I received the following comment when I first started the Website, I have only just stated to explore the comments. Sorry for not replying sooner!
Helen (Australia) if you are out there, thank you for sharing this lovely comment. I hope you don’t mind me sharing your wonderful story. My great great uncle George has no doubt met again with your father and discussed those wonderful days, as they now enjoy the lovely presence of our Lord in heaven. I have digitally re-mastered some of the old 78’s you can log on to
http://www.elim.org.uk/Groups/121645/Hear_George_Jeffreys.aspx
To hear George Jeffreys.
I have just come across this site, and read some of it with much interest. My father was saved in a George Jeffreys meeting in Canning Town 1925. He worked on the docks, and went to the pub after work for his usual drink. However, this particular night he found he could not get his glass to his mouth! He tried, and became rather embarrassed about this, and so left and walked to the hall where these meetings were taking place. His wife had recently become a Christian and she and some friends were meeting regularly to pray for his salvation.....he had been giving her a very hard time. He slipped into the back of the hall just as George announced his text - Isa 1:18. For the first time he heard the gospel, and was miraculously saved. I always remember him saying, "at five minutes to eight, on a Friday night 1925, John Debling passed from death into life"!! he was full on for the Lord - open airs and everything else that was happening - he had a very bright personality, a gift of singing and was soon leading the worship before the main part of the service started - this was in the Royal Albert Hall at the conventions....also for other great meetings with Smith Wigglesworth, Aimee Semple McPherson and others. Sadly, his wife died in 1936, and later he felt the call of God to go to Australia, which he did in 1938. He was an evangelist for the Foursquare church here, and later pastored churches. He remarried, and I am the only child of that marriage. I loved to hear him talk of 'those early days'.....he had some old 78 Elim records, which I still have. He returned to UK in '65 and preached at many of the churches - both Elim and AOG. His church before migrating to Australia was Barking.
3 comments:
Can you please tell me if you know anything about Thomas Thomas (evangelist) who often accompanied Stephen Jeffreys. I have seen a few picutres of him with Stephen Jeffreys.
Kind Regards and Blessings
Richard Ford
Sydney Australia
In reply to your question about the evangelist Thomas Thomas. I just happened to be at the point in writting by book about Pastor Stephen Jeffreys which covers your question. I hope you find the following helpful,fresh from my unpublished book.
Stephen sailed for America and then on to New Zealand and Australia.
Large crowds thronged his meetings in America. In Springfield, where the General Offices of the American Assemblies of God are located, he was specially blessed. 3,000 were in the meetings and people started queueing at five o'clock in the morning outside the home where he was staying. In Los Angeles the crowds grew to 7,000.
Stephen arrived in Wellington, New Zealand on October 22nd with his wife and nephew Tom Thomas, his sister Ann’s son as his song leader; where, in spite of atrocious weather, the crowds gathered just as they had done everywhere else, and with meeting in the Exhibition Hall, Wellington with 1,400 attending climbing to 2,000. Other meetings were held in New Plymouth, Palmerston North and Christchurch. Then followed the Annual conference of the New Zealand Assemblies of God moving on to Auckland.
The same results of convincing conversions and amazing healings. A letter from Stephen in Redemption Tidings, February 1929, gave his own story of the healing of a Maori Chief.
'A doctor belonging to the Maori people had been attending some of the meetings, and the Chief of the tribe was poorly with cancer; so he told him that he could hold out no hope for him and advised him to try to get me. I shall never forget the welcome they gave us. I prayed for the chief and I am glad to say the Lord wonderfully touched him. He rose up, walked about and came into town.'
Stephen's restrained account was typical of the man. Fortunately, his nephew, Tom Thomas, who was with his uncle as campaign soloist, added more details:
'Pastor Stephen laid his hands on the poor emaciated body of the Maori Chief. The power of God descended in answer to his prayer and the once-dying man literally shook from head to feet. To the amazement of the tribe, he got up from his bed and walked, a thing he had not done for a considerable time. He shouted and waved his hands, saying: "I am healed." The result was electrifying. There was no need to appeal for converts. They just fell on their faces and cried to God for salvation.'
From New Zealand Stephen moved on to Australia. In the Richmond suburb of Melbourne, a newsvendor, a well-known figure on the street corners, who had been deaf and dumb since the 1914-18 war, was brought into an afternoon healing service. His friends brought him in mainly as a joke but the power of God was present in a powerful way that night and when Stephen laid his hands upon him he both spoke and heard. This once deaf mute went down the Hall waving his hands and shouting: 'Jesus has healed me!' Still shouting he ran out into the street. Stephen seeing this turned to his nephew and said “there goes my congregation!” however, It was no wonder that overflowing crowds returned and thronged the building that night.
I did not use your name to protect your personal detals being see on my website.
Thanks for your interest
Kind Regards and Blessings to you
and the familey in Australia.
Peter Simpson
Dear Richard
As an after thought, you mentioned have seen a few picutres of Thomas Thomas (evangelist) who often accompanied Stephen Jeffreys.
Would you be able to let me know if you could let me know where you saw them and the possiblity of getting a copy please.
Many thanks
Peter
Post a Comment