About Us
When I was about five years old, Jesus touched my heart during a gospel preaching, and I trusted him simply to be my Savior and Lord. He died and shed His precious blood for my sins, then He rose again, and He is alive for evermore. Hallelujah! Have you come to Jesus yet?
"Jesus lingers still, 'tis for you He waits,
And He's waited for you long;
He waits that heav'n with its fadeless joy,
May yet to you belong.
Come and welcome, welcome whosoever will,
'Tis the Saviour's gracious call;
He is able, willing, waiting now to save;
Simply trust Him, that is all."
I was born in 1948 and was raised among Christians who regarded the Holy Bible as God's word and who also appreciated the teachings and godly exercises of devout men such as John Darby, Charles Mackintosh, James Stoney, and Charles Coates, among others.
However, during the first half of the 20th century, these brethren had gradually come to overly depend on the leadership of one brother, James Taylor ("JT"), who was born in Ireland in 1870, migrated to Canada in 1888, and moved to New York City the following year. Brother JT ministered extensively in the USA and elsewhere for over 50 years; during this period the gospel was preached effectively – both on street corners and in meeting rooms – and God saved souls and added to their numbers. Although difficulties arose from time to time, these brethren had a real sense of God's blessing. But after JT fell asleep through Jesus in 1953, underlying problems and fault lines began to surface which would lead to serious division and scattering over the next 40 years. In the accompanying paper, entitled simply My Story, I review my experiences growing up in the New York metro area among these brethren and my impressions as to several serious conflicts which arose.
We gather to the name of the Lord Jesus with a few other Christians in central New Jersey; and in the ways of God I have made acquaintance with many persons in various parts of the so-called Plymouth Brethren movement and have learned a fair bit about our history.
I desire, with God's help, to be faithful to His Word in what I publish here and in our "Showers of Blessing" periodical, but I realize that some have different viewpoints as to certain doctrinal issues and the grievous divisions which have arisen over the years. And I gently ask our visitors to write in love as they sign our guestlog. Surely we all need to prayerfully consider what the apostle Paul wrote to the assembly of God at Corinth nearly two thousand years ago:
but then face to face;
now I know partially,
but then I shall know according as I also have been known.
And now abide faith, hope, love; these three things;
and the greater of these is love."
— 1 Corinthians 13:12-13 —
And I suppose we all tend to forget 1 Corinthians 8:2: "If any one think he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know it"!
It is easy to jump to conclusions about a doctrinal issue or conflict, perhaps after reading one verse of Scripture taken out of context or hearing one report about an incident, but if we weigh what we have learned in the presence of the Lord, He often sheds more light on the question, by bringing other scriptures to mind or by providing further witness as to something which has occurred. May the truths of Psalm 37 and Isaiah 40:28-31 be engraved deeply on our hearts.
If you are looking for other Christians to meet with, do pray earnestly to God for His direction. You may also find these articles helpful: God's Way and How to Find It by Charles Mackintosh and Following the Man with a Pitcher of Water by Charles Coates.
Stephen Hesterman