The Catford Lectures

1955 - 2005

50 YEARS OF FAITHFUL WITNESS

Note: The Catford Lectures are still continuing and will continue to run, God willing, ... 'till he come' - see current programme of lectures

50 YEARS OF FAITHFUL WITNESS to God have passed: This year will, DV, celebrate the 50th year of the Catford Lectures, the first of which in the new series will take place on Saturday 5th November 2005 and continue on the first each winter month until April 2006.

These meetings were inaugurated primarily by Mr. John Weston, jr. whose father, also John Weston was a well-known evangelist during the pre- and post-war years. Both father and son were members of the assembly of Christians who met at Wildfell Hall in Catford, South East London and in the early 1950s both had become increasingly concerned that the attendance at monthly meetings held in Wildfell Hall for the exposition of the Word of God was declining. Realising the great importance that Christians should be taught the truths of the Scriptures – for that was surely the food of the soul – the church decided that the Saturday meetings should take on a new form. Henceforth they would be held every first Saturday in the month and consist simply of two meetings, one in the afternoon and the other in the evening at each of which a servant of the Lord endowed with the gift of teaching would be invited to minister the Word. Tea would be served during the interval between the meetings. Publicity was given to this change and the response was immediate: the hall soon being filled with interested hearers coming from all the counties surrounding London and many from even farther afield.

Besides many from surrounding assemblies, Christians from a whole range of evangelical denominations came; and still come to hear the ministry of the Word. The speakers too were drawn from countries around the world, the British Isles , the Continent, USA , Australia and New Zealand, speaking on a wide variety of subjects including

• fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith
• the Christian’s walk
• Christian worship
• assembly principles, and
• prophecy.

This policy is still faithfully pursued and all who attend can be assured that what they hear will be firmly based on Holy Writ. God has sustained this testimony and we pause to testify to His grace and goodness. The brethren responsible for the Lectures look forward to meeting old friends and making new ones in the forthcoming series.

A well-stocked bookstall of select literature is provided at the Catford Lectures by HoldFast Bible and Tract Depot of 41 York Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

Address:

Wildfell Hall

Wildfell Road

Rushey Green

Catford, London SE6

A Catford Lecture in progress 2005

Issued by E N Cross, Fountain House, Conduit Mews, London SE18 7AP, Tel: 020 8316 5389