The Congregational History Society Magazine

23 April 2020

It has not been possible to print the Spring edition of the Congregational History Society Magazine. It is published twice a year and includes articles and reviews that are lively and thought-provoking. The annual subscription is £5 which covers the cost of both issues of the magazine. To subscribe and receive a copy of the current issue as a pdf straightaway and once printed by post please send a cheque for £5 made out to the Congregational History Society to the Membership Secretary:
Peter I Young, 24 Daisy Dormer Court, Trinity Gardens, London SW9 8DW or you can email him enquiries.

The current issue will be sent to all current members on our mailing list by email: if you are a member and do not receive an email please contact Peter Young at the above email address.

This is from the editorial to the Spring 2020 issue:
The current issue contains the first part of Roger Ottewill’s survey of Congregationalism in Portsmouth since 1750. This is a major town and the story there may be singular or representative of wider trends. Roger concentrates on the ministers, following the surviving records, but one should like to know more of the church members. He will continue this story in our next issue.

We also have the delights of Chris Idle’s admiration and exploration of the twentieth century hymnwriter, Albert F Bayly. The title, ‘Quietly Rejoicing’, may sum up the curious fact that Bayly’s fine work has not received the praise accorded to others. It may be that he was almost too British—modest and unassuming—but those adjectives also point to clear Christian virtues. We may hope that, in some small way, this article will bring Bayly’s hymns a little more attention.

Thirdly we have a short article highlighting in this commemorative year, 400 years after the sailing of the Mayflower, that other religious refugees found a haven in the Netherlands at that time. The Mayflower is also mentioned in our notes from the Secretary and in a review of Steven Tomkins recently published book, The Journey to the Mayflower – God’s Outlaws and the Invention of Freedom.

Issues from some time ago are available on the Congregational History Society website,  and a more comprehensive set of older copies available at the Biblical Studies Website.