a deep depression, but the ‘Lords Vineyard’ known as Bethel
Chapel was flourishing. The visible fruits of the labourers in the vineyard
being so many scholars in Sunday School (classes included adults as well as
children in those days) that new classrooms were needed together with a cost
effective heating system. In December 1926 a letter was sent out to potential
benefactors asking for donations and interest free loans, it was estimated
that a total of £800.00 was needed. The letter acknowledged that the timing
was not ideal but added that they believed the work of God must not stop. Despite the economic gloom of the time the
generous response to the December appeal enabled these needs to be met. Although
not immune from the vagaries of economics, Christians know the certainty that
God’s love for us can always be banked upon, and the joyous festival of Christmas
celebrates this. For Bethel the seasonal celebrations begin with the
Christmas Fair, formerly the Christmas Bazaar. The account books of the
sixties reveal that the Drapery stall was a favourite at the Bazaar, whilst a
very popular competition appears listed as ‘Chicken:’ Whatever that was I can
only leave you to imagine! The Christmas Fair in 1986 had a new and rather
lovely innovation, where the Sunday School children were all sponsored to
sing at the Fair and for the half hour between 3.30 and 4.00 everyone was
invited to join with them to sing all the well known Christmas favourites.
This year the Fair is on 29th November, and as always it is wonderful to see
old friends and new. So come along and
join the queue for Santa, hot pork sandwiches, bag a bargain or just guess Rudolph’s birthday. Whatever you choose to do we can promise a
happy, Holy Spirit filled beginning to the Advent season.. Christmas
and parties go together; and there is a lovely description of the Sunday
School party of 1936 in the teachers’ minute book. Armed with a budget of £2,
the teachers managed to cater for 150 children each of whom had two cakes
with icing and a packet of sweets with their party tea. After two hours of
fun, the happy souls departed, replete with paper hats and a small novelty
toy very kindly donated by the local co-op.
Again, we see the generosity of the local business community. In
1989 the Sunday School party went ‘on the road’ all the way to Ashend Farm in
Tamworth. The children and the grown
ups enjoyed a special time together feeding the animals and visiting a
Nativity scene in a stable complete with live donkeys!
At
the end of the visit each child met Santa who gave them all a gift to help
them remember their day. This Christmas as we open our gifts, let us remember
the most wonderful gift of all. Jesus was given to us as a perfect gift in an
imperfect world. Don’t leave the gift unwrapped, - open and reveal its treasure. The Bible is very clear about the importance of
music in the worship of God. Music has always featured prominently in worship
at Bethel. Wesley Perrins, son of one of founders of Bethel, claims the first
Bethelites originally came to faith via the Salvation Army. Attracted by the
bright banners and rousing sounds of the brass band as the Salvation Army
marched down Lye High Street these men and women stayed to listen to the
preacher and became converted. We next come to a significant musical moment
when Wesley records how the same men and women unhappy with the doctrine
being preached at the Gospel Hall they attended made the decision to leave
the said fellowship and worship together the home of Mrs and Mrs Charles
Dickens in Crabbe Street. As they left the Gospel Hall service on that
fateful Sunday evening they all stood together by the door and sang a hymn
before departing. Sadly the lady who witnessed the event is unable to recall
the hymn that gave them strength. The newly formed Bethel Society eventually purchased
premises in Pump Street where they continued to worship until the current
chapel was completed in April 1900. The Committee minutes of 1895 record the
rather lovely decision to suspend the Annual General Meeting every half hour
for prayer. Their determination to make a beautiful noise for the Lord is
also evident when one reads further on that the committee purchased from Mr
Stanton of Tipton ‘a best French H----‘ , ‘H’ standing for Harmonium.
Wesley Perrins muses that the secretary was not sure how to spell the word
and intended to check and complete it later!
The sound of the Harmonium accompanying worship in Divine Service at Bethel was reprised in 2000 at Bethel’s Centenary weekend celebration when a Moody
and Sankey themed evening service let us all indulge in those wonderful hymns
once again. Eventually Bethel set it sights upon a Reed Organ
and in true Bethel fashion a fundraising committee organised concerts, sold
scented cards and made sausage and mash suppers until in 1936 they were able
to place the order for the marvellous instrument which is as wonderful today
as ever it was.
The archives have several photos of Bethel Choirs
through the decades, including the one printed, which features a rather young
and charming Alan Dickens (prize for spotting the smile). [Can you recognise
anyone else?] Choirs have moved us every Good Friday Since the 1930’s by
singing Stainer’s Crucifixion although in recent years Olivet To Calvary has occasionally
been rendered. The Bethel Choral society has had a revival in
recent years thanks in part to the talents of Mrs Beryl Hill, a renowned
local Soprano. There were some Choral renditions in the 1990’s for
example the Palm Sunday 1991 recital of Jerusalem Joy, which included the
particularly mesmerising song “Jesus rode a Donkey into Town.’ For those not
yet acquainted with the song, tapes are available!! The newsletter of April 1991 records that
it was a busy weekend for John Woodhouse, baptised on Saturday and singing
the part of Jesus on Sunday, the church waited for his next performance with
bated breath!! As Bethel moved into the 1990’s Worship for the
Sunday School and morning church became more contemporary demanding a
different type of musical accompaniment so the Bethel Band was born. Although
originally consisting of Pastor Jill and John Woodhouse, Bethel is gifted
with a talented congregation and they were quickly joined by others. But, there was a PA system to be bought and
yes... you have guessed it, fundraising commenced. So one grey March morning in 1993 an
intrepid band of Bethelites set off on a sponsored walk to raise the said
funds. There were some amongst our brothers and sisters who chose not to
walk, but to sponsor Pastor Jill rather generous amounts of money to do one
of the things she most disliked namely, walking!! Nowadays at Bethel services we enjoy praising God with both
traditional and modern worship music. We are so very blessed with all the
wonderful people who express their faith through their musical talent and
lead us in worship every Sunday. We give thanks for the musicians who have
served Bethel down the years, for it is music which helps us respond
emotionally to God and His people, as we sing of God’s works and give Him
thanks and praise, and encourage one another to live for Him. Do you recognise this building?
Go
out of the main Bethel doors turn left down Hill Street and eventually,
across the road and to right you will see this building. It is the old Gospel
Hall and was the original place of worship for the people who went on to
found the church that meets at Bethel. It was paid for by Colonel Michael
Spratt (1825-1908), a distinguished army officer and devout Christian. Colonel Spratt advertised
his desire to work amongst the poor in a national newspaper. He was invited
to Lye in 1880 by a Mr Joseph Heathcock, who lived at Hayes House in Perrins
Lane. Colonel Spratt initially rented a disused warehouse in which to base
his mission to the people of Lye and Wollescote. His ministry offered spiritual sustenance
and practical help and the congregation quickly began to grow. Former members
of the Salvation Army joined the worshippers and the community of believers
were soon in need of larger premises. Colonel
Spratt was a comparatively wealthy man and as such was able to purchase land
in Hill Street where he built his new and spacious Gospel Hall. This generous
and faithful soul also equipped the hall then subsequently met the running
costs. At this time there was no electric lighting and the poverty in Lye
meant that very few could afford the luxury of lantern fuel for anything other than
essential tasks, so Colonel Spratt kept the Gospel Hall lit a couple of
evenings a week in order for people to study the Bible. This opportunity to
study the Bible in peace enabled some in the congregation to deepen their
understanding of the Christian faith so that they were able to identify truth
and reject false Christian doctrine False
doctrine began to infiltrate the mission in the guise of the Plymouth
Brethren. Their undue influence over Colonel Spratt coupled with some
questionable religious beliefs led to dissension among the leaders,
compelling some members to leave the Gospel Hall community and found the
Bethel Society which is now Bethel Chapel. Consequently Colonel Spratt’s
mission floundered and eventually he sold the Gospel Hall, whence it became a
clothing factory known as J Clewitts. However, despite the closure of the
Gospel Hall as place of Christian fellowship, and Colonel Spratt’s disappointment
at the failure of his mission, his generosity towards the people of Lye was
warmly remembered, the Bethel archives record that he was an honoured guest a
Bethel service in the late 1890’s. Sadly the main part of the
hall was destroyed by fire on January 5th 1910. The small Gospel Hall we see today was
the original vestry of the main building and managed to survive the fire.
Happily, after the fire the hall was reinstated as a place of Christian
worship and remained so well into the first half of the twentieth
century. In
common with many churches at the turn of 19th century
Back Row: D H Dickens, Ben Phillips, Will Share, Ben Taylor,
Will Newey Middle Row: Tom Knowles (club secretary) James Gordon, J H Dunn,
George Share, Harry Smith, Amos Perrins, Sam Barnbrookes Front Row: G H Hill, Isaiah Moss, Ted Perks, R Moss, W Partridge 1930
saw the founding of the Bethel Sports and Social Club, which proved to be a
great success. Initially, billiards was a popular winter pastime, although
the magazine regretted that as yet they had not been able to find an indoor
pursuit for the ladies!! The club boasted cricket and football teams as well
as being prominent in the local bowling and billiards leagues. In time Bethel
tennis teams played for the local
church cup as well as the ‘Presidents Cup’ for singles, this cup is often
still on view in church being used for floral displays. The On
a more sedate level the Beetle Drive held in the relative comfort of the hut
proved to be a popular draw for the unattached looking for companionship
(this information was volunteered by the late Mrs Norris) although, it was
equally popular with the attached who were looking for thrills After
the war Lye entered a period of change with young people having to move out
of the area in order to find housing, and the pitches became overgrown. I am
informed that a happy and well fed pony grazed them for a while!! House
building in the 70’s saw a new influx of young people in Lye and On
Friday 17 July 1987 the One Way Club was launched by Jacqui Shilton and The
purchase of a skittle alley in the
90’s led to many a happy Steve and all the dedicated people that help
him, make sure that all of the Jesus wants us to enjoy life in all
its fullness and to this end Bethel’s sporting tradition enables people to
enjoy the physical gifts that God has given, such as the pleasure of running,
enduring, competing and sometimes winning. The book of Hebrews assures us that this is good
training for running and winning the race of life that God asks us to
complete, for our good and for the good of all his Church. Amen. By Val Woodhouse |
