New Hall dedicated for Gospel purposes

The opening services of the Bolton Gospel Hall on Saturday were well attended by friends and well wishers both from the village and other towns in Southern Ontario. All had an opportunity to inspect the new hall after a light supper served in the basement by the ladies of the Assembly. The final report of the building committee was given by W. A. Joyce, who told of the original decision to either repair or to rebuild and the many who had a part in either helping or advising them to the final step of demolishing the old Hall. Thanks was given for the two lovely gifts of flowers, one sent along by Mr. and Mrs. Bert Allengame of Bolton and the other from the Egan family. Appreciation was also expressed for the patience shown by Mr. and Mrs. Harold Egan during the construction which was largely done at night. A. D. Stewart gave a brief account of the beginning of the Assembly here in 1889 when two Evangelists Donald Munroe and John Smith held Gospel meetings here. Several people professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and from that time have remembered the "Lord first" in rented premises over what is now known as McCabe's Barber shop. As the group grew in size they moved to the Orange Hall until 1919 when the original Gospel Hall was built on the present site. Mention was made of several of the pioneers of the work here such as the Stubbs family, the Ewart family, Fred Watson (who was present) and his father, and also D. C. Mabee, all of whom were instrumental in the original building project 50 years ago. Mr. Stewart also expressed thanks on behalf of the Assembly for the work done by the three men who formed the building committee John Goulter, Howard Ewart and Warren Joyce. Present at the service were two of the Lord's servants, John Addams and Arnold Adams. John Adams spoke to the company from John Chapter 3 verse 1 to verse 18 noting the Lord Jesus made very definite the need of the new birth through which we obtained a new life. This life, he noted, was the life necessary for eternity, for all are aware that the life which we inherited from our natural parents is not sufficient in the eyes of a Holy God who cannot look upon sin and who had to turn His back when His only begotten Son bore our sin in his own body on the tree. Mr. Adams went on to say that although Nicodemus was a good man in the eyes of all around him and he was a leader in the only religion given by God at that time, this did not fit or prepare him for God's Heaven, for the Lord Jesus Christ himself said to Nicodemus "Ye must be born again". The apostle John also makes it clear in chapter one, verse 13 that the new birth is not under the control of any man but God alone for He says "Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God". Mr. Adams went on to say that since the new birth was necessary we should all ask ourselves when was I born again, where was I born again, and how was I born again? Arnold Adams closed the service with a word of comfort to all Christians that in this day of rampant sin and rebellion against God, it is still the Christian alone who knows where he is going and to whom he belongs. The evening service was taken by David Adams and Mr. Johnston, who is from Belfast, Ireland.