FROM THE SCRAPBOOK
September 1998
By Dr. Bill Randall
Church At Thompson Corner
I have written brief histories of some of the local churches in the Harvey area, but have not written about the Church at Thomaston Corner. It may be, because I realize that those people refer to it as the Meeting Room, and this in turn reflects a rather vital part of their Christian belief. In March 1878, Mr. George Vail of Brockway, New Brunswick received a letter from C.E. Haskell of Auburn, Maine, U.S.A. In this letter, Mr. Haskell writes to Mr. Vail, “What a blessed relationship is this into which we are introduced as children of God and as brethren.” Mr. Haskell quotes from Matthew 23:8 “For one is your Master even Christ and all ye are brethren.” Mr. Haskell continues, “Not Baptists, not Methodist, not The Brethren but “,,, all ye are brethren.”
Mr. Haskell, prior to 1878 had been at Brockway to visit his relatives and had shared with those people his belief, and thus began a nucleus of believers who would one day build their own Meeting Room. Property for such a purpose was made available to the brethren by William Gillespie near the site of the earliest established school – specifically at the corner of Route 3 and the Reynolds Road.
During the time which it took to erect the Meeting Room, worship services and Sunday School were held in private homes and in what was once the “old schoolhouse”. A unique feature of the Brethren, is that they do not consider themselves members of a church or sect, but rather they meet in fellowship in the assembly of God. They do not believe in ordained ministers or any form of hierarchy as in the established churches.
At an assembly of the Brethren, it was suggested by Brother Hatheway, a visitor from Spokane, Washington and a part of the Saint John assembly, that the school house used as a place of worship was inadequate and consideration should be given to the new building. Earl Christie remembers as a teenager going into the woods on John Christie’s lease and cutting trees which would become a part of the new Meeting Room. These logs were sawed at Lorne Little’s Mill at York Mills.
As ideas were being exchanged regarding the details of the Meeting Room, a visiting brother offered helpful suggestions and financial assistance. This brother was Arthur Nesbitt from the Saint John Assembly and later of the Montreal Assembly. His personal wealth and generous manner was demonstrated by his hiring Mr. Jordine Wilson, a Harvey carpenter, to be the builder following the design of an architect sent from Montreal. A copy of the architect’s blueprint is presently in the keeping of Phillip and Shirley Christie (whose wedding I was pleased to perform in the Meeting Room in 1958.)
Mr. Jordine Wilson was assisted by many of the community. Mr. Nesbitt also donated the seats and the Douglas fir furnishings for the Meeting Room as well as the beautiful hanging gas lamps.
In 1931, the Meeting Room was opened with the visitation of brethren from other assemblies in New Brunswick, Montreal and Ottawa. An interesting feature of the Meeting Room property was the very convenient team shelter where you could drive a double span of horses and wagon into a stall. As the years passed, obviously such stalls became obsolete and the el section of the barn was converted into an apartment for the convenient use of visitors from other assemblies while the other section was converted into a Dining Hall.
During the past 58 years, worship services have continued without interruption. Many and blessed are the happy memories of Sunday School, Young Peoples, Prayer and Bible Reading Services, Bible Conferences, and special services whenever brethren of other assemblies visit.
I am very grateful to Beatrice Young, her daughters Maxine and Shirley, for their cooperation in preparing this item, and for Earle Christie’s help.
Source: Rev. Bill Randall’s “From The Scrapbook Vol. One.”
