Chapter 12

WICK

 

The well-known Pilgrim Preachers arrived in Wick at the beginning of October 1921 and started holding meetings in the Baptist Church, where the Rev. Millard ministered the Word faithfully every Sunday. Full of zeal for God, the evangelists held open air meetings at the foot of the cliff at the south end of the bridge. By their fearless proclamation of the Gospel and with bright singing souls were drawn to the meetings in the Baptist Church, where fifteen or sixteen, mainly young people, professed salvation. God had begun to move in Wick.

 

Drifters coming in to Wick (1927)

  (Picture: Mrs.Jack, from the Jack collection via St. Andrews University.)










Away in Yarmouth God was moving among the Wick fishermen. Around six were converted, some of them notorious characters. Among these men were Don Rosie and John Flett, both of the motor drifter Brae Flett. One man relates how he walked from Gorleston to Yarmouth. As he walked slowly up King Street with no intention of going to any gospel meeting, for he had no interest in eternal things, he heard singing coming from St. George' s Church, where the Rev. Douglas Brown was conducting services. A power outside himself drew him into the church. When the appeal was made he responded by making his way to the front. He fell on his knees and was saved although no one spoke to him personally, because so many had come forward. This man walked back to his boat, the Mizpah, which was moored at Gorleston and told his skipper who was the well-known salvationist Billie Stewart. Billie took him down to the forecastle where the motor drifters had steam boilers to drive their capstans, prayed and sang the hymn "At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the Light". There in the dark part of the fishing boat the assurance of. salvation entered that man's soul. The next day, which was a Sunday, the man was taken along to the Salvation Army in Yarmouth by Billie Stew art and Skipper Flett of the Brae Flett where there was much rejoicing over this man's conversion.

 

Baptst Church, Wick (1983).

  (Picture: G. NIcolson, Peterhead.)










As the fishermen of Wick returned home, the converts were alive for God. On Friday the 23rd November 1921, all these men attended the meeting held by the Pilgrim Preachers in the Wick Baptist Church. That night Billie Stew art sang the hymn,

 

"Ho! ev'ry one that is thirsty in spirit,

Ho! ev 'ry one that is weary and sad;

Come to the fountain, there's fulness in Jesus,

All that you're longing for, come and be glad.

 

'I will pour water on him that is thirsty,

I will pour floods upon the dry ground;

Open your hearts for the gift I am bringing;

While you are seeking Me, I will be found.'

 

It is reported that the atmosphere was charged with the power of the Holy Spirit and in the meeting some precious souls found Christ. After the service Billie gathered all the young converts together and said, "Boys I'm a Salvationist, I'll be going to the Salvation Army tomorrow night. If you want to come, "meet me outside the Army Hall at 7 o'clock." Captain Reid and Lieutenant Long were the officers in charge at Wick and they had a real burden for souls. At that Saturday night meeting things began to happen as God started to move. When the service was over the converts went out to an open air meeting at the market place. Sunday was a great day, for souls were saved in every meeting. Later that evening they went into the open air. Eyewitnesses told of how the market place was filled with people, one estimate put the number at a thousand. Men and women witnessed of their new found joy till after 11 p.m.

 

By Monday, 26th November, almost the entire population of Wick was talking about the revival. 

There was a deep sense of' God's presence. At an open-air service on the Brae-Head above the harbour at the Pulteney side of Wick these young souls, some only converted for a few hours, boldly testified of Christ' s redeeming power. Two well known young fishermen came out of the public house across from the meeting and John Flett, who had recently been saved in Yarmouth, went over to one of them and said, "I believe if you get saved hundreds will follow and get converted after you. " These two men joined the crowd and went to the market place. Later on the meeting moved to the Salvation Army Hall which was crowded, some having to sit on the windows. That night the young man whom John Flett spoke to was converted and became a Salvationist. Many others found Christ that night. The Baptist Church was also packed to capacity with people seeking God.

 

Tuesday the 27th was the greatest night of all.  After the meetings indoors there was a. tremendous open air service in the market place where it was estimated that over one hundred and twenty accepted Christ as their personal Saviour. Witnesses of this great event tell of how hardened men and women broke down, and with tears of repentance cried upon God for mercy. The young converts took off their coats and laid them on the ground so that those who desired could kneel in comfort. From that night the blessing spread like wildfire.

 

Those who were leading the work came under exceptional strain. Conducting meetings, holding nights of prayer and praise, leading enquirers to Christ all took their toll on the health of those concerned. Captain Reid of the Salvation Army became ill. Young Lieutenant Long found herself in charge of the work. God used that young woman mightily in His service. The open air services at the Brae-Head brought out large crowds and on several occasions at least four streets were blocked. Listeners were amazed as the young Christians fluently quoted scripture.

A convert who later became a Salvation Army Officer, eventually rising to the rank of Brigadier, tells of these meetings. "I was unsaved and unmoved when the awakening started. As cashier of the Breadalban Picture House, I can say that hardly anyone was attending the cinema, at one showing there were only five present. I would be going to my work at 7 p.m. when the crowds were so large I could not get through and had to make a detour around back streets to get to my place of employment."

 

Brigadier Rosie goes on to give her testimony.

"I was saved in the New Year in the Rifle Hall. The crowds were so large that the Rifle Hall had to be taken over as it was the only Hall big enough, yet even that was too small. Six months later I came into the experience of scriptural holiness and could sing from a clean heart's experience,

‘I'm more than conqueror through His blood,

Jesus saves me now,

I rest beneath the shield of God,

Jesus saves me now.’"

 

Our sister went to the Salvation Army Training College and became an officer in many Corps where a great work was done. Her sweet voice could be heard singing the songs of Zion. She testified that the work done in her heart in 1922 has lasted well over fifty years. When the Lord builds the house, it stands. During her forty years active service she has seen wonderful things. "What evidences of God's work there was," she said. "One young Christian had a melodeon and he would lead sometimes well over 500 in a march of witness from the Barrigol Hall to the Salvation Army." What a sight this must have been.

 

In these times of refreshing it was wonderful to witness that all believers were united in Christ.

The one aim was to see souls rescued from sin.  Mr. Millard of the Baptist Church was at home on the Salvation Army platform as were the Salvation Army Officers in his pulpit.

 

The Baptist Church in Union Street was another place that experienced great blessing.  Their minister, the godly Rev. Millard threw himself into the work with all his heart. He was greatly used in leading men and women to Christ, and was called upon at all hours to help sin sick souls.

His church was constantly filled, most of the time there was standing room only. Prayer meetings played a very important part in his ministry.  The testimony meetings on Sunday afternoons were special occasions. Don Rosie told of how he stopped smoking six weeks before he got saved in a meeting run by Douglas Brown at St. George's Church, Yarmouth. It was said that he was one of God's gentlemen. He sailed in the motor drifter Brae Flett with the Flett brothers, and at one time the entire crew were all saved men. Another hard case, an engineer of a steam drifter said,

"You ask me how I know I'm saved? I'll tell you.  Before I got saved I would find myself under the bed on a Sunday morning because I was so drunk that I could not get into it on Saturday night. Now, I am in bed on a Sunday morning for I have never touched a drop of drink since I got saved."

 

These converts were new creatures in Christ, and they knew it.

"I'm saved, I know I'm saved cried one fisherman. How do I know?  Well, yesterday I went into Walter' Craig's shoppie and on the counter were some knives. I could not steal them. Before I got saved I would have had two or three in my pocket."

 

How these uneducated men loved to tell in their own way the change that had been wrought in their lives since Jesus had come to abide in their hearts. They were so keen to testify that the leader during a meeting had to insist on order as two or three would have spoken at once.

 

A Salvation Army Staff Captain, Mrs. Rohu from Aberdeen, arrived to help in the meetings along with the wife of the officer from Thurso. They proved to be a tremendous asset to those who had borne the strain of the work in the early days of the awakening. The meetings continued to gather strength during the month of December and the young converts stood over the New Year period with their colours flying. At the turn of the year many of the young men had the joy of seeing their parents become Christians. There was a marked improvement in the preaching of these young converts and it became obvious that they had become students of the Bible. They quoted with accuracy and clarity' as they testified for Christ. During the first week of January 1922 these young men started to travel to the villages around Wick to take services. Among the places visited were Ackergill and Staxigo. Precious souls were converted through their witness.

 

Jock Troup arrived home at Wick on the 3rd of January 1922. He had visited Dundee after being in Fraserburgh and had seen God move in both places. These were very busy days for the young evangelist.  The past few months of strenuous labour for the Master had left him exhausted. He had become hoarse and was advised to refrain from public speaking for a period. During his attendance at the meetings held in the Barrigol Hall it became obvious that his presence brought inspiration into the services. However, when his throat showed no improvement it was decided that surgery was necessary. This operation was carried out in the Bignol Hospital, Wick. With loving care and attention Jock was soon his own self again.  His return to the work was greeted with great enthusiasm.

 

A special Gospel Rally was held in the United Free Church. This was his first engagement since the operation. Witnesses declare that it was a meeting "out of this world".  The place was packed to capacity, chairs filled the aisles and there were people sitting on the pulpit steps. His text for that night was, "Ye must be born again." People who knew him in days past had to recognise that he carried the seal of God's approval on his life and work.

 

Zion Hall, Wick (1983).

  (Picture: G. NIcolson, Peterhead.)










Jock now flung his whole weight into the meetings. The rest had done him good, for the time he had been laid aside proved to have brought fresh inspiration. So large were the crowds that gathered to hear the local man that the police asked him to move from the Market Place down to the harbour at. The Camps.  Services were held between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. every night Jock also preached in the Rifle Hall.  It must have been a great sight to watch him holding forth with his jacket off and his sleeves rolled up. It was in the Zion Salvation Army Hall that he first introduced the following hymn to his local townsfolk.

"What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought,

Since Jesus came into my heart.

I have peace in my soul for which long 1 have sought,

Since Jesus came into my heart."

 

The Master's call was heavy upon Jock, for it was not long before he started to travel. God's work in Wick went on, with the tide continuing to rise in blessing. One notable feature was that the young converts grasped every opportunity to witness for Christ. Jock made many new friends among them. One of these was a young man who had been saved only a few months earlier through the Pilgrim Preachers. From the beginning of his Christian life this young man showed great promise, and he travelled with Jock around Caithness holding meetings in halls and churches. He told me that they were praying one night at 11.30.  Jock said, "Angie, we must go out and have an open-air." Although it was late they went into the Market Place where they sang and preached.  Doors and windows were opened as people came to listen. It was a marvellous night. Men and women collapsed in the street under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. As Angie told me about that occasion in his home at Torry in Aberdeen, my heart was amazed at the wonderful way in which God works. Tears were in his eyes as he remembered souls lying in the gutters crying on Christ for mercy.

 

Old view of Wick harbour.

  (Picture: St. Andrews University.)














Jock found it hard to get away to the quiet place. In a crowded home it was not easy to escape the publicity he attracted. Often he would go down to the old sail-boats which were moored on the river at Wick. There he cried alone to God in prayer. Sometimes Angie joined him.  In later years these days became precious memories.  Angie was later to associate himself with the Open Brethren. For over fifty years he has proved to be a faithful Bible teacher and evangelist.  Many have found Christ through his ministry in the Brethren Assemblies, especially in Scotland.  I counted it a privilege to meet one who has had the fire of God burning in his soul for nearly sixty years.

 

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