Benhar Evangelical Church
Come home to Benhar - a place to belong!
Our Church History: Part One.
This history is part taken from the faith mission magazine of the time and from other sources.
Does anybody have a photograph of the Old Tin Hall? if so then please let us know so that we may put a copy of it on our site. please use contact page or which ever suits. Thank you.
100 YEARS OF PRAYER
The Faith Mission was founded in 1886 for the promotion of spiritual life and godliness through the evangelising of the country districts of Scotland. One of the first areas of work was in Harthill - East and West Benhar in particular. Early records of Bright Words indicate a 2 months mission was held in West Benhar in May - June 1890 when many were saved and were vibrant in the joy of the Lord. A prayer union was established at that time with 80 members. During the 1890!s many of the members were scattered and the Faith Mission conducted a further nine week mission in 1899 and the prayer union was re-started with over 30 members.
In 1901 a hall was erected in West Benhar. It was a corrugated iron clad sectional building affectionately known as the 'Tin Hall'. It was dedicated as an evangelistic mission hall used exclusively for Christian work. In 1922 the Faith Mission held a mission in the West Benhar Hall when the Holy Spirit came down in revival power. There was such a consciousness of sin that miners were afraid to go down into the coal pit without getting right with God. As the mission progressed people came from the surrounding district and went home singing and rejoicing in their new found saviour. God saved people in this revival who later became spiritual leaders for the Lord -notably Mr & Mrs D Weir, Mr George Drysdale, and Mr Tom Paterson.
In 1929 West Benhar miners row was raised to the ground and the Hall was moved with the villagers into Eastfield where the work in the Hall continued until 1972 when new premises were opened to God's glory. The weekly prayer meeting continues to this day having now been in continuous existence for 100 years. The members of the present prayer group are looking to God for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the salvation of many precious souls.
03.11.99
West Benhar 1922
Part two
The following notes have been taken from the Faith Missions past writings, and gathered from paperwork from Benhar members.
1922: In the coal mining village of West Benhar, a significant awakening began, occasioned by a visit from Faith Mission Pilgrims. One who attended the meetings was schoolgirl Margaret (Pearl) Weir, whose father, Quentin Moore, had been converted through the Faith Mission (back in 1903). Many decades later, pearl recalled.
I was the eldest of seven children. In 1922 when I was 13 years of age, the F.M. sent two lady Pilgrims to the village. Miss Woods was the senior Pilgrim. She came from Aberdeen. Miss Bruce, who was second in command, was a beautiful singer. Unfortunately, Cars were few and far between in those days but my dad had a car and he brought the Pilgrims each night to the meetings. Miss Woods was the only Pilgrim I ever saw sitting to preach the gospel, but preach she did, and I remember her saying,” You and your namby pamby religion! You need to be born again!”
Men and women and young people were born again, night after night. Sometimes there were as many people outside the hall as inside.
Pearl became involved in the West Benhar Prayer Union, which began as a result of the revival, and she and her husband were founder members of the Benhar Evangelical Church, which sprang up in the area. As a result of her involvement in these organizations, and her warm and caring personality, Pearl came to be regarded as a ‘spiritual mother’ to many in the community.
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PROMOTING THE WAY OF SALVATION |
Office Address:
Covenanter Road
Eastfield
Harthill
North Lanarkshire