STORIES OF A REVIVAL OF HOPE 

AT 

"THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE." 

(A History of today's Bible-believing Churches of the Cape)

Number 3. -- 2nd of July  2016 

by 

Dr. Marc S. Blackwell, Sr.

Acts 20:20 "... I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house."

As mentioned in my earlier blog: 'Long before the Independent Bible-believing Baptist church planters arrived in South Africa, Charles Haddon Spurgeon would envisage dozens of his Pastor's College men changing the course of this land. In fact ...dozens of pastors would come toward the last quarter of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th. Churches were planted and Bible colleges, as well. This revival of Hope would be focused on truly Biblical distinctives!"

MOTIVATIONS? Maybe, just a bit more detail would encourage us to really appreciate the personal commitment, sacrifice and deep motivations that led, if not 'drove', these men and women to leave their homeland of England? Their decision make a new life in South Africa for the Gospel's sake was no minor decision or just a 'missionary trip' but rather a commitment to give their all for the One who gave His all for them. These faithful men and women had come to South Africa to be helpful, to proclaim the Gospel to the lost, to teach and keep-back nothing of value to believers and to share the Word of God publicly and from house to house.

THE EARLIEST "Spurgeon Men" together with their wives and children began to arrive in South Africa. The first two were the Rev. W. Stokes (arriving in Port Elizabeth on the 15th of May, 1867); and Rev. W. Hamilton (arriving in Cape Town in 1876). Then, in 1877 G.W. Cross; in 1878, Henry J. Batts; in 1880 Walter Mann; in 1883 both the Evans & Maynards; in 1884 H.T. Peach; in 1886 J.F.M. Warren; [in 1887-1891 Spurgeon, The Tabernacle and the Pastor's College withdrew from the British Baptist Union] in 1889 the Adamsons & Hays arrived, in 1891 the Bakers & Russels. 

EVEN AFTER DEATH ... we can serve Christ. On 31 January 1892 C.H. Spurgeon was called Home to be with his Lord. In 1893 he flow of Pastor-Church-Planters continued with James Maginnenes and then between 1898 and 1921 eight more of the Spurgeon Pastors College students arrived with their families. The faithful teaching and preaching of the Word of God was the 'hallmark' of these "Spurgeon Men' and some would take a 'stand' against compromise and the weak interpretations of Scripture that had already 'plagued' South Africa's Christian community during its young national past. 

SOUTHERN AFRICA'S SPIRITUAL HERITAGE. For ALL Bible-believing missionaries and pastors in Southern Africa -- ALL faithful preachers of the Gospel -- THOSE determined and Biblically distinctive leaders and the churches that exist today -- to some degree this all is built upon the foundations established long before through the lives, families, ministries and faithfulness of the "Spurgeon Men." 

HOPE WAS & IS "BUSY" ... BEING SPREAD ABROAD!