In the period of the interregnum of 1938, the Deacons needed to consider
what type of man they needed. The meeting of the 31st January, summarised
these qualities; "That he be evangelical, preferably under 50, & one
who would get about among the people".
Bertram Carpenter was considered, a student of Spurgeon's College. He had
made a good impression, when he "preached with a view". The contract offered
was for three years at an annual stipend of £200.
Unusually for the Deacons' minutes copies of the correspondence are preserved; |
22.3.38
Dear Mr Carpenter,
We have much pleasure in informing you that
after due deliberation & prayer, the Church last evening passed the following
resolution, Viz, "That Mr B. H. Carpenter be given a definite call to the
Pastorate of the Eynsford Baptist Church for a period of three years, to
be renewed if mutually agreeable.
This resolution was supported by a strong
recommendation from the Diaconate who are unanimous in their desire that
you accept the Pastorate of our Church.
The stipend would be £200 per annum; with
the use of the Manse, rent & rates free. In hope and prayers, trusting
to receive a favourable reply, and that you may bring to this Church a ministry
which may be richly blessed in bringing many souls into the kingdom of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and in establishing and strengthening our Church in the
faith.
On behalf of the Church
We are, yours in the Master's Service. |
Not many days had past, and only four days later the affirming reply was
received. |
24th Mar 38.
Dear Brethren,
It was very encouraging to receive your letter
of invitation to the Pastorate of the Eynsford Baptist Church. Although I
know you were holding a business meeting which was concerned with settlement,
I must confess that I was rather surprised to receive the Call. Consequently
you have caught me in a very uncertain frame of mind, and since I received
your letter I have been very uneasy.
You, as a Church, have tried to discover the mind of Christ; It is now for
me also to find God's will. There can be no use in my coming to you unless
I am convinced that God has planned this for us. If there is that conviction,
we as a people will have no need to fear.
This is a tremendous decision which I am now called upon to make, for it
may influence many lives.
I would therefore ask you to join with me in seeking the guidance of God
through prayer. I believe that already he is guiding, and I am becoming
continually easier in mind, but I would ask you to be patient with me a little
longer that I may be convinced.
This is of vital importance to yourselves as well as to myself should I accept
the Call, and I believe you will readily agree with me. At the same time
it is not fair that you should be kept waiting long, so that I promise you
a definite answer not later than March 31st, one week from today.
I would like to take this opportunity of expressing my great appreciation
of the kindness shown to me during my visits, I feel that already I have
made many friends, so that I can truthfully say that I feel really at home
with you.
Praying that God will continue to guide us, and that He may in his own good
time make clear the path before us, and with heartiest Christian greetings
to you all,
Yours very sincerely,
Bertram H Carpenter. |
|
A meeting was held with the Pastor elect on the 7th April 1938, when Bertram
announced that in August, just before he takes up post, he would be married,
to his future wife at present living in Glasgow.
The close of the minutes reflected the joy of that meeting "After a very
happy meeting Mr Carpenter closed with prayers"!
The minutes of 11th October 1938, reveal an unusual problem for the period.
The Secretary raised the question regarding a car park for the Church. It
is recorded "Messrs Gibson's yard was being used unofficially, also this
was at times inadequate".
It was thus proposed that the Village Hall be approached to enquire whether
their car park could be used, and at what cost. By January 1939, a reply
had been received, that a fee of 2/- (two shillings - 10p) a week was required.
This was considered excessive, and the matter dropped. |
28th March 1938.
Dear Brethren,
The invitation to the Pastorate of Eynsford
Baptist Church has been much on my mind since I last wrote to you. I am very
glad now that I did not hurry my decision for God can always be relied upon
to give us light if we trust Him. Consequently now I am convinced that God
has called me to work with you. The least I can do is to obey that Call;
but let me hasten to add that I do so with great joy.
I would like you to know, too, that I do not accept the call because I believe
the work is easy. On the contrary, I am fully aware of the big task which
awaits me. Indeed, it was largely the task which made me hesitate in the
first case to accept your invitation, for I felt I was not gifted enough
to succeed.
But I know now that with help and guidance of God, and your support in prayer
and work, God's cause will not fail.
Meanwhile, I would earnestly invite you all to join with me in supplication
before God that He will prepare us all to work together in unity that His
name may be glorified and Christ's Kingdom extended among the people of
Eynsford,
With warmest greetings to you all,
Yours in his Service,
Bertram H. Carpenter. |
|
The problem was unusual for the day, as it was not until the late 1950s that
cars became common place and afforded by those of reasonable income! Perhaps
the Village Hall, considered that a Church with members rich enough to afford
cars, was rich enough to pay the 2/- per week!
The garden at the Priory Hill Manse was very large. In July 1939, the young
Pastor, asked the Deacons for assistance with the garden, which was beyond
him. The Deacons agreed to help.
The War featured in the minutes of the 2nd October meeting, with seeking
to obtain the cost of "blacking out" the Church. Also, the difference in
years between the young and inexperienced Pastor, and his Deacons of a more
senior age, began to reveal itself, when the Pastor asked if he could commence
a series of meetings "for the discussion of Pacifist views", and was warned
by the Deacons "that it would be very unwise to hold a meeting of that kind
under the present circumstances", and it was therefore agreed to shelve the
matter "for the time being".
The Pastor, at the same meeting sought to deal with failing institutions
of the Church and proposed that the Christian Endeavour Meetings be replaced
by an all age Bible Study. The Deacon who was the Secretary of the Christian
Endeavour Meetings strongly opposed such a move, and saved the ailing
institution.
In the meeting of February 1940, it was revealed that the 'honeymoon period'
of the Pastor's ministry was well and truly at an end, with the Deacons
criticising his ministry; asking "Whether he considered he was giving
enough time to the work of the Church and to visitation". The Pastor
answered that he was, and that he reminded the Deacons that he "had a
considerable amount of study to do for the Baptist Union". The keeping
of the old was not restricted to the Christian Endeavour Meetings, as the
dumping of rubbish at the back of the Church was a regular practice, and
in May 1940, the Rural District Council had written to the Church to ask
them to remove it.
The criticism over visiting was misplaced. Bertram records in a letter sent
to the Church only recently; 7th February 2006; "I did the best I could
with visitation. I had to walk everywhere. Sometimes 12 miles there and back
as I had no bicycle on £200 per annum I could not afford to buy one.
On one occasion I missed a meeting of local Baptist Churches to the annoyance
of a wealthy Church member. She said I was paid to go. She was one of those
with a car but failed to offer a 'lift' - I would have had to walk 14 miles
across country".
A meeting was held by the Deacons 19th August 1940, to discuss the Pastor's
future, and to considered "as two years of the three years for which he was
invited, had expired" whether he was to be offered a further period. A meeting
was to be held, with ballot papers issued. However by 31st December, it was
reported in the minutes that Mr Carpenter had "received a call to another
sphere"! The note that Bertram had "received a call to another
sphere" was a simply an euphemism to cover that shoddy way in which the Church
had sacked him. The Church did not allow Bertram to continue his full three
years. On returning from a holiday, he found a letter waiting on the doormat,
which according to Bertram's notes, informed him that "a Church Meeting
had been held to consider the Pastorate - so therefore your ministry will
end Sept 1940". Bertram notes; "Of course the basic hostility was
that I was a pacifist and the sooner I was 'out' the better. People like
Dr. Soper (of Kingsway Hall and a leading Pacifist) was not thrown out -
nor Rev Cripps - also a Pacifist and Area Superintendent of the West Midlands
Baptist was also spared - and many others. Probably age was on their side."
Great optimism greeted the beginning of Bertram Carpenter's ministry with
a genuine reliance upon the guiding of God. That early ministry certainly
would have been a learning curve for the Pastor, but it had become clear,
that with his authority being seriously eroded by the Deacons, his time had
drawn to an end. He could no longer be effective in those circumstances.
Perhaps the recipe of a young and inexperienced Pastor, and elderly Deacons,
who had firm and perhaps unreasonable opinions of what was expected of their
Pastor had proved a poor combination. The sadness was that the Church had
failed a servant of God, and appears to have failed to follow scriptural
guidance.
Hebrews 13.
7. Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider
the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith.
17. Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over
your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully,
and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Redemption is the gracious act of God in Christ, and such action can be mirrored
by the faithful. Some 66 years later, in March 2006, the Pastor of the Eynsford
Baptist Church, along with the Elders, appointed
Bertram as an honorary Pastor, a position
he happily accepted.
 |
Eynsford Christian Fellowship
(Baptist)
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