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Good News on track

Over recent months God has intervened in the life of one local church and a national mission organisation to cause them both great happiness.

Their problem

What seemed to be an impossible situation for the Railway Mission (RM) and Calvary Evangelical Church (CEC) in Brighton proved eventually to be no problem to God.

The Railway Mission has been seeking for 125 years to take the gospel to those who work on the railways. With the difficult financial climate for mission organisations it had come to a point where it needed to sell properties it owned to fund its continued work. A couple of years ago it needed to put its property in Brighton on the market.

However, this building is the place of worship of Calvary Evangelical Church (formerly the Brighton Railway Mission). Obviously the church wanted to continue in the building. Thus the mission and the church were on opposite sides of a very difficult situation.

History

The Railway Mission in Britain has its roots in the USA where the YMCA began work with ‘railroad men’ in 1872 in Cleveland, Ohio. Inspired by this, the Railway Boys Mission was begun in 1874 in Wandsworth, through concern for the many youths flocking to London to work on the railway. Being away from home influences, they were subjected to all manner of temptation.

In 1881 at Garden House Conference Hall, Mildmay Park, the committee of the Railway Boys Mission resolved to merge their work into that of a larger society, the Railway Mission. The Mission’s aim was ‘the moral and spiritual advancement of railway employees of all ages’.

On Sunday March 19 1876, Mrs. Gates, wife of a Brighton solicitor, held a little service at the Brighton Central Railway terminus with a small congregation of a ticket collector and two porters. The meetings grew rapidly over the years till in 1893 it became necessary to purchase an RM Hall, and enlarge it in 1894 to seat 500.

At its peak there were over 400 Railway Mission branches throughout the UK. Much of the work was centred on Mission Halls until after WW2, and some of these were the ‘iron churches’, popularly known as ‘tin tabernacles’. Many of these survive, including the former RM Hall at Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk, which continues as a place of worship. One that once was based in Westhouses, Derbyshire, has been beautifully restored at the Midland Railway Centre at Swanwick. This tin tabernacle was originally used by the Anglican church to serve the growing industrial community. Other mission churches were much more substantial buildings.

Changes

During the 1900s the nature of railway-related Christian ministry changed. Many mission halls closed, others took on the roles of local gospel churches, and the national strategy focused on RM chaplains. In 1998 expensive roof work was needed on the Brighton Mission Hall (now Calvary Evangelical Church), so there was a divergence of views on the way forward: redevelop, or sell and use the money to support chaplains? But what rights of tenure did the existing congregation have? The Victorian pioneers had not foreseen these questions and there was a seven-year period of uncertainty.

God’s amazing provision

The RM was invited to give a presentation to executives from the privatised railway companies. The companies recognised what a good work of support and counselling was being done for travellers and railway staff by the mission workers. The companies felt they would like to contribute funds to the work of the RM. Suddenly the whole financial situation was changed. The mission no longer felt it had to sell its Brighton building and the church could stay there.

To cap it all, floor space became available within the building which just matched the requirements of Brighton City Mission, who urgently needed new premises. A considerable legacy also became available at that time, almost covering the money needed to develop the rooms for the City Mission.

Earlier this year, a celebration was held in Brighton rejoicing in what God has done.

125th anniversary

The Railway Mission celebrates its 125th anniversary this month with gratitude to God for his provision over the years and this positive outcome for all.

Enquiries to DickLCrane@aol.com (01234 214790).