HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1973-06-28, Page 36When it comes to
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From the left, Bob Wiebe, Stu McLellan, Ed Skinnner, Brad Murray, Herb Henshaw, Dave Moore,
Gary Rowcliffe, Russ Brintnell and Nelson Monteith .
farmers come to us!
We carry one of the largest stocks
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SERVING THE AREA SINCE 1966
N.T. MONTEITH
"The best in service when you need it most"
- 235.2121 EXETER
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Jones are
among some of the original
members who are actively
serving in the church, Rev, and
Mrs. H. T. Kendrick are still
active and attend regularly.
There are many who have blessing and each landmark that
shared the work and fellowship of has been passed, we gratefully
this congregation. For every give God the glory.
FIRST TABERNACLE - The first Pentecostal Tabernacle in Exeter was
located at the corner of Nelson and William streets in a house original-
ly owned by Della Peart. Here some of the members of the congrega-
tion visit after church.
Streets, owned by Miss Della
Peart, became the home church
after some renovations.
During the ministry of Rev. H.
T. Kendrick, the people of the
church were encouraged to erect
a Church building on Main Street.
There was some opposition to the
project by the local people, and
the necessary legal papers were
held up for some time. Even-
tually the church was built in
1946, by the volunteer labour of
the members, spurred on by the
efforts of an energetic pastor.
Two years later disaster
• struck, and the building was
badly damaged by fire,
necessitating a major
renovation. A local building
contractor, Cliff Brintnell,
together with his helper, August
Gregus, was called upon to
complete the re-construction with
improvements. While the
rebuilding was being carried on,
the Congregation moved back to
the Old Opera House.
Thirty-five years after its
inauguration, while under the
leadership of Rev. F. Rhude, the
Exeter Pentecostal Assembly
was given the opportunity to
purchase the building recently
vacated by the congregation of
the Main Street United Church.
The new surroundings, complete
with stained glass windows,
created an improved atmosphere
for the congregation.
The scene in the upper front
window depicting the Holy Spirit,
in the form of a dove, descending
on Jesus after he was baptised by
John, and again on the day of
Pentecost when "all the people
were filled with the Holy Ghost
and began to speak with other
tongues," holds a special
meaning and appreciation to
Pentecostal people, and other
groups who uphold this ex-
perience today.
The official opening and
dedication was held in April, 1970.
Some renovation has been
completed since and the inside
has been re-decorated.
In 1972, the parsonage on Main
Street was sold and Our present
Pastor, Rev, A. Gedcke and his
family moved into the modern
residence on Pryde Blvd.
In this, Exeter's Centennial
Year, on May 6th, Rev. Gedcke,
and the congregation witnessed
the burning of the mortgage.
41)
111 *
Section 2, Page 16 THE. EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE JUNE 20, 1973
First Pentecostal event in dance hail
— DON JOLLY
It was in January 1935, that Mr,
W. R. Croson, associated with
Emanuel Temple in London,
Ontario, visited Exeter. He
rented the local dance hall,
located in the Old Opera House on
Main Street, to conduct special
meetings.
After a miraculous answer to
prayer, Mr. Croson had been
healed of a crippling gun shot
wound in his spine, received
while serving in the New Zealand
Army during World War I. This
experience gave him the in-
spiration to preach the gospel.
Subsequently, Mr, Arthur
Jones, an Exeter business man,
who was operating a machine
shop in the lower part of the Old
Opera House, contacted Mr.
Croson and offered the hall for
weekly meetings. The offer was
accepted after Mr. Jones
promised to surrender his life to
God, A lasting friendship con-
tinued between the two families,
until the death by cancer of Mr.
Croson, only a few years ago.
Interest in these meetings
continued for more than a year
and was reflected by the at-
tendance numbering as high as
250. The services were
reminiscent of the old-fashioned
revival camp meeting times.
The lively singing and
exuberance of the people
prompted some feelings of
fanaticism and the term "Holy
Roller" was a common ex-
pression. There was some op-
position in evidence and hard
feelings felt by families who lost
some of their members to the
New Movement. This revival
was accompanied by miracles of
healing and a vigorous spirit of
evangelism.
It is estimated that about one
hundred people made decisions to
commit themselves to a deeper
consecration. Around this central
core, the local Pentecostal
Church was established.
Interested people began to search
the scriptures concerning the
doctrines of being Born Again;
Water Baptism; Baptism in the
Holy Spirit; Divine Healing; The
Second Coming of Christ and the
end of the World.
The new group became af-
filiated with the Pentecostal
Assemblies of Canada in 1936,
and Mr. Thomas Edgar was the
first resident Pastor. A house on
the corner of Nelson and William
Exeter Times-Advocate, Nov. 9,
1935
Many persons were awakened
from their sleep shortly after one
o'clock Friday morning last when
the beds in which they were
sleeping trembled beneath them
and most persons wondered just
what had happened. An earth-
quake of about 15 seconds
duration visited this section.
Exeter Times-Advocate, Dec. 21,
1940
Grand Bend and the coun-
tryside for 15 miles around was
shaken by an unexplained earth
tremor about 1:30 Thursday
morning of last week when
windows and doors shook and
dishes rattled although no
damage resulted.
Exeter Times-Advocate, Feb. 2,
1918
STARTING TO SPROUT. As
evidence of the spring like
weather which this section has
been enjoying, Mr. Bert Harness
brought into the office on Monday
a small cob of pop corn which he
picked up close to his ash pile and
partly embedded in the earth.
The corn on the cob had taken
splendid root and several dozen
small shoots, many of them over
an inch long, have started to
sprout. Tulips and hyacinths in
many places have also started to
sprout,