Chris Companion Baker

 

I first met the JA when they were doing a coach campaign in my town. I was attending a local Baptist church and we had a Baptist youth 24hr prayer meeting.  When that ended a few of us headed to another Baptist church to see the installation of a new minister. En-route, I bumped into a happy crew of people from Coventry (I didn't know that at the time).

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I swapped details with Piers. He wrote letters to me three times and I never replied.  Some time later I bumped into George Fruitful in Lytham St Anne's .  I was hungry for a true connection,  an outpouring of His Holy Spirit that manifested like the early church (I am now in the Early Church).

 

I was doing some church work in London and realised I had the weekend off, so rang Spreading Flame. I made a Marquee weekend at Cornhill. Then God seemed to clear my calendar, so I went to Spreading Flame for a week.  There I made a decision to join.

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Wendy Dawson

 

My name is Wendy Dawson and I joined the church in 1974, aged 30, and have remained a member of the Jesus Fellowship for 50 years, until the closure. I had been searching for a meaning to life, always praying that if there was a God he would reveal himself to me. There were so many incidents leading up to my conversion, but to give a few examples, I was seriously thinking of ending my life, but the fear of death prevented me, until one night in my own home, I had a miraculous awareness of God's presence. I thought I was dreaming so I turned on the radio, pinched myself, and a lady called Kathleen Ferrier sang "Wait Thou Patiently upon the Lord and He will give you your Heart's Desire". It was like he was singing to me through her, and for the first time I was able to sleep without medication. I just knew that God existed and I felt loved and peaceful. I remember praying for contact with someone else who might understand, so I had someone to talk to.

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Not long after, a stranger knocked on my door and invited me to a local church close to where I lived. This introduction opened a door and I knew I wanted to follow Jesus. This church met once a week, but my searching wanted more than a Sunday fellowship.

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By chance I was given a leaflet about a church in Bugbrooke and I felt this was the right direction. However I did not drive, and the village was not within easy access.

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I was then asked by a member of the Sunday church congregation if I wanted a place on a mini-bus trip to the church which was starting up in Bugbrooke. This trip ended up to be a turning point in my life. I walked through the chapel door to hear the most beautiful sound … which I later knew to be singing in tongues. It was beautiful and the tears flowed. The church leader, Noel Stanton, asked two sisters to pray with me. I knew this was where I should be, and I wanted to be part of this life.

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At this time I was living with a boyfriend and my 2 children in Wellingborough, and we were in the process of moving to Bushey in Hertfordshire. However I now felt strongly that I wanted to be devoted to God, and not a man, and I wanted a different lifestyle that was led by Christian values and morals. I ended the relationship and I believe God took charge of the house move when the owner of the house in Bushey pulled out unexpectedly. 

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Within a short time everything fell into place. I moved to Northampton instead, to be closer to Chapel,  and as it happened I found out just after the move that there were 3 other church members living just around the corner!

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At this time (around 1974) the church members all lived independently, but we would meet up together, sometimes in the chapel grounds, to have a picnic or in smaller groups in people's homes. We would pray and enjoy food and fellowship like one big family. I believe this was a vision held by Noel, to share everything in common (as in Acts), so he and other church leaders worked together to make it happen.

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New Creation Hall was the first house purchased. Community living was beautiful. People sold their houses to be part of a bigger community style living. Rich and poor – everyone put in what they could, and got out what they needed. Everyone shared in God's love and welcomed those who, like me, had been searching. 

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I recall people wanting to join from far and wide, as the word spread. Everyone was treated equally, no matter their worldly social status or bank balance. Everyone shared what they had. 

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It must have appeared bizarre to others, who did not share the vision, and sceptical minds believed one person must be financially profiting. But this was not the case. Noel was a businessman who owned a stationery shop in Northampton. He handed this over to the church members and it was turned into a health food shop. I eventually moved fully into community around 1988. They were the happiest and most fulfilling days of my life.

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As with any journey, there were personal highs and lows, and lessons for us all to learn. I look back at my time with the Jesus Fellowship (later called Jesus Army) with a thankful and grateful heart, and also a sense of sadness that it is now gone. My life has been all the better for being part of such a radical, progressive, loving and passionate church .

I have now found another church which teaches and upholds the word of God, and I feel a new sense of belonging. I seek to live by God's word every day and my love for Jesus grows deeper. I am so blessed to have him as my closest friend.

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Bill Bountiful Howbert

 

I first met the Jesus Fellowship because people from my church in Oxford (The Assemblies of God) had started visiting Bugbrooke Chapel.  That was in 1975. 

A kind couple named Neil and Dina invited me to come along.

I soon discovered that they were part of a large Jesus Fellowship Oxford "Shepherding Group", led by Dave "Resolute" Hawker.

We used to have an old Transit van, with a couple of mattresses to sit on, and Dave would drive it to Bugbrooke and back several times a week.

I can remember Dave commenting to me, one evening, as I stepped out of the van, on arriving at my mum's house, where I was staying, Dave looked at me and said,  "Less of the passivity, Bill!"

Ah, discipleship!

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Joanne Elaine Tyrrell

 

Many years ago I met the Jesus people in Great yarmouth and not long after moved in to the house there called New wave with my 2 young daughters at the time and I found love and acceptance from these lovely Jesus people and not long after moved to Norhampton to servant Hearts for maybe 2 years and then on to Praise court in my time with the Jesus army I believed I had found the Kingdom this was it nothing like it but I struggled and my flesh got the better of me I moved on and 3 failed marriages later I have found my Lord and my saviour my everything that no man can fulfill in my life no one but you Lord can satisfy the longing in my heart my rebellion now is over .My God has been faithful to me and I'm no longer running he is my everything. I have a strong vision for community as I truly believe its right to be with brothers and sisters in Jesus I was very saddened when I heard the Jesus Army was no more as I new it Many years ago .I heard of many things that were not right in the church only recently but to me when I was part of it was a rich Brotherhood lots of love Bless you all .

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Monique Norton

 

We visited the Bugbrooke Chapel around 1978 or so as a family. Gary and our daughters Juliette and Chantal who were about 10-15 or so years old.

I remember one of the first times we came. 

Arrived 10.30am. The chapel was full to bursting point! We were lead to seat on the balcony. It was hard to squeeze us in. The services those days went on a long time. By the end, we’ll past lunchtime, we were invited to stay for a salad lunch. Which was just as well because with plates in front of us full of gorgeous fresh salad things, thanksgiving prayers went on for a good 40 minutes! 

A long service with wonderful and powerful singing. A long powerful preach from Noël. A long praise session before lunch … I was ready for a nap!

It was summertime. I stretched out face down onto the lawn outside. This didn’t look strange as many had stretched out on the lawn, some sitting etc. 

I fell asleep. During my sleep I remember feeling a strange tugging in my body. And when I woke up, I found I had been healed from an inoperable injury that has affected my whole life, praise God!

I remember the songs, read from a thick pink, tightly type written paper book. You were singing of sharing all things, the sweet love of brotherhood, beautiful marriages etc. and we thought this was you, you were saints! We were in awe of you!

I remember staying in Cornhill, all four of us, and the love, attention, care we were given. We were overwhelmed.

Some 30 of you came to our house in St Albans and some 30 of our fellowship in St Albans came to Bugbrooke. All our lives were never the same, after that. Holy Spirit presence was awesome.

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