Scotland, the land of the Covenanters, is another country where it has pleased God to pioneer many Apostolic Churches. The history of the Apostolic Church in Scotland during these years is a record of sure and steady progress. From a small beginning the Lord increased and established the work, line upon line. At the beginning of the work prophetical ministry came through the prophet stating that many other assemblies would be opened in Scotland, and this was fulfilled abundantly, as in ten years fifty assemblies were commenced. The first leaders of the work, Pastors Andrew Turnbull, J. Larkins, J. Macpherson and T. N. Turnbull, made plans to extend the Church in obedience to prophecy, and opened Churches in the towns and villages of Scotland. What our eyes saw in those days in the saving of precious souls, the healing of bodies, the casting out of demons, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, will never be forgotten. In the “Apostolic Herald” it is stated, “Seven years ago the Glasgow Church consisted of one family, but praise God today there are almost one-hundred-and-fifty adult members.” “During a period of twelve months over one hundred persons were baptised in water in the Glasgow assembly.” Up to the time of joining the Apostolic Church, during the “Burning Bush” days, not very many were converted, but from the time the Church was set in order the Lord began to make bare His arm in salvation. Scarcely a week passed without souls deciding for Christ, and being filled with the Holy Spirit. When people came into the services, they asked the question, ” What is in your Church? Whenever I attend the services something grips me.” It was the power of God convicting people of sin.
The Glasgow assembly grew very quickly, gaining one hundred members each year for several years. During the ten years the Church met in Renfrew Street, the hall, which accommodated about two-hundred-and-thirty people, had, at different times been over-crowded, but new assemblies were opened in different parts of Glasgow, and members were sent from the central assembly to take charge of, or help in the new places. The leading ministers also pioneered the work in many parts of Scotland. Campaigns were conducted by Pastors A. Turnbull, J. Larkins and others, and many assemblies were opened. In fact, wherever a mission took place an assembly was formed, and in a short time the work increased in a remarkable manner. Soon there were assemblies from Carlisle in the south, to the Orkney Islands in the north, and young men were sent forth from Glasgow to take charge of the new assemblies.
Some outstanding brethren who joined in those early years, in addition to those already mentioned, were Pastors A. S. Dickson, R. S. Turnbull, A. Gardiner, J. Lindsay, J. D. Brownlie, W. Cathcart, J. Turnbull and J. McCabe. All these brethren were eventually full-time ministers of the Church and greatly helped in the progress of the work at that time. The main Convention was held in Glasgow at New Year up to 1929 in public halls. About that time, however, a Church building came into the market, and it was purchased and renovated, and afterwards the Convention was held in it. This building seats about one thousand people, and the Conventions held in it have been a great blessing to the Scottish saints. After the opening of the new Church there was remarkable progress. During 1930 three hundred and thirty two people professed salvation in this building, and one hundred and eighty four were baptised in water. For many years, too, annual Conventions were held in the Sir John Wilson Town Hall, Airdrie, seating one thousand three hundred people, and on the Sunday of the Convention it was generally filled all day. In time the Mecca was the St. Andrews Hall, Glasgow, seating three thousand people. The numbers at these great services were about one thousand five hundred in the morning, two thousand in the afternoon, and two thousand five hundred in the evening, when around one hundred were baptised in water each year.
In reviewing this period of our Church’s history, we have great cause to rejoice because of the way that God so gloriously prospered His work in every section of the country in the establishing of so many new assemblies.
Extract from What God has Wrought, T.N. Turnbull, 1959
Rev John James 