Untitled - Memorial University of Newfoundland

245
Harold J. s nelgr ove (1898-1980) , a Newfoundlander preaching in
the state s . Accepting the i nvitation, he as s umed h i s new
charge in Novell'lber 1934 . Unde r his leadership, Bethesda's
members decided to erect a new c hu r ch buUd inl]. The plan was
f irst disc us s ed with Gar rigus, who indi c ated that s he would
a b i de b y t h e decision, provided it had the s up po r t of tw o­
thirds of t h e assembly . Between 75 a nd 8 0 percent of t he
membe r s favoured t he plan, a nd a buildinq was completed i n
19 3 6 . Th e Pe nte c ostal Ta be r nacle, loca ted on Ca sey s t reet ,
was opened on zre nuary 14, 1937 . Garr i gus he r s e l f wa s the
guest speaker. The New Gower Street Bethesda building was
immediat e ly vacated. Shortly after , ho we ve r , Garr i gus ha d a
change of he a r t and started meeti ngs i n her a pa r t me nt ,
a ppealing f or the doors of o ld Bethe s d a t o be re-opened. She
sugge s t e d that 20 percent of t h e Ta be r nacl e ' s c ongregat ion
would f oll ow he r. Her idea received the immediate a nd ha r sh
c ondemna tion of t he Tabernacle a nd , in t he midst of acrimoni-
ous words, r e sult ed in two separate Pente costal assemblies in
the c a pital city.75 The issue at stake was mo re t ha n i nd ivid­
uals wish ing fo r senti mental r ea s ons to re- ope n o l d Bethesda.
The reasoni ng went much de eper and revolved a r ound a matter as
ba sic as an alte rnate appr oach t o Pe nt eco s t a lism .
George Huds on , a me mbe r of Bethesda since t he 1930 s, s a w
Snel g r ov e a s a " j olly" pe rson, but h i s incessa nt hu mour was
not well-re c e i v ed by t he more sedate a nd solemn membe rs,
primarily f rom Clarke's Beach a nd Ba y Roberts. Huds on