Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS THE LORD TOOK HOLD OF BUGBROOKE
continued to evangelise and set his heart on pastoral ministry.
The Ministerial Committee of the Baptist Union vetted
him and he began to look for an opening.
At Bugbrooke they were having little success finding a pastor,
and a local minister recommended Noel. Bristling with
evangelical zeal, he stepped into the pulpit. The congregation
warmed to this smart, fervent young man, and Miss Campion
invited him for lunch. She found him polite, though a
little reserved, and a man with strong vision. Miss Campion
called a church meeting which invited him to become their
full-time pastor. Noel accepted but offered to continue his
secular work in order to help with the finances of the church.
So in March 1957 local Baptist leaders and the Principal of
All Nations gathered for Noel’s induction ceremony. It was a
new day for the chapel as they all sang together:
Forward through the desert,
Through the toil and fight!
Jordan flows before us,
Zion beams with light!
Noel got to work immediately and urged them on into vigorous
outreach and warmer, deeper fellowship. He was steeped
in missionary zeal and fed his soul on Wesley, Spurgeon and
C. T. Studd. A recent book on revival — In The Day Of Thy
Power 3 — had inspired him, and he invited the author, Arthur
Wallis, to lead a week’s retreat.
Bible weeks, evangelistic drives and missionary weekends
followed, and in 1960 Noel and Ken Thomason, a neighbour-
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