By John and Angela Magee. Part of a series of articles on the History of Emmanuel Church in Salisbury.
Malcolm Watts was born in Barnstaple, North Devon, in 1946. His parents, Hubert and Alice Watts, were Christian believers and so he had the privileges of seeing godly living and of hearing godly instruction throughout his years at home. Mr. Watts grew up under the evangelical ministry of Mr. Arthur Mendham who on July 1, 1962, baptised Mr. Watts on profession of faith.
Dr. John Wilmot, minister of Highgate Road Chapel, London, moved with his wife to Barnstaple, and stayed in the Watts' family home for eighteen months while looking for a house to purchase in the area. He took a keen spiritual interest in Mr. Watts and introduced him to Calvinistic teaching, through gifts of books, including Arthur Pink's "Sovereignty of God" and Thomas Watson's "Body of Divinity", and also through edifying spiritual conversation and more formal teaching delivered to a large group of serious and enquiring young people. From then on Mr. Watts' knowledge of Reformed doctrine grew increasingly stronger. He became a prolific reader and sought out the best Christian books to advance his knowledge of these truths.
By 1966, Mr. Watts was convinced that the Lord would have him serve as a minister of the Gospel. The Lord used many providences in his life to convince him of this calling. It was, however, an elderly Christian lady, Mrs. Bedford of Braunton, who first introduced him to Bible Correspondence Courses written by Dr. Ernest F. Kevan of London Bible College. In 1967 Mr. Watts began his three year course at the college. During these years Mr. Watts regularly attended Westminster Chapel, where he received profitable instruction from Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones (1899-1981). In his first year at the college Mr. Watts was assigned to Uxbridge Road Tabernacle as part of the student team. It was then he met the recently inducted minister, Pastor F.J. Harris, and, in God's grace, a friendship began which has already lasted for forty years. At the request of the officers and members, the Principal, Rev. Gilbert Kirby, gave permission for Mr. Watts to stay on for a further two years as "assistant" to Mr. Harris, and it was from Mr. Harris that he learned much concerning the Doctrine of the Church.
Mr. Watts left London in June 1970. He had preached at Lansdowne Evangelical Free Church, West Norwood where Rev. Derek Prime had been minister before removing to Charlotte Chapel, Edinburgh. The Elders were keen for Mr. Watts to become their new minister, but there was a difficulty and the matter proceeded very slowly. While at college, he had also met two members from Emmanuel Free Evangelical Church, Salisbury, one was a student taking the same course (Jill Miller) and the other was in regular attendance at the church in Shepherd's Bush (Janet Halsey). Both very much wanted him to preach in Salisbury, thinking that, in God's providence, he might perhaps become the new minister there. However, although they brought his name to the attention of the Church Secretary, no invitation to preach was extended.
After leaving college, he went back to his home in Barnstaple. In a matter of weeks he was invited by Rev. Arthur Gove of Ilfracombe to assist him in the work at Brookdale Evangelical Church. Mr. Watts accepted the invitation and it was while assisting in the church, that Mr. Gove one day arranged a preaching engagement for Mr. Watts and, most strangely, it was at Emmanuel Evangelical Church, Salisbury! This appeared a striking providence, for Mr. Watts learned at that time that Mr. Gove had been instrumental in founding the church in Salisbury in the 1950s.
Mr. Watts preached here in August 30, 1970 and again on September 20, 1970. It was after preaching on the second occasion that Mr. Leonard Wicks, along with other council-members, invited him into the vestry after the evening service to express their united desire that he should come to be the minister at Emmanuel Church. It appeared the church was united in believing that the future of Emmanuel was to be bound up, in the will of the Lord, in the ministry of this young preacher from Barnstaple.
Retuning to his home, Mr. Watts came to the view that before considering this further, it was everyway desirable that he should meet with the council members to make clear his convictions on certain matters of doctrine and practice. On October 6, he journeyed again to Salisbury and met with the acting officers at Lower Pennings Farm, the home of Mr. A. W. Lodge, the Church Secretary. During that evening he made known his convictions on a number of issues, particularly stating (and explaining) his belief in evangelical Calvinism and his rejection of both the Ecumenical and Charismatic movements. At the end of his time with these brethren (Owen French being one of them), he suggested they reconsider their invitation in the light of what had been said at the meeting; and then they could either confirm or withdraw their invitation concerning the pastorate at Salisbury. This was agreed. The Council met on October 13, and unanimously decided, if Mr. Watts was willing, to bring his name formally before the church. This decision was communicated to Mr. Watts who responded in a letter of November 2 to the effect that he was willing for the Council to proceed to a church meeting.
The Council had already received from Mr. Gove of Ilfracombe "a strong commendation, both as to preaching and to pastoral work". The brethren then contacted London Bible College and received on November 10 "a very favourable letter" from Gilbert Kirby, the College Principal.
A Church Meeting, held on December 8, 1970, declared a unanimous vote to call Mr. Malcolm Watts to the pastorate of Emmanuel Church. This meeting was thought to have experienced a particular blessing and sense of the presence of God. It was the responsibility of the Church Secretary, Mr. A.W. Lodge, to convey to Mr. Watts the outcome of the voting, and the desire of the church members to invite him to be their next pastor.
Mr. Watts, after much prayer and heart-searching, informed the Lansdowne elders that he no longer wished to be considered for the pastorate there. This brought sadness to them and especially to Mr. W. J. Gant who had been keen for Mr. Watts to be their next minister; but they fully understood that he now felt convinced that the Lord was calling him to Salisbury. They assured him of their prayers for his future service and ministry. At the Church Council Meeting of January 5, 1971, a letter from Mr. Watts was read which confirmed his acceptance of the invitation to the pastorate of Emmanuel Church. This gave the church members much cause for thankfulness and also confidence of future blessings for the Kingdom of Christ in Salisbury.
Preparations were needed on many fronts prior to Mr. Watts' arrival. Particular attention was needed for the Manse. The benefits of it having a "good scrubbing" were considered essential, as was the necessity of putting a sink unit in the kitchen before Mr. Watts took up residence! Mr. Watts anticipated his mother's help in providing necessary kitchen equipment and furniture. This she kindly took care of on her visit to Salisbury on February 1, 1971, and thereafter she and Mr. Watts senior did all they could to make ready the Manse and to support their son in the work of the ministry.
Matters regarding holidays, preaching engagements and worship services were all discussed with Mr. Watts during his meetings with the Council Members.
Mr. A.W. Lodge sought advice from Messrs. Woolley and Wallis regarding insurance for the Manse and a suggestion of insurance for the sum of £6,000 was considered appropriate by their colleague Mr. Reynolds.
As these practical issues were being addressed, two other important matters were being organised by Mr. Watts and the Church Council Members. These related to the Ordination and Induction Services which had to take place before Mr. Watts could begin his ministry at Emmanuel Church.
The Ordination Service for Mr. Watts was held at Uxbridge Road Tabernacle, London, February 9, 1971, and was attended by family, friends, and brethren from around the country. As an expression of support for their new pastor, many from Emmanuel Church, Salisbury, also attended. Mr. Harris conducted the service, and in the ordination act, with the laying on of hands, an elder from Lansdowne (Mr. W.J. Gant) and two council members from Emmanuel (Mr. A. W. Lodge and Mr. A. Lodge) took part along with the minister and elders from the Tabernacle. The sermon to mark the ordination was given by Gilbert Kirby, Principal of London Bible College, who preached from Ephesians 3:8 - "Unto me, who am less than the least of the saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." While many were present, others through ill-health or family commitments were hindered from going but marked the occasion by sending warm spiritual greetings to Mr. Watts and assuring him of their prayerful interest and support in his ministry. The quotation on the front of the Order of Service is a solemn reminder not only to ministers but to all believers that we each have a charge given to us by God: "We have every one of us a charge to keep, an eternal God to glorify, an immortal soul to provide for, needful duty to be done, our generation to serve" (Matthew Henry)1.
On the following Saturday, February 13, the Induction of Mr. Watts as Pastor of Emmanuel Church, Salisbury, took place. Mr. A.G. Mendham, Minister of Barnstaple Baptist Church, exercised the position of Chairman for the Induction Service. Following the worship, Statements were read by the Church Secretary, Mr. A.W. Lodge, and also by the minister-elect, Mr. M.H. Watts. The Act of Induction was performed by H.L. Matthews, Pastor of Union Chapel, Combe Down, Bath. This was immediately succeeded by Greetings from Pastor David Godfrey, Trustee of the Salisbury Plain Christian Fellowship. The Charge to the Minister was given by Mr. F.J. Harris who took as his text 1 Peter 4:10,11. The Charge to the Church was given by Mr. A.E. Gove, Minister of Brookdale Evangelical Church, Ilfracombe, who preached from 1 Thessalonians 5:11-18. As an expression of the Brookdale church's regard for him about forty people travelled from Ilfracombe that day to attend the Induction Service.
Sadly, Dr. John Wilmot was one of those who, through impaired health, was unable to make the journey to Salisbury. However, his good wishes were expressed to Mr. Watts in a letter that, towards the end, reminds us of the Biblical significance of the call of a minister:
It is with deep regret that Mrs.Wilmot and I are forbidden by impaired health to take the journey to Salisbury on the special occasion when you will be recognized by the Church there as God's gift to them for the work of the ministry. (Eph 4:11)
We have known you since your school days, and with thanksgiving to God we have followed your growth in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2 Pet 3:18) And we have rejoiced in your animating pulpit presentation of biblical and saving truth to saints and sinners.
The believers meeting at Wilton Road are favoured indeed in having you as their pastor. Solemn and fitting counsel will no doubt be spoken by the visiting brethren to the church and to its minister, as you enter upon your calling. I feel, however, though absent, I would value a little share in encouraging you, and from my appropriate words in Holy Scripture, I pass on to you the affectionate recommendation of Paul the apostle to Timothy in his pastoral exercise: "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine: continue in them; for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee" (1 Tim. 4:12, 16).
We pray and praise God for you.
"Prayers and praises go in
pairs,
They have praises who have prayers."2
Under the direction of Mrs. Robertson, the ladies of the congregation provided refreshments following the service, and full advantage was taken of the opportunity to renew fellowship and encourage one another in the Lord.
In less than two weeks after Mr. Watts commenced his pastorate, an Extraordinary Church Meeting was called to consider the request for application of membership by Mr. and Mrs. B. Minnican, who wished to transfer from Gillingham Baptist Church. This was approved by all present and arrangements were made for them to be welcomed into the fellowship at a Communion Service convenient to all. The church was growing, though slowly, and the members were thereby encouraged and enabled to see the goodness of the Lord to them.
The Church Council had its first meeting with Mr. Watts presiding as Chairman on March 30, 1971. There were many matters which needed to be addressed and wisdom was required to assist in both practical and spiritual decision making.
The finances of the church remained compromised, and concern was expressed that action should be taken to correct the deficit in the account of £8. The interest which the Maundrell Trust had in the work at Emmanuel Church was both spiritual and temporal, and prompted them to donate a grant of £175 to the Stipend Fund which was gratefully received. By the end of the year, answer to prayer had been wonderfully received and the income of the church for the first nine months of the year now reached one thousand two hundred and twenty-five pounds. This left the account with a surplus of £179. Mr. Wicks estimated that the predicted expenditure budget for 1972 would be two thousand pounds. To meet this figure the church needed to receive £38.50 a week in offerings. The average weekly giving for 1971 had been £34. Other areas of reducing expenditure still had to be considered if the finances of the church were to remain in a healthy position.
Nominees were required for the F.I.E.C. Council and, under the guidance of Mr. Watts the Council voted for:
D.L. Evans (Pastor in Swindon), R.E. Evans (Pastor in Hule), D.J. Prime (Pastor in Edinburgh), I.M. Tait (Pastor in Welwyn) and A.D. Toms (Pastor in Plumstead)
Dates for the annual events of the church were also discussed and various preachers proposed. It was hoped that Mr. Alan Toms, President of F.I.E.C., would preach later that year at the Church Anniversary Service. However, due to Mr. Tom's demanding preaching engagements, it was not possible for him to preach at the Anniversary Service until October 1973. Pastor Harris of Uxbridge Road Tabernacle was then approached to preach for the Anniversary Service on October 24.The missionary work of the church was also brought up for discussion. The benefit of having evangelistic material to hand in the church building for visitors was acknowledged, and suitable literature was to be made available. Mr. Henry from the Cokehole Trust, Andover (a ministry for drug addicts and alcoholics), was to be invited to take a Wednesday night meeting.
Concerns were expressed about the ministry of a visiting preacher who had spoken at Emmanuel Church. This prompted the Council to be more circumspect in its choice of men who were asked to take services.
At the Annual General Meeting held on March 18, Mr. Watts informed the church of the FIEC Council proposals to make some minor changes to the Basis of Faith. This was not to introduce any new teaching, but rather to give greater clarity to theological expressions that were undergirded by distinctive Reformation principles. Thus, "utter depravity" was changed to "total depravity", "vicarious" was replaced by "substitutionary", and a clause defining the doctrine of both the local and universal Church was also added. Having heard Mr. Watts state the benefits of such changes, the members voted unanimously to accept them.
The annual election of church officers took place. Previous to the meeting, no less than eighteen nominations had been received and a number of the nominees were female members. Mr. Watts at the prayer meeting the day before had expressed his serious concern about women standing for office, and he had asked all nominees prayerfully to reconsider their position. As a result, twelve people withdrew their names, including all the women nominated! The nominations then amounted to eight. In the subsequent election, Mr. L. A. Halsey and Mr. A. Lodge (Junior) were re-elected to the council.
The church remained aware of the constitutional changes that had recently occurred in the F.I.E.C. and although not presently unhappy with them, was mindful of the need to keep matters under observation. The church was still willing to send along representatives to the F.I.E.C. Assembly which was held at Worthing the following month. The church's annual Gift Day for F.I.E.C. continued to be observed and members were regularly updated with the work of the Fellowship.
A fire (of a small nature) and a break-in had occurred on the church property the previous September and insurance claims for damage (£29-9s) finally came through in May 1971, and this, with the £22-10s received for repairs, meant that the church expenses for essential work here were defrayed. The Treasurer, however, did continue to express concern over the ever-increasing expenses incurred upon the church finances. The repair work needed occurred at the time that work was also needed on the Wesley Hall. The necessity to look to the Lord for the church's daily provision was ever before the Council Members.
A great deal of prayer and discussion had been engaged in by the members of the Church Council to consider how best to give financial aid to the missionary organisations supported by the church. The proposal of tithing the church's income on a quarterly basis was eventually considered the most suitable method and was brought before the Members' Meeting held on June 10, 1971. This proposal received universal support from the membership and was to take immediate effect. It was hoped that the church would then be in a position to give an estimated £20, in turn, to the societies it supported and still have some reserve in the Missionary Account. Despite the achievements of Mrs. Nan Halsey as Missionary Secretary, she felt the need to resign from this position and so, at the beginning of 1972, she wrote to Mr. Watts requesting that she be relieved of her duties. This important work was then carried on by Mr. and Mrs. Don Royle.
At the Annual General Meeting held on February 8, 1972, the missionary organisations who were invited to send representatives to speak at Emmanuel Church during the year were as follows: Dorothea Mission, Trans World Radio, and O.M.F.
Support for the British and Foreign Bible Society affected a difference of opinion among the members. While some saw it a worthy cause to finance, others expressed concern about the church being associated with an organisation that translated from the defective Critical Greek Text and had definite inclinations towards Ecumenism. The best that could be agreed on regarding this matter was to give it further prayer and have the Church Council discuss the situation at another meeting. The succeeding Church Council Meeting did not, however, bring a resolution to the conflict of opinion expressed by the members. It was finally agreed to put the matter on hold for a period of time and further prayer and consideration were given to the obvious weaknesses of the Society. Concurrently, Council Members were exhorted to give some thought to supporting another Bible society, namely, the Trinitarian Bible Society, which had a Basis of Faith and principles of work that the church would be able to espouse. By January 1972, Mr. Watts received a reply from the B.F.B.S. which confirmed his grave concerns about their ecumenical involvements and on these grounds brought it before the Church Council who felt it was necessary for the church to withdraw its support. (The vote among the Council Members was not unanimous, although a majority vote to withdraw support was obtained.)
Due to the low number of people attending the Sabbath-evening service, the need for a particular time of prayer to intercede with the Lord for greater blessing was to be engaged in by the Pastor and any others who could attend at 6pm. There was a sporadic attendance at this meeting, although the benefit of prayer before the evening service began was acknowledged to be most beneficial.
After five years of committed work and regular attendance at the worship at Emmanuel Church, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Warman made application for membership. Their involvement in the church was highly esteemed and it was a joyful occasion when they were received into the fellowship in the summer of 1971. Their daughter Nicola, along with Mr. and Mrs. Roger Griffiths, were attending baptismal classes and sought admission to the church membership upon baptism and profession of faith. This was approved by the members, and request was made to Barnard's Cross Gospel Hall for use of their baptistry for June 9, 1971.
Other baptisms took place on December 8, when Jasmine Dyer, Susan Beadle, Pauline Woodley, Gillian Mills and Julian Hollick (now Church Secretary) confessed the Lord in His appointed way.
The need for the church's own baptistry was now considered a long-term objective and would address the need not only of a new believer desiring to be baptised, but would also give greater consistency to the church's baptistic position. The task of making preparation for this was given to the Fabric Committee, as was the need to seek permission of the Trueman Trust. Proposed plans were displayed in the vestibule to assist members on visualising the intended result. A fund was later set up for those who wished to contribute towards this work. It was not, however, until the Church Meeting of June 6, 1972, that it was possible to bring proposals before the members.
At this meeting the members had to take a vote as to where the baptistry would be positioned. Having listened to the advice of Mr. King, it was unanimously agreed that the baptistry be installed at the west side of the church (On this matter the Pastor was in dissent, believing the baptistry would be best placed before the pulpit and beneath the Communion table: however, he felt it was not an issue over which a stand should be made, as it could easily bring about unnecessary division). During this meeting an application for membership by another very loyal and supportive couple was brought before the Church. George and Evelyn Osmond had severed their connection with Brown Street Baptist Church, Salisbury, and determined, in the will of the Lord, to unite with the brethren at Emmanuel Church. Their support of, and contribution to, the work of Emmanuel Church has been steadfast and encouraging to this day.
On June 21, 1972, there were further baptisms at Barnard's Cross when Margaret Bridge, Catherine Newton (now daughter-in-law to George and Evelyn Osmond), and Edward Hams were baptized.
1 Matthew Henry, quoted in The Ordination of Mr. Malcolm H. Watts to the Christian Ministry (London: n.p. 1971).
2 Dr. John Wilmot, Letter to Malcolm Watts, February 9, 1971.