Southsea, Portsmouth Jubilee Pentecostal Church

Southsea, Portsmouth Jubilee Bible pattern Church

NAME OF CHURCH TODAY ADDRESS OF CHURCH Jubilee Pentecostal church. Somers Road, Southsea.
NAMES OF PASTORS AND DATE WHEN THEY SERVED THE LOCAL ASSEMBLY 1941Pastor Mercer1950 Pastor W. McKibbin 1956 Pastor Ivor D. Thomas more info to be added.

HISTORY Mrs. Mercer was a Minister of the PORTSMOUTH Elim Church for a period of some years before she was married to Robert (who also became a Pastor), so their bond with the Portsmouth members was very strong. In 1941 they were forced out of the church building by men from Elim H.Q. in the company of a police detective. (A full explanation for this can be found in Pastor A. W. Edsors book “Set your house in Order”) Later that Sunday they held the Gospel Service in the Labour Club Unity Hall with the support of 136 members. They used the Hall for the Thursday evening Bible Studies and the whole of Sunday until 1947 when the church purchased “Jubilee” which was once a Primitive Methodist church.

A Sunday afternoon Bible Class was held in the Unity Hall kitchen and taken by Mrs. Mercer who was a powerful preacher. Those attending were packed like sardines with some sitting on the steps leading to the stage door. Her Bible had numerous blank pages within the binding; I believe it was called a ‘Sermon Bible’ which was always prepared with a sermon within its pages. Mrs. Mercer was always at the door to welcome folk in and out of the services.

The Prayer Meeting was held in Concord Hall, Lake Road, Portsmouth and the Young Peoples’ Meeting in Edinburgh Congregational Church in Edinburgh Road. With the air raids resulting in the blitz of the City, the church went through some very hard times, but there was a fine body of members who gave them unfailing support.

Commander D.H. Macmillan (a greatly valued member of the Bible pattern Church Fellowship who after leaving the Royal Navy served as the Pastor of the Southampton church) while stationed in Portsmouth was a member of the Pattern Church and while in the Solent on board ship arranged to have any messages in tongues or prophecies sent to him. In 1943/4 some members of the church were unable to attend the Portsmouth Church because of a Curfew. It was necessary to have a Pass to get into the City for several months.

In the summer an Open Air Meeting was held at South Parade Pier Southsea using the platform belonging to the Salvation Army and it was at this time that Mrs. Mercer was in “top form”! During the Meetings at the Unity Hall. Mrs. Mercer always sat on the platform and whilst her husband Robert Mercer was preaching, she was often heard responding with “Amen, brother”!

Robert Mercer was a very studious man and his friend, Pastor Gwilym Francis, reported that when they were sharing a room at Conferences, Pastor Mercer would often keep him up until the early hours debating the Scriptures. Pastor Francis wrote the book “The World’s Next Great Event” and took the Millennium School view whereas Pastor Mercer was General Resurrection, General Judgment School and yet they were great friends.

Principal George Jeffreys often quoted: “In things essential, Unity; in things doubtful, liberty; in all things, Charity. Amongst the many things that happened in the life of the church one of the ways in which the care of the members was shown is that when Pastor Mercer noticed that some the people, when kneeling in prayer, had holes in their shoes, he went and bought them new ones. Whilst ministering in Portsmouth their sweet ration was given to the children of the Church. Pastor Mercer, as it were, had to start from scratch, as wages were frozen in the Bank by Elim H.Q.

Pastor Mercer kept the flock together and over many hours with the Elders and Deacons produced the local Church Constitution and eventually established the members into the new premises in 1947. Principal George Jeffreys and the Revival Party came on that occasion.

1950 Pastor and Mr. Mercer moved to Ireland and Pastor W. McKibbin took over the pastorate. In 1956 Pastor W. McKibbin moved to the Bible Pattern Church Brighton and Pastor Ivor D. Thomas took over the pastorate.

Pastor Ivor and Mrs. Thomas first appearance at “Jubilee” was on a Wednesday evening Young Peoples’ Meeting in 1956. They were given a tour around the building by the Secretary of the Young Peoples’ Fellowship – not knowing Pastor Thomas had been put on the list of Ministers for the new Church Pastor. From then on they were friends until their passing.

Whilst at the church Pastor and Mrs. Thomas took a break to attend the church Conference at Cefn Cribwr, near Bridgend in about 1965. Pastor Ivor guarded the pulpit well: when on holiday he would always have Pastor Gwilym Francis to take over the church for that period. Pastor Francis always stayed at Mrs. Pulling’s home; she was No 4 to be baptised at the Royal Albert Hall in 1927/28 when 1000 were baptised.

Ivor was also a friend of Pastor Eric Dando who was Pastor of the A.O.G. Church in Newport. Eric had a photographic mind; he would recite through the solemnising of Marriage Vows without looking at the book! Ivor told him “be careful, Eric, you are solemnising the marriage into law! We heard Eric preach in the Cardiff St. David’s Hall when he spoke on “Heaven”. Within a few weeks he went to Glory!

Pastor Tomas was privileged to preach in the large Baptist Church in North End, Portsmouth where not many Pentecostal preachers were invited to go. He also preached at the St. David’s Day Service held at the Fratton Wesley Central Hall.

When the Pembroke Dock closed, many came to the Portsmouth Dockyard for employment enlarging the Welsh population at Portsmouth.

Ivor also had close connection with Pastor Roy Chewter at the Newbury Bible Pattern Church.

Some of you may recall the story of a vision taking place on the rear wall of the church were Pastor Stephen Jeffreys was during his time at Island Place, Llanelli, South Wales. Pastor Ivor once recalled a Sunday Service at Jubilee when in his sermon he referred to the Vision at Island Place at Llanelli South Wales. At the end of the service two men introduced themselves and one of them said “I was there and saw the vision”! Ivor looked at him and replied “I don’t think you are old enough to have seen the event.” And the man said “I was four years old and in bed when my father came running to the house where we lived near to the Mission Hall, got me out of bed with a blanket round me and said “son, I am going to show you something that you will remember for the rest of your life”! (You may wish to read more about this and other stories about Pastor Stephen Jeffreys in two books which have been written about his world wide ministry on my other website. Click on the picture of George Jeffreys on the top left hand side. One book is by Agnes Adams and the other book is by Pastor Stephens Jeffreys son Pastor Edward Jeffreys).

Mrs Rushton, the Jubilee organist reported that Pastor Ivor often mentioned Pastor Stephen Jeffreys as his Mentor. It has been in print on more than one occasion that Stephen spent a number of years “in seclusion” which leaves things open to speculation. In today’s world of ‘Age Concern’ it is called being ‘housebound’. Like many miners who worked in a pit with water, he suffered with terrible arthritis; Pastor Ivor would often carry him to his bed, sitting with him for many hours and hearing him recall those momentous events of Evangelism.

IVOR’S RECOLLECTIONS OF PASTOR MERCER

On one occasion he was with a number of Ministers on a train journey and as soon as they moved off, Pastor Mercer got out his Bible and said “What shall we discuss, brothers?” He was always ready to debate on the Word.

After Pastor Ivor death Mrs Thomas was shown great support on a regular basis by her good friends who were a help to her: Mrs Rushton, the organist and Miss Wilks, a retired school teacher and faithful member for many years.

I have been thrilled to obtain a very rare copy of a recording of the 1st anniversary service of Pastor Ivor Thomas which was attended by the revival party PRINCIPAL GEORGE JEFFREYS AND REVIVAL PARTY AT PASTOR IVOR THOMAS’S ANNIVERSARY SERVICE 1957.

CD 1 Opening choruses “When I see the blood” led by Pastor R. E Darragh Opening prayer Pastor Ivor Thomas (aged aprox 37 yrs old) Solo “Jesus and me” with Pastor A W Edsor at the Piano Reflection on 1st year by Pastor Ivor Thomas Hymn “Guide me o” led by Pastor R. E Darragh Ministry in Song with choir Choruses led by Principal George Jeffreys

CD2 Gospel message by Principal George Jeffreys Closing Hymn and Choruses “All Hail the power, Bye and bye we’ll see, Glory to the Father, Nearer home” (A Day’s March) Led by Principal George Jeffreys I will try and make this recording available to any interested persons as this is the only recording available other than the Elim Record recordings.

The 1960 November issue of the Pattern a full report was given of a summer convention. See full report below.

When Pastor Ivor D. Thomas went to his reward his funeral service was conducted at the church by Pastor Tony Lacy. Pastor Lacy used to be the Pastor of the Ilford Church. Grateful acknowledgement and thanks to Mrs. L Simpson (Niece of Principal George Jeffries) and grateful acknowledgement and thanks also to a brother in Christ who is a former member of Jubilee Pentecostal church.

MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW (PLEASE USE THE COMMENT BOX BELOW TO ADD OR CORRECT ANY INFORMATION)