Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Principal George Jeffreys

  

Principle George Jeffreys would sometimes take a break from his busy schedule and visit Westminster Chapel in London to hear Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. There was a great respect between them, when Dr. Jones heard of Pastor Jeffreys visit he invited him to have a time of fellowship together in his vestry. No doubt the fact that they were both fellow Welshmen brought an even greater friendship. Dr. John F. MacArthur, Jr. who is the Pastor-Teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California says Dr. Jones was without question the finest biblical expositor of the 20th century. In fact, when the final chapter of church history is written, I believe the Doctor will stand as one of the greatest preachers of all time. His style of biblical exposition was meticulously thorough and yet full of energy. "Logic on fire," was his famous description of preaching, and he had an amazing gift for blending passion and precision in copious measures. He influenced countless preachers (myself included), and he stood steadfastly against the superficial, entertainment-oriented approach to preaching that seemed to dominate the evangelical world then as it does now. Lloyd-Jones still desperately needs to be heard today.

Unfortunately there are only a few messages by Principle George Jeffreys available today, (if you visit my main website, YouTube or the main Elim websites you can hear these recordings). Although Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was not a Pentecostal Pastor we can learn much from Dr. Jones in these days when so much error and false doctrine is being taught.  

Please use my link on the left hand side of the website.

http://www.mljtrust.org/

Ordained by Principal George Jeffreys

MONDAY 26th SEPTEMBER 1960

Part of an article By Brian Williams with grateful thanks.

http://brianwilliams.org.uk/diary/1960.html

We arrived at 8-10 Clarence Avenue SW4 London England promptly at 10.45am. A tallish grey-haired lady — Mrs Pike, Principal’s housekeeper — answered the doorbell. We entered a large hall and were led into a spacious and handsome room over the fireplace of which were hung several photographs, including a large one of George Jeffreys as a young man and, somewhat incongruously, a smaller coloured picture of Jesus. Principal would be with us in a few moments, she assured us, and then added that he liked doing the washing up: a visitor had called one day and been greatly surprised when the door had been opened by none other than the great evangelist himself, wearing an apron!

I told Principal about my conversion experience and call to the healing ministry, of my appreciation for his ministry, and of so many people telling us wherever we go how they were saved or healed in his meetings. He listened attentively and then asked in his quiet, gentle Welsh accent, “What do you do with your converts?” I had to say (since I have no desire to start a new denomination, but a little ruefully), “They join the church which asks me to preach for them.” I knew what was behind the question, having heard so much about Principal having left Elim — the movement which, under God, came into existence as a direct result of his inspired ministry — and having read everything I could find on the matter, in particular Noel Brooks’ Fight for the Faith and Freedom.

I felt a great love for this dear man of God. Everything about him spoke of humility, but I sensed the anguish in his soul, the cross he has had to bear. I have heard people say, “George Jeffreys was forced to leave Elim because of his British Israel beliefs”, or “George Jeffreys became a B.I. and lost his power,” when nothing could be further from the truth.

These were lies put about to conceal the real issue, which was Church Government. Under George Jeffreys’ inspired ministry, nearly 300 Elim churches came into existence until, in 1934, he signed the Trust Deed which made Elim the legal owners of all the properties which the local congregations had bought. Despite all his efforts to redress the situation, Elim refused to budge, and Principal resigned from Elim on Friday 1st December 1939. He founded the Bible-Pattern Church Fellowship the following year.

I said to him, “Principal, I understand the circumstances of your leaving Elim, that it was about Church Government, yet people say it was about British Israel. But I understand that you learned about British Israel from John Leech, K.C., in about 1915 — is that correct? “Yes” he said, “and I wish more young men like you would believe it.” But Brian Williams did not, and made it his practice to distribute a booklet by Pastor Hardstaffe’s in his meetings.

Eventually we came round to the purpose of our visit. God has called me to the ministry, and has been confirming the Word with signs following; and we shall soon be going to Nigeria, D.V. We wanted all things to be done decently and in order, and for Jesus to be glorified. Would he now lay his hands on us and pray for us? He motioned for us to kneel. My eyes were closed. Presently we heard his deep sonorous voice imploring the Lord to anoint and bless us, then felt his hands gently laid upon us. I felt the power go through me. I knew what it was like for Elisha kneeling before Elijah, and for each one of the people who was touched by Jesus; I know I am separated for the work we are called to do, that God has put me into the ministry, and I am ordained a preacher and a teacher. I shall treasure this experience all my life.

Principal George Jeffreys crusades after Elim

From 1939 Principle George Jeffreys led the Bible-Pattern Church Fellowship (which he founded) and the World Revival Crusade. He continued to hold a punishing schedule of meetings, though, because the Elim churches were now closed to him, he hired halls or used a big tent as he had done at the beginning. Every Easter from 1942 to 1961 he preached several times at Westminster Central Hall, London, and more many times filled it. There were almost sixty Bible-Pattern congregations and they stood for Pentecostal doctrine and local church government. Jeffreys himself had developed diabetes in the 1930s but this hardly slowed him down and, when the war ended, he was free to travel overseas.

He was in Belfast in 1945 and 2600 packed the Royal Hippodrome. Large crowds heard him in France (1946, 1948, 1950) and Switzerland (1947, 1948, 1950) and he preached in the USA, Canada, Belgium, and Palestine. He opposed the formation of the World Pentecostal Conference in 1947 and the World Council of Churches.

He wrote Healing Rays in 1932 and Pentecostal Rays in 1933, setting out his teaching on divine healing and the Holy Spirit. He died quietly after being served his breakfast by his housekeeper Mrs Pike (who gave us this infomation), of a coronary thrombosis, at his home, 8 Clarence Avenue, Clapham, on 26 January 1962. His house keeper returned to collect his breakfast tray to find that the prince as he was known to his close friends had gone to his reward.

What happened to the Bible Pattern Church Fellowship Churches

Why is it that today we do not see at least 30 plus Bible Pattern Church Fellowship Churches in the UK? I will do my best to explain this difficult question with love, mercy and grace!

You will remember in my last article updated 8/5/13 that I mentioned the reason for the split with Elim. There is an article written by Principle George Jeffreys in November 1954 entitled Cleaning and power for all Churches, The sovereignty of the Local Church. This can be found at the bottom of the website, this article shows that Pastor Jeffreys was sincerely trying to do what he believed to be the right thing by separating from Elim and setting up the Bible Pattern Church Fellowship and therefore being able to implement the Biblical principle of Matthew Chapter 18, verses 15 to 20 within the remit of the sovereignty of the Local Church.

Part of this enabled safeguards for the local church including a trust deed, or a lease, or a contract, to secure the place of worship for the use of the local church. The system of voting by postal ballot should of course, be above suspicion. Therefore unsigned voting papers enclosed in envelopes containing the names of the voters on the outside should not be addressed to, or be kept in the custody of a person or persons interested in the vote. Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2Corinthians 8:21 providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. With the above safeguards the local church can protect itself against a dictatorship that might attempt to take control from within, and against the danger of a central totalitarian organisation taking legal control from without. Once men find themselves in positions of authority over pastors, people, finance and property of the churches it calls for great grace to resist the temptation to do evil in order to retain and extend authority.

The only outside influence or authority that existed was called an Advisory Committee elected periodically by the members of the Churches as a whole. For some years this was the means for seeking direction from God e.g. who might be called to succeed any Pastors leaving a particular fellowship with the involvement of the local church and other fellowship matters. (This was normally a Pastor from another Bible Pattern Church Fellowship or a member of one of the Bible Pattern churches being called into the ministry for the first time).

This also meant that after a Pastor left a particular fellowship a decision could have been made to invite a Pastor from outside the Bible Pattern Church Fellowship or a member of one of the Bible Pattern Churches. Then it seems that this Pastor could make a proposal at a church business meeting to separate from the Bible Pattern Church Fellowship and become an independent church. And this could be done because the local Church may have a Trust Deed, or a lease, or a contract, to secure the ownership of their own property for the use of the local church.

From having a grandfather and an uncle who were pastors in the Bible Pattern Church Fellowship and with them being on the Advisory Committee, as well as other Pastors confirming these matters this seems to be an explanation as to how some of the churches ended up as they are today.

Be sure of the fact that there are more Bible Pattern Churches still in operation that you may have thought. Some unkind remarks have been made claming that the Bible Pattern Church no longer exists, however you will find upon investigation that many are still actively serving in the local community. As a local Church, but for matters unknown to me at present they became fully independent and separated from the Bible pattern church Fellowship!


I appreciate some of you might be reading this and say Pastor Jeffreys should have never listened to Pastor Lewi Pethrus and left Elim! But it seems that what Pastor Jeffreys saw in Stockholm and after much prayer and study of his Bible convinced Pastor Jeffreys that he had not set up Elim in the correct biblical manner. I will try to post an article called "The 9 Points of Dr. Lewi Pethrus" ASAP and let you decide.
As mentioned before I have since met with some Church leaders who believe in Theocracy and would have not even consulted the members of the local church and would have gone ahead and invited a person to take up the position to become the Pastor a local church and then told the members! And then we have Elim somewhere in the middle.

This has been a very upsetting process for me personally as I can remember as a young boy going from Ilford Bible pattern Church with a coach load of brothers and sisters in Christ to Newbury Bible Pattern Church for a wonderful time of fellowship. As you will read in the articles which I hope to include as I tell the story of each church. These meeting were wonderful days of working together with the body of Christ to either reach out to the local community to share the love of Christ and the Good News of the Gospel or a time to be built up in a greater knowledge of Gods word as we grow as children of God.

As some of you may be reading this I can understand the hurt you may feel about the split due to the fact that a number of brothers and sisters in Christ were torn apart as they were forced to choose between Elim or The Bible Pattern Church. I also appreciate the distress caused to some by the fact that you were turned out of your church building by Elim when you decided to stay with Principle George Jeffreys. My Grandfather and the members of the Barking Church had to build a new church building with their own hands. (The process of this ended with my grandfather being admitted to hospital due to cement poisoning).

Some may lay the blame with a breakdown between some of the churches and the Advisory Committee of The Bible Pattern Church. All I can comment on is the fact that when Principle George Jeffreys died the advisory committee consisted of Pastors R. Mercer, R. G. Tweed, A. W. Edsor, G. I. Francis and E. March. Unfortunately I am unsure as to who all existing members are today. 

I hope this article has helped to answer some questions you might of had and I believe the only way forward is found in Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Or a modern translation, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.

In my next article I will ask the question what is the best way forward? 

Blackpool The local Bible Pattern church that I was familiar with

An Article taken fron John Edward Cooper’s blogsite

http://johnedwardcooper.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/bible-pattern-church-fellowship.html

The local Bible Pattern church that I was familiar with was in Shaw Road, South Shore, Blackpool. Its pastor was the quite elderly, Scottish, Pastor Girvan. It seems there were quite strong bonds of fellowship between them and us at the Full Gospel Church, Fleetwood, for from time to time their young people would visit our church; and I can remember going to a Saturday-evening meeting there, or more than one.

The Bible-Pattern Church Fellowship was founded in 1939 by George Jeffreys (1889–1962), a Welsh minister who, together with his brother Stephen Jeffreys, in 1915 had founded the Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance, one of the first Pentecostal organisations in Britain.
Differences of opinion regarding church governance eventually led Jeffreys to withdraw from what later came to be called the Elim Pentecostal Church and form the first Bible-Pattern Church Fellowship in Nottingham in 1939. A number of other local churches were subsequently founded in various parts of Britain.
Bible-Pattern churches were also Pentecostal in terms of their doctrine and style of worship, believing (in common with other evangelical churches), in repentance from sin and salvation through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as described in the Bible, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and maintaining that God had given spiritual gifts to the church which members should seek to experience, such as speaking in tongues, prophecy and healing.
Theologically, it can be seen as an offshoot of the Elim Pentecostal Church and, in terms of doctrine was similar, except for its espousal of the doctrines of British Israelism. It was for some time popular in the 1940s and 1950s, attracting many adherents to an annual Convention in London's Westminster Central Hall.

With greatful thanks to Mr John Edward Cooper