11.0 Bierton Strict Baptists
57 Bierton S&P Baptists
I felt lead and right to leave the Pentecostal Church an attend the Bierton. I felt I could no longer in conscience stay or continue at the church even though I had affection for all the people there when there was a company of people across the road at the Beirton Strict and Particular Baptist Church. They held to and professed the very gospel I had received. From that time I commenced to attend as a member of the congregation at this cause of truth
I started to go the Bierton church just before Mr. Hill preached that anniversary year on the Wednesday night prayer meeting and sat at the back of the chapel. At that time I had no idea of the manor of church government nor any of any other ministers engaged to preach on a Lords Day or weeknight service.
The folk at Bierton used Denham’s collection of hymns and the substance of these hymns were very pleasing to me. Even the singing pace was different to all the other churches I had attended being that much slower.
Miss Bertha Ellis would play the foot-peddled organ and the hymnbook used was Denham’s Collection 18 or 19 century. The hymn singing was about half the speed of the hymns sung at other churches and the words of the hymns were wonderful and glorifying to God. The stile of meeting was generally Hymn, reading from the scripture ( Authorised version King James) , Hymn, Prayer, hymn, Sermon, finally hymn and then a closing prayer.
A short while after I began to attend on a regular basis I was asked by Mr. King if I would engage in prayed when asked too. It was the custom for men to pray the women would keep silent.
I did engage in prayer and after the meeting Mr. King asked me kindly to pray in future in reverent language and address God in terms of thee and thou rather then you and your because it could offend people. That was there custom.
I went away feeling offended thinking all kinds of thoughts. I was upset thinking what difference does the language make etc. but I bowed to their request and adopted their form of speak in order not to offend. I find it difficult to day to break from that habit of using thee and thou. i.e. reverent language when addressing God.
58 Kk Gets Sent To Prison
During this time I continued my hobby of car repairs and spraying and one evening KK confessed to a scheme he had devised. It was to launch a bogus Insurance company. He showed me all the printing and cover note books with his own name as the insurance underwriter.
I warned him in no uncertain term he would end up in prison if he went ahead with his plans.
I wasn’t long before he was caught. He was sentence to 4 years prison and spent his time at Ley Hill Prison.
During this time Mrs. Knight had the responsibility of bringing up her 14-year-old on Mark and I was around to help. I spoke to Mark about the Lord Jesus and he became a Christian during a holiday with some friends.
His mother Grace depended on me for lifts and is was soon muted that it did not seem right that I a single man should be taking around a married women. This upset Grace and I found it all a bit difficult because she did seem to look to me for every thing during in Ken’s time in prison.
At this time I was working for Granada TV Rentals and within a few months had been promoted to Workshop manager. I thoroughly enjoyed the job but I found I spent more and more time thinking about work than any thing else. I was taken up with work.
The things of God paled. I went to the Church meetings but I could not shut off from work.
I soon realised I was not a good manager and found myself doing all the work. I worked long hours and my days off. Although I got the job done and we were the best branch in the district it was at my expense.
After several month of this intense work I began to find I could not cope with the stress the job demanded and went though horrifying bouts of agony and fear of not being able to cope. I began to think I was experiencing flash backs from the bad trip on LSD. This time how ever it was in the cold light of day with no LSD etc. I was so ill I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me thinking this would remove me from all the pain I was doing through.
I cried out to God in all this but the heavens seemed to be as brass.
One afternoon on the garage roof at Mount Street I cracked up and realised I could not cope any more. I couldn’t make decisions I could not think straight every problem was too much to face.
I ended up resigning from the manager’s job and becoming a normal technician. This ended in me feeling a failure and depression set in which lasted about 3 years. It was during this time I learned that the Chistian life can be very painful which caused me to seek deliverance and rely totally on the God of all grace.
I found the hymns and preaching at the Bierton Strict Baptist Church very helpful.
I gradually came out of this depression when I met my wife to be and went to Wolverhampton Polytechnic to train to be a teacher.
Not all the preaching was good at Bierton some times I would groan and suffer 45 minute of difficult things to listen too. These preachers would not us notes and speak as they felt lead too.
Miss Bertha Ellis informed me the church was formed in 1831 and opened by the son of John Warberton and she had the minutes of the meeting and the deed of trust upon which the church was formed.
After my warm reception I was looking forward to hear Mr. Hill of Luton preach at the anniversary service.
It was good to hear Mr. Hill preached and he invited me to his home in Luton together with Mr. Alan Benning.
59 I Join The Church
After a shortly while I wrote to the church expressing my wish to join as I believed I had that responsibility having experience the new birth and being baptised. I reason I ought to support the cause of Christ at Bierton.
I was received into church membership a the Bierton Strict and Particular Baptist Church on 8 th January 1976.
A problem arose because in the article of faith given to me there were two, which I could not subscribe too. How ever these articles of faith were not what was contained in the trust deeds of 1831. I was allowed to join upon my acceptance of the original article off faith and not the spurious ones. There was in fact no record of how these other articles of faith came to be in use.
The articles I found unacceptable were:
Article XII We believe that Christ has set apart a day of rest, to be kept holy, and for his honour and glory, which is the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, Mark 2 27. Acts 16 13. Hebrew 4 9.
I did not believe that was true or that these scripture taught that.
Article XVI We believe all infants who die in their infancy go to heaven by virtue of the death of Christ. Matth/ 19 13 ,14&15.
Again I could not say I believe this. I grant if they do go to heaven then is must be by virtue of the death of Jesus. These scriptures quoted do not teach this view.
I was however receive into membership after giving a clear and detailed account of the Lords dealings with me.
60 Angels Come To Help
( or so I thought)
I had bought a terraced house at Canal Side Aylesbury before I got married and I had renovated it. I had borrowed £3000 from Barclays’ bank and was paying this back over a period of 3 years.
In September 1976 I left Aylesbury I went to Wolverhampton Polytechnic (formerly Wolverhampton Technical Teacher Training College) to train as a teacher. I rented out three rooms with shared amenities. I had a room reserved for myself downstairs.
My mother looked after all the bills and collected rent. Whilst I was at Wolverhampton the boy friend of the lady who lived as a tenant asked if he too could rent a room. This seem OK so I let a room to him. They soon got married and I saw no real problem. They then asked if they could have just the one double room. I explained that I needed to rent all the rooms but they could have the double room for an appropriate rent. I also said they could use my room down stairs when I wasn’t there.
I thought things were OK but I had a problem three years later (October 1980) when I wanted to sell the house. I knew nothing about the law and the Land Lord and Tenant Act. I soon found a buyer for the house and made an offer to buy a house from Mr. X in Great Lane, Bierton .
The couple decided to claim they had right of occupation, which prevented me from selling the house. I went through all kinds of indignant feelings and was angry with them. They knew I had rented the rooms to them on condition if I wanted to return they would have to leave. They called in the Rent Officer and the officials coming in reducing the rent I was charging them . In the end I decided I would have to take them to court to get them to leave.
I had to say to Mr. X I could not proceed with the purchase and he was very upset as it messed all their plans up and cost him extra money because of the housing chain, which had been broken. He even asked me to meet the extra costs he had incurred. He felt I was morally obliged to pay towards the costs (£1000) due to us not being able to proceed with the purchase. I felt upset by this too.
I felt God was on the side of the Righteous and if I were to present my case to the court I would get an order to get these people to leave.
I knew nothing about then law and did could not afford a Solicitor so I did it my self. I believed I could do all things through God who strengthened me.
The Judged asked me what the case was all about. I proceeded to read my script but he soon stopped me. He said you cannot do that and without explaining why asked the defendants solicitor to state the case.
Apparently you have to present things in a certain order and way and it must conform to a certain protocol . I knew nothing about protocol or the law all I knew was I had been wronged and I was looking for Justice.
The judge said I ought to seek legal help . My case was dismissed much to my dismay and my mother stopped up and protested in the courtroom. I got up and left saying no more. Needless to say I was dismayed and dumbfounded. Where was God where was justice. I realised then the law of out land has nothing to do with morality or right and wrong but was pedantic was according to strict rules. This was not justice. I looked to God for help. I believe God would appear for my help.
60 What Was All That About ?
When I returned the next day to Canal Side to sort things out in the house the man , he was a big Irish man, said what was all that about last night ? I did not know what he was talking about. I said what do you men ? He said, “ two men had came around with lumps of wood last night and said they wanted them out”. I was amassed as I knew nothing about it. I said I didn’t know anything about it and he should go to the police.
I thought that these must be angles sent from God to warn them not to trifle with me. I felt comforted that this was the case. I began to believe it. That things were going to be OK.
In the end I had to employ a Barrister to represent me and many months later the couple agreed to buy the house from me at a market rent. It cost me at least £800 in legal fees.
It was a number of years later that my brother confessed to me that he together with another friend of mine had been those Angels.
61 Prevented From Buying A House
As I have already mentioned we had to pull out of buying his bungalow but he was upset by the fact we did not proceed with the purchase. This was his letter to me, which caused me concern.
Aylesbury
Bucks
HP21 7J
17 th November 1980
As you can see after you had withdrawn from the sale of xx Great Lane we were put in a very difficult position, because as you remember we had been given until the end of December to complete the purchase of this property. This proved to be quite impossible, and although the builders have been very helpful, they had to increase the price to us by £1500.
We had not bargained for this when we got our mortgage, and together with extra Solicitors fees that were involved, found us at the end of the sale needing to borrow the extra money. This of course must be paid back in the near future and we felt that as this was not our fault really, that you might feel you could help us with a £1000 of it. We did give you the preference over the cash buyer we had because we wanted to help friends at Beirton Chapel.
If we could have managed in any other way without writing to you, believe me we would have done so.
Trusting that Irene and the children are well.
May God bless you all,
Yours Sincerely,
J&J
My Reply Mr. Mrs. J&J
The Ceders
Moat Street
Wigston Magna
Leicestershire.
Dear Mr. xx
Re Your letter dated 17 th November 1980
I am pleased for you that at last you have moved to your new home but am sorry that the move proved more expensive than you anticipated.
Your request came as a surprise and has caused my conscience much exercise over the morality of the issue ; since it would appear you feel Irene and I are obligated to repay some of you losses. However after careful reasoning we do not share the same view and do not accept the obligation. Not only so Irene and I are unable to do so as we are in financial difficulties our selves.
I would like to add that had we felt obliged then by the grace of God we would have offered payment for your loss. This did occur in my last transaction when trying to sell Canal Side. I presumed to give the intended purchaser vacant possession within a month of the exchange of contract but I was unable to do so since my tenants refused to leave. In this case I felt obliged to him and offered to pay the expenses of my intended purchaser because he had proceeded to purchase on that basis.
When we spoke to you we did not keep you in the dark over our circumstances and did keep you informed and our arrangements were subject to contract, which at that time had not been drawn up nor signed at the time of our withdrawal.
I do apologise over the matter for it seems God in His providence intervened having His own reasons and although at the present time we cannot see why He may be pleased to show us one day.
Yours with Christian regards,
David Clarke.
Dealings like this always leave a bad taste in the mouth but I had to leave it in Gods hands. This shows that Christians are not immune from the normal trials of life and that this chain in buying and selling has a knock on effect. Mr. Groom felt I had let him down so I should compensate him. I too had been let down by the tenants.
62 A Call to Preach the Gospel
I believe God puts the desire to preach and speak His Word into the hearts of they whom he calls. This desire was place in my heart the day Jesus called me to hear him and believe in him. My desire to help others turn from the way that leads to hell and to Christ himself for salvation, was acknowledge by Jesus the night I got saved. His reply to me , when I asked what about the others, was all I could do was tell them. What better way than to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ to men.
I had spoken on a number of times at Bierton Church during the week night prayer meeting from the table not the pulpit. Gradually however I felt more and more uncomfortable when sitting in the pew just listening to sermons. Particularly when things were not very well expressed and some times serious errors were being spoken. It grieved me to listen to the ignorant talk off the religious whose eye were blinded to the truth of God and who sought to bind burdens on peoples backs. This issue over the hat and lady visitor was an example. Not that I am against a head covering for a women but what had happened to this lady visitor was wrong. More light was needed. I had also been shocked by the reluctance of the Bierton church to use the chapel to conduct a meeting informing people of the error of the Papal system of Rome and how we might act righteously in the present day since the Pope was to visit Britain that year.
I saw the Pope on the TV screen when at Wembley Stadium and the whole crowd, thousands of them, was singing praise to the Pope. They were singing, “He’s got the Whole world in his hand’. And the Pope received that praise. I saw it and heard it with my own eyes and ears. This man is an Anti Christ. I felt I must speak out other wise the stones would do.
When I first became a Christian I did not believe in Bible Colleges. thinking I do not want men to teach me, I wanted God to teach me. From what little I had seen of vicars and so called trained men I felt Bible Colleges were of no use because these people are not even born again.
So I dismissed the idea of Bible college for me never the less I wanted to learn all about God and speak his word in clarity and truth. This desire turned me to read about the lives of men of God. I went from reading the Beano and Dandy comics and James Bond book to the Bible and then on to the writings of John Bunyan, Dr. John Gill, John Owen a Calvin in a matter of two or three years. The word list I had from reading these books (words I needed to learn) were several sides of A4 paper. I learned to read.
I was encourage by my wife to be to go to a Technical Training College to learn how to teach people in electronics. I took one year out from work and studied at Wolverhampton Polytechnic and finally graduated with a teaching Certificate in Education.
This was the year 1977.
Photo 20 David (bottom centre right) at Wolverhampton Polytechnic
I had another agenda believing I could learn from secular professional teachers how to teach. I would then be able to take the substance of what God was showing me and then present it to men in a way they could understand. This was my desire. I took my first teaching post at Luton College of Higher Education commencing teaching in 1978.
It was during this time at Luton College and at Bierton Church I felt it right to make known my desire to the church as I believe I was being called of God to preach the word of Jesus Christ.
Mr. Hill of Luton and minister of the Gospel and Mr. Hope of Reading, minister of the Gospel invited me to share with them my calling. They concluded my leading was right. It was put to the church that I should preach and exercise any gift I had. This was duly done and a few people came from Oxford and Eaton Bray church to hear the word of God spoken.
It was agreed without question I should preach as the Lord opened up the way and from that day letters came from different churches asking me to preach at various Strict Baptist Chapels throughout the country. This was my being sent out to preach with the blessing of the church.
In a very short period of time I was engaged to preach at the following Strict Baptist Chapel throughout the country:
In fact I was so overwhelmed with being asked to preach at so many places, I could have been preaching three times on a Sunday every week of the year and during the week on week night services. This was on top of my fill time work, which involved teaching two nights a week at Luton College as well as continuing my studies with the Open University.
I was so concerned to put God first and to fulfil my calling that when my twins, David and Eleanor were born on 29 th October 1983 and were due to come home. I postponed bringing my wife and them home from hospital in order not to cancel a preaching engagement I had made in the fear of God.
Various people this day tell me I was wrong I should have put my wife first. What do you think ?
63 Hats For Ladies
We eventually was able to by a property in Bierton it was detached bungalow just down the road from the Bierton Strict Baptist Chapel. I felt really blessed of God to own it and being so near to our chapel.
Trouble was on its way in the form of religious oppression. On Sunday morning in 1983 I took to church a friend of mine’s daughter. This was the daughter of Dick Holmes who I use to work with as an aerial rigger. She had been through a divorce and was having a difficult time. I suggested she came with me to church as she needed help from God.
She was dressed in tight black slacks and a short top, which showed all her figure. She had long peroxide blond hair and her face was made up. This mode of dress was a striking contrast to the elderly ladies who dressed very modestly with very little make up and all ware hats to cover their heads in church.
Unfortunately this was too much for Mrs. Veered who came up to me after the service (I call it a meeting because the meetings of the New Testament churches were not called services) and she said to me the next time I bring a female to chapel I should ask her to wear a hat.
Mrs. Veered said that all Gospel Standard Churches insisted women cover their heads and so should we.
I responded that by saying , “ what ever others do that was their concern they were wrong if they enforced the covering of the head upon a none church member and women visitor having no profession of the Christian faith.”
I said she must raise this issue at our church meeting.
I was naturally taken back by this spirit of legalism. Here was a young women in sever distress needing the mercy and love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ and all Mrs. E seemed to be concerned with was the wearing of a Hat.
I knew the principle of a believing women dressing modestly and being in subjection to her own husband and covering her head in worship. I also knew the principle of the women not exercising authority over the man or teaching a man but this action of Mrs E to use the phrase, “took the biscuit”.
I was a man and was being instructed by a women , Mrs E , to order or insist a visiting unbelieving female wear a hat . In order to uphold the principle that it was a shame for a women to worship God without a head covering.
This covering according to the scripture was to show the angels she was in subjection to the man and not usurping authority over him.
Mrs. E missed the whole point of the gospel and in her religious zeal to maintaining an outward form of religion transgressed the rule she sought to maintain.
This religious spirit was not of God and I believed the gospel needed to be preached to set me free from such darkness. But who would do this ?
64 A Spanking From The Pulpit
( Isaac deserved it)
I was very conscious of the instruction that I was responsible to God for the discipline of my children. An knew the scriptures which speak of spoiling children through lack of discipline. And the exhortation that if I spare the rod or correction I would spoil the child (Prov. 13. 24) . The other scripture, which spoke to me, was that of how a good father ought to “ Rule his house well, his children being obedient and subject to him “. That if I did not know how to rule my own house how should I be able to take care of the church of God ( 1 Tim 3. 5 - 12. I believed the scripture spoke clearly about corporal punishment and it was a must. ( Prov 29. 15 and Prov 23. 13).
The first occasion I felt the need to exercise corporal punishment was on Isaac when he was very small. As I write this now I smile and I am sure he would do too. I think he needs corporal punishment now at the age of 20 years old.
Isaac had done some thing, which warranted correction, and I felt this occasion I would us the rod of correction. I was a small thin garden cane, a green one. I made him stand away from me and I said it hurt me more than it would hurt him, to have to correct him like this . He was about 4 years old. I smacked his bottom with the can and he jumped and couldn’t say a word for a few moments. Then he burst into tears saying, “ daddy that stings”. From that day forward that cane was called the “stinging stick”. That was not the last time the stinging stick was used.
On another occasion I was preaching in Bierton Chapel and Isaac and Esther were sitting with there mum on the back row of the chapel. During the sermon Isaac was playing his mum up and he would not sit still and kept messing about . His behaviour was unacceptable. I was gradually becoming cross with him until I felt I must do some thing about it .
I stopped speaking and said to the congregation “ excuse me” and climbed down the pulpit steps and went to the back of the chapel. I picked Isaac up and took him out side the chapel and informed him I was displeased with his behaviour and gave his three shanks on the bottom. With this he burst into tears and when he stopped I took him back in the chapel and placed him besides his mum. I then went back into the pulpit and apologised for the interruption and proceeded with the sermon as though nothing had happened.
I heard afterwards the spanking was heard through out the chapel and a couple of the ladies were horrified at what I had done but they said nothing to me. I felt I had done the right thing using the rod of correction the drive foolishness from the child ( prove. 22. 15).
65 Corporal Punishment
Hatred stirs up strife’s but love covereth all sins. (Prov. 10. 12)
Prov 10 13 A rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding
Prov 13 24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
Prov 19 18 Chasten thy son whilst there is hope spare not for his crying.
Prov 19 29 Judgements are prepared for scorns and strips for the back of fools.
Prov 19 30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil : so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.
Prov 22 15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of the child but the rod of correction will drive it far from him
Prov 23 With hold not correction from the child : for If 13 - 14 thou beatest him with the rod he shall not die.
Prov 29 15 The rod and reproof give wisdom : but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to sham.
Answer: Yes.
66 The Papal Visit 1982
This year Pope John Paul 11 was due to visit Britain. This was to be the first time in 400 years.
Very few people saw the significance of this and I felt the need to inform people about such an event.
I wrote to the Bierton Church, which meet on the 16 th January 1982 ( This was 14 years to the day of my conversion) asking if we could invite a member of The British Council of Protestant Christian Churches, Using the Bierton Chapel to meet and to teach clear biblical principles as to how we could act responsibly and maintain a Godly witness in the present time. I suggested it would be helpful to many churches in the area.
Mrs. E. expressed the Bierton Chapel was not the place to hold such a meeting but some other place like the village hall. Mr. King said they had roman catholic friends and would not wish to offend them !
From this time I realised the church at Bierton no longed love the true and I would see the hand of God out against her.
I remembered “They that honour me I will honour”.
I held the meeting in my house and invited several people from different churches and Rev Gorden Ferguson came and preached for us.
After that time I was very much alert to the activity of the Church of Rome and the trend for the Anglican Church to move closer to Rome. About one year after this time I read an article in a magazine called “Contact”, by Rev D.B. an Anglican Vicar at Walton Street Church of England. I was move to write to him.
67 Wadesdon Hill Strict Baptists
In 1983 a Mr. Rose of Luton, a former trustee of the Wadesdon Hill Strict Baptist Chapel wrote to me whilst I was living at Bierton. Asking if we at Bierton Strict and Particular Baptist Church would wish to hold evangelistic meetings at the Waddesdon Strict Baptist Chapel during the time when Billy Graham was preaching in England and Mission England was going on. He suggested I wrote to the new Trustees who were now the Metropolitan Association of Strict Baptist Churches.
The Waddesdon Hill chapel was a very quaint chapel out on its own along the village road in Waddesdon. It had closed down due to too few people attending. Each year since 1976 I had attended an anniversary service there conducted by a Mr. Collier, minister of Linslaid Strict Baptist church then and Mr. Hill of the Luton Strict Baptist church.
Photo 21 Waddesden Hill Strict Baptist Chapel
Our church at Bierton would not be interested in Billy Graham or want anything to do with Mission England, so I wrote to the Trustees explaining what had happened and asked if I and few others could use the chapel during this period to preach the gospel. I explained this was Mr. Roses request and I was very willing to be involved. I explained we had a few Christian friends who would wish to be involved including the church at Eaton Bray.
68 Letter to Mr Knight
(Chairman of the trust)
Dear Mr. K
27/4/84
With reference to our telephone conversation of Tuesday I write on behalf of a number of people with a request to hold public meetings for t