The Wilmington morning star., 1946-01-20
'ORGANIZED' BRITAIN
One-Time Aide To DR.
Blanton Convinced Eng
lish Of Training Union
Worth

Armed only with natural de
termination and optimism, copy
of Baptist Training union maya.
zine, an armful of textbooks, ano
experience gained while in Viii
mington, an American Army of
ficer overrode the skepticism O
an English parish and established
a Baptist group on the Vulnerable
coast of war-torn England.
This miracle was achieved
by First 1t. John H. Chambers
former pastors assistant to DR.
Sankey Lee Blanton, First Baptis
church, Wilmington.
An account OF 1t. Chambers
activities reached Wilmington this
week via Army Air Force head
quarters in Europe.
Although Lieut.. Chambers Of
fetal connection with the parish
oners of the little church # Leis.
ton, England, was severed with
the wars end and his subsequent
transfer to the Ninth Air Force ir
Germany, his Baptist Training I'M
ion in the English hamlet is still
operating.
Continuing his peacetime occu-
patton of organizing Training I'm.
ions, Lieut.. Chambers, stationed al
an Eighth Air Force fighter base
on the English coast, went into
the Faith Baptist church of Leis
ton, Suffolk, and, with the ready
assent and aid of the Rev. J. H.
Barker, successfully organized and
directed a Baptist Training union
He first became interested in at
tracing young people to the Eng
lish church when, in the early
part of 1914, he noticed the same
faces, most of them age-lined, in
the Rev. Bankers little parish Sun
day after Sunday.
After about four months of at.
tending the meetings, he suddenly
realized the acknowledgements s
church had become as much g
custom as drinking tea, but it was
an old custom, remembered anc
observed only by the older folk
I Studies English Problem
Seeking to discover what Nigh
be done to bring the young people
into the church and hold their in
terest, Lhut. Chambers at last con
, Guided that what had helped in hi!
church in Wilmington would alst
work in England.
Over tea and crumpets one Sun
day, he preached the matter tx
the Reverend and laid before him
a copy of the Baptist Training I'm
ion magazine.
The good Reverend was skepti
cal. He held that the English PEG
pie, especially the old regular par
ishoners, who were, as he put it
decidedly set in their ways"
might resent any "new-fangled'
American ideas. But through tn,
combined efforts of 1t. Chamber!
and Mrs. Barker, the Reverend
decided to give it try.
Determined not to muff his Oh
portunity, the Army officer ad
dressed the congregation and laie
before them his plan for Baptis
Training union.
During the week he gave t.,
Pensioners to consider his pro
posal, Lieut.. Chambers organized
and executed successful propa.
ganda campaign. By infiltratins
literature into the dubious congre
cation, and by sending into the
field an army of IS church-goine
Yanks, armed with textbooks anc
new ideas, he succeeded in con
vlncing the English of the work.
ability Of his plan for better Bap.
fist church in England.
Two weeks later a Baptist Train
ing union was functioning success
fully in the little church. 1t.
Thomasson, also of North Carolina,
was put in charge of the youth
class. while 1t. Chambers devoted