: The Elland & Ryburn Circuit 

The Story of Bethesda

FOREWORD

As modest as this little booklet is I cannot claim that it is "all my own work". The material has been contributed by so many members and friends of Bethesda that it would not be possible to mention them all in the short paragraph usually allotted to acknowledgment. They have my sincere thanks for their assistance. Mention ought to be made, however, of courteous help received from Mr. Heyward and members of the staff of the Halifax "Courier and Guardian" in giving access to their files, and Messrs. N. Ashworth & Sons, Ltd., for practical suggestions with regard to printing.

It might be added that extreme care has been taken to verify the facts of the story by document. For any unwitting error the author makes his apologies.

Bethesda Manse, 1950.

GEORGE EMERSON

CHAPTER I

There are a great many Methodist Chapels such as Bethesda, and it is often imagined that the multiplicity of them is, to say the least, unfortunate. Such judgment, however, is usually passed in ignorance of the historical situation in which they were built and of the motives of the people who built them.

At the close of the Eighteenth Century, England was convulsed by three great Revolution - the French Revolution, the American War of Independence, and the Industrial Revolution. Had it not been for the moral strength that emanated from numerous little chapels like Bethesda the country could hardly have survived. At the time the Established Church was 'apathetic, sceptical, lifeless', quite incapable of adjusting itself to the rapid changes that were taking place; the majority of dissenting Nonconformists were preoccupied with doctrinal hairsplitting; but Whitfield and the Wesleys had brought religion to the common people in a clear and convincing manner. The result was that in a population grown accustomed to tyranny, poverty, ignorance and inaction, there appeared such unusual qualities of mind and character that the nation was carried through one of the most disturbing periods of its history with its great traditions more or less intact.

Bethesda was but a small and indirect product of the Evangelical Revival; nevertheless, its origin is traced back to a time when, at the close of Wesley's life, many important changes were taking place in Methodism and its true genius being fully realised for the first time. It is, therefore, not without significance. The founders of the chapel broke away from the Wesleyan body of Methodism because they felt their religious freedom and inalienable dignity as the children of God were being threatened by the despotic attitude of some of the ministers. They were not the only ones to assert their independence. The group that Bethesda joined called itself the Methodist New Connexion. Other groups were formed later, the Society of Protestant Christians (Primitive Methodists or Ranters), and the Society of Bible Christians.

Lamentation and scorn have been voiced over these divisions, but in point of fact they were inevitable. It was simply a matter of old ecclesiastical bottles being unable to hold the new wine of democratic religion. There was no apostacy from Christian faith. In the doctrines they believed and the message they preached all the sects were agreed. It was only the Wesleyan form of church government that offended. When the assumption of ministerial superiority was relinquished the reasons for division disappeared and the sects united again, but without the protest and schism this more mature Methodism may never have developed.

Thus, Bethesda played a part in the fight for democracy in religion. It could have done no other, for its character derived not from an external authority but from the spiritual experience of the ordinary men and women in its congregation - grocers, drapers, housewives, stonemasons, carpenters, weavers, spinners, cardmakers and chimneysweeps. Although notable personalities did arise within its fellowship from time to time, it was never dominated by one individual or narrowed by a single point of view. From the human point of view, it was always 'of the people, for the people, and by the people'.

CHAPTER II

The story of Bethesda cannot be understood properly without recalling the time when the Evangelical Revival was making its first impact upon the life of the West Riding.

Elland, at that time, was 'a quaint little village' out in the country. The four main thoroughfares were surrounded by fields, and the few side-streets and lanes that existed were rough and broken. At one end of the village was the village pound, at the other the Parish Church, with one or two tiny shops between. One of the shops stood out from the others, brandishing the three brass balls. The inhabitants were very poor, but most of them hard-working and thrifty; they were very proud when the pawnshop had to close for lack of business. Industrial life as we know it today was hardly imagined. Many of the cottagers made their own cloth, winding the yarn downstairs and weaving on a hand loom by the large window of a bedroom upstairs. Some of them sold home-made bread, thincakes, and parkin. Apart from public houses, facilities for social life outside the family were practically non-existent. Draw-wells, from which came the only supply of water, and 'common mangles', where the weekly wash could be 'mangled' for a copper or two, were the main places for the exchange of news and gossip by the women.

In this primitive setting and among these hardy, resourceful people Methodism had ideal material for developing its new and vigorous form of religion. Social and spiritual needs were crying out to be met and imagination was waiting to be stimulated.

The centre of Methodist influence in this area was Birstall, in the house of John Nelson. He was a stonemason, converted during a visit to London by John Wesley. People walked many a mile to attend his preaching service at five o'clock on a Sunday morning. There is little doubt that some must have gone from Elland, for as early as 1760 a Society of Methodists had been formed in the village, and was being visited by John Nelson. He preached at The Cross close by the Parish Church, and in the house of Matthew Moorhouse.

In response to an invitation from John Nelson, Wesley came to the district. In his Journal for August 9, 1762, Wesley wrote, "I preached at Elland and Birstall on my way to Leeds." He says nothing about the reception he got at Elland, but from his silence on the matter we can assume that there were no serious deviations from Methodist policy in the Society. Members went regularly to the Parish Church for Holy Communion, and had all their children baptised there. There was no evidence of a desire for independence.

Many of the early Methodists suffered considerable persecution from their local vicar, but in the West Riding they were more fortunate. Rev. Grimshaw, of Haworth, for instance, was an intimate friend of Wesley, and but for his earlier death would probably have succeeded him as the leader of Methodism. Both Dr. Leigh, Vicar of Halifax, and Rev. Venn, of Huddersfield, invited Wesley to preach in their churches.

Rev. Venn was a remarkable man. It is recorded that when he went to Huddersfield in 1759 the moral and religious tone of the whole town was changed by his influence. He preached in Elland Parish Church, and must have been popular among the Methodists. One man, a local grocer named John Iredale, was very much impressed by Venn's preaching. He became very concerned about religion, eventually joining himself to the Methodists. His religious experience flourished, but his business had a set-back, albeit providential. Apparently his customers had the habit of leaving their baskets on his doorstep each Sunday and calling for their groceries on the way back from Church. When he became a Methodist this was no longer permissible. Many of his customers left him, and he had to remove to Jagger Green. Later he settled at Exley, where he was extremely hospitable to the Methodist preachers, opening his house to them for meetings, meals, or lodging. The origin of Bethesda can be traced back to this simple act of charity.

When John Wesley died on March 2, 1791, Methodists everywhere went into mourning, but after a while, as the hypnotic spell of his forceful personality evaporated, and the problem of the relationship between the Societies and the Church of England became an urgent matter of connexional policy, people began to discriminate between his religious genius and his autocratic method of government. Less and less could Methodists say, as did John Nelson, "My heart is knit to him as the heart of one man."

In 1795 a popular but radical minister called Alexander Kilham wrote a provocative pamphlet entitled, "Progress of Liberty." It urged Methodist Societies to rebel against the small cliche of ministerial overlords and assert their right to participate in the management of the Connexion. He was expelled by the Wesleyans the following year, but 1797 found him preaching in Halifax. Rev. W. Thom, the Superintendent Minister of the Halifax Circuit, was persuaded to join him, and together with one or two members of the local Society they took a small room "immediately behind the Buck Inn," calling themselves the Methodist New Connexion. The principles they adopted were, first, the right of Methodists to have the sacraments administered in their own places of worship and by their own ministers, second, the right to hold services at the same time as the Church of England, and third, the right of laymen to participate in all the governing councils of the Connexion.

Whilst he was in the district, Kilham spent a night at Exley. There was a meeting of local Methodists in Iredale's house, and, as J. U. Walker says in his "History of Wesleyan Methodism in Halifax and District", many were shaken in their convictions. There must have been some of the Elland Wesleyans among them, for J. U. Walker speaks of them as being the leaders of a New Connexion uprising in the locality. He says, "The stronghold of the party seems to have been in Elland, where they took a chapel and drew together a tolerable congregation."

The chapel he mentions was a small building in Jepson Lane, used previously by the Baptists. Unfortunately, when the New Connexion Methodists took possession a strong wind blew the chimney down and damaged the roof beyond their means to repair. But they were not to be daunted. Enthusiasm for a democratic society of Christians had taken possession of them. They continued to meet in houses, one time at Storth in the Ainleys, later at the top of New Street, then lower down in a larger room on the opposite side, and finally in a room over the draw-well that stood about half-way down the street.

The new Society was incorporated into a Leeds Circuit which covered most of the West Riding and a part of Lancashire. Kilham's associate, Rev. W. Thom, was minister for the first year, followed in 1798 by Rev. G. Hendley. In 1799 Salem Chapel was built in Halifax, Rev. W. Brown being appointed resident minister at a salary of £48 a year, and having among his many charges the little Society at Elland. This arrangement continued until 1805, when the Leeds Circuit was divided into a number of smaller circuits. Salem was placed at the head of one of these, and the minister, Rev. W. Haslam, had to cover an area extending from Todmorden, Colne, and Keighley to Elland, Bradshaw, and Brighouse. The following year Queensbury, Ambler Thorn, and Dewsbury were added to this circuit, and with them an additional minister.

Whilst there was only one minister in charge of such a widespread circuit it was impossible for him to visit all the Societies very frequently. The plan was to hold services at Halifax on the Sunday, to set off on horse-back to the Societies in one half of the circuit during the week, and to return to Halifax for a prayer meeting on the Saturday, repeating the same process in the other half of the Society the following week. Consequently, most of affairs of a Society like Bethesda had to be managed by the members themselves. Often they could only work by trial and error. No doubt they made many mistakes and created for themselves unnecessary difficulties, but under the guidance of God's Spirit a real sense of Christian fellowship grew up spontaneously among them.

Although at first their numbers must have been very small, their confidence of being on the right track held them together. They struggled against poverty and misfortune, yet over a period of the first twenty years they multiplied the size of the congregation six times over. Rev. W. J. Townsend, quoting from old Circuit Records at the laying of Memorial Stones for the present building in 1879, said, "In 1805 the members paid 8/- as their quarterly contribution to Circuit expenditure. In 1806 they paid 10/-, and in another six months £1. They contributed £1-5-0 in 1815, and in 1817 £1-15-0. For a little while they were only paying £1 again, but in 1825, a year after the first Bethesda Chape1 had been built, they were paying £2-8-0." Some idea of their numbers may be gathered from these figures as the rate of subscription was reckoned at 1/- per member each year in 1830.

Very little is known about the members themselves. though it is recorded that their representative to the Circuit Meeting in 1815 was Thomas Roberts, and in 1816 Benjamin Ainley. Representatives in succeeding years were John Joseph Calverley, Joseph Crowther, William Scholefield, Joseph Farrar, William Carter, George Mitchell, John Roberts, Jeremiah Stott, Thomas Slater, Garside Mallinson, William Swindel, William Lord and Richard Marsden. As some of these names are also found on the first Trust Deed they provide a valuable link between the premises and the early cause in which they were built.

CHAPTER III

The idea of building a Chapel must have been under consideration for quite a while before the decision was actually made. England had been exhausted in the defeat of Napoleon, people everywhere were feeling the harsh pinch of poverty. There were only three mills in Elland, but they had been brought practically to a standstill by a glut of unsaleable goods in the world market. Those skilled workers who could get work were paid only a few shillings a week, and the price of bread had been made scandalously high by the imposition of Corn Laws. There was no spare money about.

But in common with most Free Churches at that time the New Connexion Methodists in Elland had vision and a vigorous faith. The Wesleyans, who had a chapel in Dog Lane, were making plans to build a School by its side; the Congregationalists built in 1822; the Baptists, who had left Elland to join the Blackley cause with their pastor, were helping to extend premises there; and the founders of Bethesda were no whit behind the other denominations in their desire to make adequate provisions for their work and witness in the Kingdom of God.

It was whilst Rev. W. Styan was Superintendent Minister that with the aid of a few circuit friends in Halifax a body of Trustees was formed. and a site obtained in Town Field Lane (Victoria Road). The land was purchased from a Mr. John Pitchforth on 3rd July, 1824, for £135. There were twenty-six members of the Trust, some of whom, being unable to write, had to sign the Deed with their mark.

The Trust of 1824

John Horner (Artist) ....................................	Halifax
Telemachus Gledhill (Grocer) ........................	Northowram
George Beaumont (Draper) ...........................	Halifax
Nathaniel Tillotson (Weaver) ........................	Northowram
Daniel Bairstow (Draper) .............................	Northowram
Jeremiah Swift (Shoemaker) .........................	Northowram
John Styring (Grocer) .................................	Halifax
William Gath (Shopkeeper) ...........................	Halifax
Joshua Gregson (Woolcomber)........................	Halifax
John Pearson (Wiredrawer) ...........................	Northowram
John Hoadley (Wood turner) .........................	Halifax
Owen Fielding (Cardmaker) ...........................	Norland
George Roberts (Woollen Spinner) .................	Elland
Joseph Farrar (Cardmaker) ...........................	Elland
Joseph Dearden (Bookkeeper)........................	Elland
Benjamin Ainley (Clothier) ...........................	Elland
Jeremiah Stott (Stone Mason)........................	Elland
Joseph Halliday (Cardmaker) .........................	Elland
Cornelius Peel (Shoemaker) ...........................	Elland
John Pilling (Woollen Spinner)........................	Elland
Benjamin Kay (Clothier) ..............................	Elland
George Pilling (Woollen Spinner) ..................	Elland
Lawrence Wood (Woollen Spinner) ...............	Elland
Thomas Slater (Woollen Spinner) ..................	Elland
James Crossland (Coalminer) ........................	Elland
Jeremiah Kendall (Cardmaker) ........................	Elland

The building was “rather barn-like in construction” with accommodation for a congregation of not more than two hundred and fifty. Though named Bethesda, it was most widely known as “Top 0' th' Street” or “Top 0' th' Lane”. Nothing derogatory was implied in nickname. It is a typical West Riding custom to rename buildings in this homely fashion. A local school, for instance, properly named Grace Ramsden's School, was called “Back 0' th' Church School” and its pupils “Back 0' th' Church Dumplings”. All the same the name Bethesda was apt, for the Chapel proved to be a veritable “House of Mercy” to those who worshipped within its plain walls.

After twelve years the cause had sufficiently prospered for certain additions to be made to the premises. A minister's vestry was built, an orchestra erected for the choir, and the first organ was installed by Nicholson of Bradford. In 1846, however, a major disaster threatened the place. It was said that one of the Trustees, having left Elland and joined himself to the Established Church in Halifax, had found the number of Trustees very much reduced and in financial difficulties; calling them together he had secured from a quorum of nine a decision to sell the chapel. It is a fact that a meeting was called. There is a copy of the original notice still extant in the minister's vestry. Dated January 25, 1846, it reads, “A meeting of the Trustees of Elland Chapel will be held at the house of Wm. Gath, Temperance Coffee House, North Bridge, Halifax, on Thursday 29th instant at 7 p.m. to consider the embarrassed state of Trust affairs, and to make an order for the sale of the Chapel, agreeable to the provisions of the Trust Deed.” At the bottom there is a hand-written note to the effect that the notice was to be given out at the Morning and Afternoon Services. However, a subscription list, headed by John Styring and Nathaniel Tillotson, raised sufficient money to save the situation. For a while it had been touch and go with Bethesda. But in 1856 a new Trust was formed, more land purchased, and the Deed remodelled on the conditions set out by Rev. W. Ford, Secretary of the Methodist New Connexion Conference, and used in the purchase of other chapels in the locality.

In the same year the Halifax Circuit was divided, and Elland became part of the Hanover Circuit, which included Hanover (Halifax), Bethel (Brighouse), Elland, Soyland, Boulderclough and Lightazles. Two ministers were appointed Rev. T. G. Robey and Rev. S. Meldrum.

In 1863 Bethesda had its first resident minister. He was Rev. T. Addyman, and lived in one of the two cottages which had been built on either side of the Chapel, the other being occupied by the caretaker (see illustrations 1 and 2). Mr. Addyman's successor, Rev. B. Child, saw the front of the Chapel extended and beautified at the cost of £1,000 in 1865.

When Rev. J. Gibson came in the following year the first Sunday School was built. Up to this time the scholars had been accommodated in the Chapel, during the alterations of which they had been evacuated to Marsden's Mill. The new School was a much grander building than the first Chapel had been. It was comprised of a School Hall and two class-rooms at the rear.

Six years later, during the ministry of Rev. B. B. Turnock, M.A., a minister's house was built. It was known first as Bethesda Villa, and later as Bethesda Manse. The cost was £550.

There was every reason for these periodic extensions. Over the years Elland had grown considerably. By the Sixties plans were being discussed for the development of Jepson Lane and Town Field Lane, renamed Victoria Road. A housing estate was rising up behind the Chapel, streets eventually called John St., Bedford St., Ainley St. and Granville St.

As the population grew the number of scholars at Bethesda rose from 200 in 1850 to nearly 400 in 1874. Some of them were taught to read and write and to do arithmetic. At Salem the charge for this extra teaching was twopence a week. It is most likely that the fee at Bethesda was the same.

An interesting guide to the life of the Society during this period can be gathered from the “Accompt Book” for 1843.

To-	£	s	d		By-	£	s	d
Quarterly Collection	0	7	10		Balance ...	0	0	11	½
Lovefeast Collection	0	4	1		3 lb. Candles. . . . . .	0	1	7	½
J. Pilling's Class ...	0	2	6		Lovefeast Bread. . .	0	1	3
C. Peel's Class ...	0	1	0		Chapel Cleaning ...	0	4	4
W. Swindel's Class ..	0	1	0		Quarterage ... ...	1	8	0
J. Stott's Class ...	0	5	4		Arrears ... ... ...	0	10	0
Tea Meeting ... ...	0	4	0		Class Money laid down for those who do not meet and have not paid it and so returned to the Steward ..
Bethesda Class. . .	1	1	3
Balance Due. . . . . .	0	1	8			0	2	6
	£2	8	8			£2	8	8

In an expenditure that was not very large the main item was the quarterly contribution to the Circuit, and following that the cleaning of the Chapel. An important expense was the purchase of candles. It was quite a while before oil lamps were installed. The chandeliers of candles, which had to be snuffed during the service, served to occupy the minds of restless children as they watched the caretaker perform his duties, but many a Sunday dress must have been spoiled by tallow droppings from above.

The Class Meetings were the backbone of Methodism in its formative period. They usually met once a week for prayer, Bible study, and the exchange of experience, under the direction of a leader. He would collect from the members their monthly contribution towards the Funds. There were no collections at the regular preaching services, and when the quarterly payments to the circuit were due the leaders would often have to make up the necessary amount with a loan from their own pockets. In 1865 Bethesda had fifty-eight members and four class-leaders.

The lovefeasts were meetings of the whole congregation. The ritual was very simple. In reminiscence of Christ's words recorded in Matthew X, 42, large cups of water were passed round, followed by trays of buns or bread. Then, interspersed with lusty hymn-singing, there were short addresses from various members of the congregation, often quite extempore. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, the lovefeast fell into disuse, though some of the large loving cups are still preserved in the minister's vestry.

Sunday School Anniversaries were big events, combining an effort to balance accounts with great celebrations of preaching and singing. In the days before the School was properly equipped enthusiastic teachers like “old Dan Crowther” would drag a stage up the lane from Eastwood's Mill, with some of the lads out of his class pushing behind. Came the day of the Charity, as it was mostly called, and they would all be up on the stage, white pinafores on and clogs shining to befit the occasion. The chapel would be packed tight with an excited congregation. Enthusiasm for Anniversaries still rises in the heart of Bethesda people year by year, though nowadays there is nothing underneath the gallery steps to quench the thirst of bandsmen, as there used to be.

Tea meetings were another happy combination of money-raising and fellowship. It has often been said that the people of Bethesda ate themselves out of debt. Be that as it may, there was never a shortage of ladies to be responsible for providing a table of fare, or “giving a tray”. One of the most notable in early times was Mary Cookson, who would have folks almost fighting to get to her table, because “she always had a good brown bottle in store, with a little rum in it.” A year after the Sunday School had been opened a young man called Charles Leach joined the Society. He came from Halifax, where his mother had died in his infancy. He had been a strange youth, often having what he called “ angel visits” from his departed mother. On one occasion he had been very much impressed by hearing a one-armed evangelist called Fletcher in the Halifax Public Hall. Coming to Elland he had looked for a chapel. He was made welcome at Bethesda. “It was in the old Chapel,” he said, “where I first saw the face of Jesus Christ and where I resolved to try to follow Him.” He was made a member of William Swindel's Class, becoming an ardent worker in the Society. By rising at four o'clock every morning, and studying until he opened his little shop at eight, he gained admission to Ranmoor Training College, securing the degree of Doctor of Divinity and later becoming a notable religious leader in Birmingham and London. But he never forgot Elland. In a mood of reminiscence and gratitude he wrote a novel about his early experiences which he called “ Bethesda Chapel” His body was buried in the Graveyard.

Another great man connected with Bethesda was William Booth. Although most people know he founded the Salvation Army whilst working as a free-lance evangelist in the London slums, there are not so many who realise where he received his early training. It was as a minister of the Methodist New Connexion. In 1857 he had been appointed to Halifax Hanover Circuit. He must have preached in Elland many times. It is not at all unlikely that the first ideas about his later work had run through his mind as he worshipped in the old Bethesda Chapel.

There were many a score of much less notable people who found their inspiration for life in the fellowship of Bethesda. Their way of life was no doubt humble, but their understanding of it as they saw the Kingdom of God growing in their midst was full of true dignity and glory.

CHAPTER IV

A new Bethesda Trust was formed in 1877, and when it met for the first time on 18th December there was a debt of £1,200. Cash assets amounted to only £291 7s. 5d., of which £109 2s. 6d. had been raised by the Ladies' Sewing Meeting. In spite of these heavy responsibilities the trustees determined to have a special meeting in the following month to discuss the possibilities of expansion. At that meeting it was agreed “to have a new Chapel at a cost of not more than £3,000” and “to obtain plans and prices for raising the school and adding to it a lecture room.”

In a letter appealing for the financial support of their friends, Rev. C. Bamford, Joseph Littlewood, and John F. Farrar explained that the need for new accommodation had arisen from the increased number of families already in membership and the growing population around them. They believed themselves actuated simply by the desire for the good of their fellowmen and the promotion of the glory of God.

The work on the School was placed in the hands of Mr. J. Bedford, of Elland, and the unusual nature of the extensions drew spectators from far and wide. The roof of the old school was not pulled off, but raised with jacks, and the additional storey was built course by course beneath it, this in an effort to keep expense down to an absolute minimum. The lower school was divided into class rooms, and the upper School into an assembly hall. A lecture room was added to the ground floor and an Infant School built above it. The total cost of enlargement was £1,800. A medallion likeness of Robert Raikes was cut over the front window for the sum of eighteen shillings.

Mr. Hill, of Leeds, was appointed architect for the new Chapel. Owing to the graveyard which lay behind the old building - not because of any Church of England leanings on the part of the trustees - he found it necessary for the principal front to be to the west, facing the new school, with a chapel yard between. The great window over the entrance was to have four lights, the middle lights being lower than the rest, and the tracery to be mainly circular with a conspicuous quatrefoil ornament in the centre. A gallery was to extend round three sides, in addition to a gallery at the east end for the choir and organ, where the gable was to include an oriel window. Under the orchestra was to be a place for the heating apparatus, the choir and minister's vestries, and a house for the chapel keeper. The seating capacity was to be for 750, and the lighting by gas.

On March 28th, 1878. Thomas Fielding, Joseph Shaw, the Misses Eccles and Mrs. Holroyd, who occupied the cottages, were given notice to quit, and the work of dismantling began at the beginning of the following year. It proved a very dangerous job. On Tuesday, 11th February, Ely Crossland, Thomas Hawkyard and Ephraim Crossland were taking off the roof. The gable consisted of four heavy principals, two of which had been taken down, and taking down the third they caused it to slip. A large ventilator was thrown on to the beam, which broke in the middle dragging down the next principal with it. The men slid down the timbers to the gallery, and were thrown into the chapel bottom. Gallery timbers split like matchwood. All the men were badly injured. Two other men, Thomas Dean and Joseph Bailey, had a narrow escape, having just left the place where the timbers fell.

The site was cleared by May 3rd and on that day six stones were laid to commemorate the event of re-building. The sun was shining, a lovely day for a very enthusiastic gathering. A procession led by Elland Brass Band paraded through the town. It consisted of church officials, ministers, teachers and scholars. When they reached the site, Rev. C. Bamford announced the hymn, “Great is the Lord our God”, and the ceremony began. The stones were laid by J. J. Fox of Batley, John Mackerill, for E. Sugden of Halifax, E. C. Lumby of Halifax, J. Milner of Halifax, Joseph Farrar of Elland, and Joseph Littlewood of Elland. Each gave a donation to the funds, which for the whole day amounted to £245. There were a number of speeches, one being given by Rev. J. Ogden, President of the Methodist New Connexion Conference.

The first Sunday Services in the new building were held on Sunday, March 14th, 1880, a Sacramental Service being conducted in the afternoon by Rev. C. Bamford, resident minister, and Rev. J. le Huray of Leeds, and Rev. W. J. Townsend of Stockport, who were the visiting preachers for the Morning and Evening Services. Celebrations continued until Easter Monday, March 29th, when there was a Tea followed by a Public Meeting in the evening. The total cost of rebuilding the Chapel had been £3,700. The trustees met every week to consider various ways of raising money, but the main thing in the minds of the congregation was that more beautiful and more spacious premises than their fathers had ever dreamed of were open and ready to be used for the extension of God's Kingdom in Elland.

In January, 1881, Rev. J. Q. Bawden, Superintendent Minister of the Circuit, suggested that the method of receiving the collection should be changed. Up to that time there had only been a box at the door. His idea was that collecting boxes should be taken round the pews to every member of the congregation. “By this means”, he said, “other Societies have secured a considerable increase in the amount contributed”. A great discussion followed, but finally the new method was adopted unanimously.

In 1882 Rev. J. Young was appointed resident minister, and one of the things he discovered was that the annual income was not enough to cover expenses and the interest on the debt. Sunday School Anniversary Services only brought a collection of £50, so he organised an effort to raise it to £100. He specially chose the collectors, young men in the morning, young women in the afternoon, and in the evening each collector had to contribute gold himself. Great tribute has been paid to his faith and enthusiasm which seemed to put new heart into the congregation when things to many seemed quite hopeless. Many changes were taking place as a result of the new premises. The choir, for instance, was reorganised, and a list of regulations drawn up for the benefit of its members. A footnote read, “If any member should so far forget himself as to be guilty of drunkenness or immorality he shall at once be dismissed from the choir.” What a delightful way of putting it, “If any member should so far forget himself ...”! But not only were they to keep their souls clean, the pew cushions had to be kept clean as well, and members were asked not to come to practise in their working clothes.

These were superficial changes, perhaps. But changes were taking place at a deeper level. The love-feast and the regular class meeting had fallen into disuse; the Mutual Improvement Society, which during an earlier period had been a valuable means of self-education, had its last meeting in 1884, although fitful attempts were made to revive it afterwards, The Temperance Movement, represented by the Band of Hope, was indeed gathering strength at Bethesda, but its aims were soon to be taken over by a new organisation with a much wider range of activities.

All the same, there was still an evangelical fervour in the hearts of the people, for in the same year as the Mutual Improvement Society closed down Dan Crowther was holding open-air meetings at The Cross. And then, in 1890, Rev. J. M. Birks suggested the Christian Endeavour. The Movement, which had originated in America in 1881, was spreading rapidly in England and was admirably suited to the temperament of the people at Bethesda. A number of sub-committees were drawn up for Prayer, Temperance, Music, Social, and other activities. The main purpose was to deepen the spiritual life of the Society, especially among the younger members, but it was so organised that everyone was given some practical work to do. In this manner it acted as a training ground for Church leaders over a period of forty years.

There must have been a quickening of interest, because in October, 1899, it was decided to visit the whole town from door to door, inviting the population to worship. Elland was divided into seven districts, two leaders covering a district together. The number of members had been decreasing annually for five years, but immediately following this visitation scheme there began a wave of increase that lasted until 1907.

The debt in 1893 was £4,305, but year by year it was being reduced. Annual Sales of Work were usually held during Easter Week, but in 1900 it was decided to change the date to October. The result was very encouraging, £157 12s. 4d. was raised, and it was decided to have a larger effort about the same time the following year. It was held in the Town Hall, the object being to raise £1000. Actually, £1,203 5s. 2d. was realised. The debt was thus reduced to £1,175. A Centenary Bazaar, held in 1912, brought in the last £360, and the resident minister, Rev. M. Hodsman wrote at the bottom of the audited accounts,

“All debt vanquished, Rejoice, and again I say, Rejoice.”

Letters which were received at these Bazaars and Re-unions from past scholars showed how widespread had been the influence of Bethesda Chapel. They came from America, Canada, Africa, India, Australia, as well as from all over the Home Country. Rev. W. T. Haddy, a former minister, wrote in 1912 from Hartlepool, “Bethesda has had a long and honourable record, and has done more for the enrichment of manhood and womanhood than will ever be known among men. By her spiritual influence she ‘has belted the globe’.” What greater testimony could be given of any Society?

CHAPTER V

The effect of the Great War 1914-18 and of the World War 1939-45 upon religion has been variously estimated, though in relation to Bethesda the influence of the two events is quite clear. Bethesda had been through times of war before. Indeed, as we have observed, the Society was started in the atmosphere of European conflict. But up to 1914 the people of Bethesda had looked upon the soldier as a professional man and somewhat of a stranger to their way of life. That attitude was radically changed by the Great War. Members of the congregation and old scholars of the Sunday School were volunteers. Bethesda was invaded by the meaning of military service.

Some of the men gave their lives, and Bethesda was the poorer for that loss, but the spiritual atmosphere was enriched by their sacrifice. A memorial, presenting the photographs of the thirteen men who were killed in action and one hundred and one others who served, was erected in the School. Two alabaster memorials were placed inside the Chapel.

Yet, in spite of the War, there was a rising tide of membership and activity from 1911 to 1934 when a record membership of 191 was reached. During the actual war years the membership was increased by 24. Much of the success must be put down to the devoted labours of such ministers as Rev. M. Hodsman (1908-12), Rev. W. T. Nicholson (1913-19), Rev. C. Whiteley (1920-22), Rev. E. Cook (1923-27), Rev. G. A. Ives (1928-31), and Rev. J. Mayne (1932-36).

The year before Rev. M. Hodsman arrived a Young Men's Institute had been opened. For a number of years it was a useful meeting place for the older and younger generations. In 1911 Mr. Hodsman started the first Women's Own in Elland. He had great hopes for its usefulness in the life of the Society, but he could not have anticipated what long and developing ministry it was to have.

As evidence of the strong links that were forged at this time between the people and the Chapel, one young man when joining up and being asked if his religion was C.E., meaning Church of England, replied “Yes”, thinking that the sergeant referred to the Christian Endeavour back home. Such men took Bethesda with them to the War, and in the spiritual sense they were never away from the place.

It was a different story with the World War of 1939-45. A decline in membership started in 1939 and continued until 1949, reaching the low ebb of 128. A number of factors may have been responsible for the difference. In the mid-war years smaller families became the fashion. There was a nation-wide indifference towards religion. Perhaps there was a delayed reaction from the suffering and disillusionment experienced in 1914-18 to a more indulgent and superficial way of living. There can be no doubt, however, that the greatest blow as far as Bethesda was concerned came in 1939 when the School premises were commandeered by the military authorities. For ten years the children had to meet in the Chapel and in what had originally been the caretaker's house beneath the Chapel. Since the middle of the previous century the School had been the centre of the Church's activity, its means of social intercourse, and the long arm of its evangelism; so that, military occupation was bound to have a serious effect. At times the few workers who remained may well have given up to what seemed impossible circumstances, but under the leadership of their ministers, Rev. I. Brayton (1937-43), and Rev. J. M. Yellowley, B.A. {1944-46), they persevered as the people of Bethesda have always done.

After the War came a host of troubles. First, the old organ breathed its last expiring breath. There was no prospect of increased income, but the trustees decided to have the instrument rebuilt by the Sweetland Organ Company of Bath. The console had been placed originally in the choir gallery. Now it was brought forward into the body of the Chapel, being' elevated on a five-foot dais behind the pulpit. The two front pews in the centre were removed and the pulpit brought forward to make room. The work, completed in 1947, cost £1,320, but fortunately the loyal members of a family that had been connected with the place from the beginning came forward with great generosity and offered to meet the cost in memory of their parents.

Then, although the School premises had been released by the military authorities in 1945, they were in no condition to be used, nor did it ever look as if they would ever be used again. The trustees put in a claim to the War Department for damages, but it was not until March 3rd, 1948, after an appeal had been made to the local M.P., that the final amount of £1,224 16s. Od., was agreed upon. A scheme for renovation was immediately drawn up, and after some delay in securing the necessary licence, it was put into effect. The small classrooms downstairs and lecture-room had already been enlarged and renovated by one or two of the trustees themselves. The kitchen was re-equipped, a side porch built, and the upper School completely redecorated.

At this juncture the contractors were asked to investigate dampness round the front porch and bay window of the Manse. In their investigations they discovered that there were insufficient foundations. The minister and his family were evacuated until the whole front of the house had been pulled down and re-built. Work on the inside brought expenditure on the Manse up to £1,718 14s. 11d.

In addition the exterior of the Chapel had deteriorated very badly and had to be overhauled to prevent the weather penetrating the fabric and completely ruining the interior. The electrical system was dangerously old and had to be replaced.

There was no small celebration on Saturday, April 9th, 1949, when the Sunday School was reopened. Mr. James Sykes of Barkisland, Chairman for the occasion, estimated that the debit balance in the Trust Account as a result of work done on the School, Chapel and Graveyard would be in the region of £1,500 and announced that he would regard it as a privilege to accept the amount as his personal responsibility. His wife had already offered to pay for the restoration of the Manse. This was a great relief to the people of Bethesda, who without expecting any such good fortune had launched upon the schemes in faith. Each section of the Church rallied to the call for a special effort, accepting their share of the burden because they believed Bethesda still to have a spiritual purpose in the community of Elland and the Kingdom of God.

CHAPTER VI

And what of the future? It is a brave person who ventures to predict events in the world, particularly in connection with the Christian Church. But the question is not without point. Here is a small group of hardworking and believing members of the Christian Church, their premises restored, freed from any burden of debt, and with a great tradition of fellowship and service behind them. What can they expect of the future?

It appears that Bethesda has gone the full circle of its democratic witness within Methodism. It began as a protest against the tyranny of certain Wesleyan ministers. That fight has been fought and won. In the Methodist Conference of today, there is equal representation of ministers and laymen. Bethesda has a well-earned place in a reconstituted and re-united Methodism. In the two outstanding moves towards this re-union the people of Bethesda were quite clear in their attitude. When in 1907 three of the sects came together it is recorded that the leaders of Bethesda “having considered the printed copy of the proposals on Methodist Union, instructed their delegates to the Quarterly Meeting to vote in favour of the same”. Then in 1932 when the remaining sects were united in the one Methodist Church, Bethesda sent keen representatives to an Elland Methodist Council to implement the new union among Chapels in the district. On April 22nd, 1934, it was “most heartily and unanimously resolved” to join the Elland St. Paul's Circuit along with Soyland, Boulderclough, and Lightazles. The union was made in the hope of “bringing glory to the Kingdom of God”, and was ratified at the Conference of that year.

Though the fight for democracy within Methodism appears to have been won, the work of Bethesda must not come to an end. A larger Methodism requires more than ever that the voice of the democratic watchdog be heard in the local churches, It would be a very sad affair if after achieving democratic unity they succumbed to a new tyranny of bureaucrats. If the spirit of the fathers is to be found in their children this will not happen. The old spirit must be kept alive within the new body.

But there is a wider work awaiting the people of Bethesda - a work for which some of them may well be fitted by their native qualities. New and Wonderful things are taking place in the Christian Church. Those amongst its members who can bend their minds and adapt their habits to the demands of an atomic age without losing their hold upon the fundamental truth of God's mercy and man's inalienable dignity in His sight, may render conspicuous service to their generation. We can make guesses at the details of the age to come, but they remain guesses. One thing remains certain, however, be the future bright or dark, the small groups of Christians who possess a practical experience of God will face any contingency without fear and in the conviction that they are being used by him in His providential will. God has never yet failed to use a company of people who have waited upon him in humility and obedience.

Tradition has it that there was a pool in Jerusalem where all the poor, stricken folk of the city would meet. Once in a while the waters would be stirred by the breath of God's Spirit, and whoever stepped into the pool immediately afterwards would be made vigorous and strong again. It was only one place of healing among many in the Holy Land, but it had the reputation of much success. So the people continued to come, hoping, believing, and looking to God for mercy. And the name of the pool was Bethesda.

Last modified: March 5th 2004
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