Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS THE LORD TOOK HOLD OF BUGBROOKE
Sunday evenings now began to change and baptismal services,
especially, brought new freedom. Handclapping and
raised arms began to appear. Up in the organ, Verna’s fingers
moved nimbly over the keyboard as the songs livened
up.
In the summer vacation Peter ‘Matt’ came round again with
his tambourine and found the chapel a strange mixture. Charismatic
choruses were accompanied by a huge pipe organ
and sung from old wooden pews with doors on the end, while
the mixed bag of believers was led from the pulpit by an increasingly
liberated Baptist minister. At one Sunday evening
baptismal service they didn’t wait for the preacher or the
organist! The singing started spontaneously; someone spoke
in tongues and it was followed by an interpretation of exuberant
praise. As if that wasn’t enough, the service was followed
by a discreet exorcism! And that was the end of traditional
formality on a Sunday evening.
Minister and deacons now began to review the Constitution,
which had its limitations when looked at in the light of a
renewed understanding of Scripture. One deficiency concerned
‘body ministry’. In the early Church everyone was a
disciple, all had spiritual gifts, and all were involved in worship
and ministry. They saw this, and were keen to encourage
ministry from within the church. Moreover Noel wanted to
recognise fellow elders and the Constitution didn’t allow for
that. The matter was taken to a Special Church Meeting and
they agreed to ‘revoke the rules temporarily — to allow the
Lord to guide us in the formulating of new ones’.
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