Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS THE LORD TOOK HOLD OF BUGBROOKEgelistic work in Northampton. When she went off for a year’steacher-training in London, she thrilled to hear some of thebest preachers of the day. Her horizons were widened andher faith stirred.Then she came home to Bugbrooke to find her dear oldchapel rather disappointing. Everyone was sincere, but thelittle group of evangelicals among them was discouraged.They tried to keep up their spirits and hope in God. But it washard work.By 1951, things had reached a low ebb. The third ministerin ten years had moved on and the little flock was shepherdlessyet again. The grass looked greener at the Free EvangelicalChurch in Northampton, where Pastor Barnes was a wellknownchampion of the gospel. In desperation, Verna and herfriends went to see him. He listened thoughtfully as they unburdenedtheir frustrations and he promised to seek God’swisdom for them.When they returned a week later, he said: ‘Well, I’d love tohave you, but the Lord has given me a definite word for you:“Stay where you are. Be much in prayer and fellowship. Befaithful and obedient. The time will come when you will seethe hand of the Lord stretched out in blessing on this churchat Bugbrooke.”’So they took heart. One dauntless soul had never dreamedof giving up. Miss Campion simply prayed harder. This retiredRugby School matron had grown up in the days of QueenVictoria, and was a force to be reckoned with! As Chapel Secretary,she soon found a new minister. He and his wife were apleasant couple, but, ‘Where’s the power of the gospel?’thought Verna.26