Born in revival?

Recently I visited Penge SA Hall. The hall was built in 1894 and is a typical fortress fronted red brick building. The front door opens onto a busy market and on market day it is not hard to imagine what the life of a Salvationist must have been like in Penge in 1900.

According to the 1901 census my great grandfather, Thomas Taylor, who was a milkman, lived at 104 Beckenham Road, Penge (sadly the original house was destroyed by a doodle bug 0n 2/8/44 and is now a betting shop!).

There is a brass plaque in the lobby of Penge Hall commemorating those who died during the 1914/18 war – one of the names listed is Albert Taylor (the elder brother of my grandfather).

In the Corps history book there is an entry for August 27th 1924 that reads “Cadet Ernest Taylor farewelled for the Training Garrison” (incidentally Brigadier Albert Orsborn was the DC at the time). Ernest was my Granddad and aged 29 he entered the ‘Overcomers session’ (had he gone in, in 1924 his sessional name would have been the ‘aggressors’!)

In 1925 he was appointed to Peterborough where he met my Nan, she entered training and the two eventually married. Sadly, while she was at Clapton Training Garrison her sister died leaving four orphaned children. My Nan went to the Mercy Seat and was advised by Olive Booth to return home and bring up the children. Grandad left the work, married Nan and became a faithful soldier and local Officer. They both regretted their decision to come home until the day they died.

In 1908 the Penge SA history book refers to a great revival (a quick search on Google shows that 1908 was a good year for revivals!) The history book says that many hundreds of local reprobates got saved including ‘drunkards, card sharks, wife-beaters and boxers…’ It also mentions that the poor Adjutants running the Corps at the time could barely keep up with all the visiting required to sustain the revival.

In 1908 my Great granddad was 40 and together with his wife and five children (including my 13 year old granddad) were living half a mile from the hall and by 1914 (only 6 years after the revival) were definitely involved at the Army.

Does this mean my own spiritual DNA was formed in the gene pool of revival? Sadly the trail goes cold although the assumption would be reasonable. Regardless of how my forbears got saved I wonder how many people are going to heaven today simply because their grandparents or great grandparents were plucked from the fire by the early Army.

Maybe my great-grandfather was staggering home down Maple Road past the market stalls and costermongers when he heard a Salvationist challenge him about God and eternity, maybe he knelt at the drum or actually went inside and found God there.

Conversely, I wonder how many people have gone to hell because we no longer preach with the urgency of our spiritual ancestors.

O is not the Christ 'midst the crowd of today
Whose questioning cries do not cease?
And will he not show to the hearts that would know
The things that belong to their peace?
But how shall they hear if the preacher forbear
Or lack in compassionate zeal?
Or how shall hearts move with the Master's own love,
Without his anointing and seal?

(questions asked by my granddad's DC)

Yours set apart by Christ, for the lost, in the Army.

A