Mr Derek Ivor Bishop, aged 75, was called Home on 12 January after a 4½ year illness patiently borne. Sent to Sunday School from an early age, he trusted the Saviour in 1952 whilst attending a camp on the Isle of Wight. He was later baptised and received into fellowship at Belmont Hall, Harrow, which was his spiritual home all his life and where he served as treasurer and an elder for over 30 years. Derek took a great interest in people and their lives, trying to help them in many cases where he could. He will be greatly missed in the assembly at Harrow and leaves behind a hole that, humanly speaking, cannot be filled. He devoted his life to Belmont, spending many, many hours in pastoral care, Bible teaching, supervision of building work, financial guidance and much more. He never relinquished his duties until forced to do so and, then, only in the last few months. Prayer would be appreciated for his wife of 49 years, Jenny, his children Suzanne, Matthew and Jonathan and their respective families. In the last hours of his life he knew he was going to his eternal Home, and took great comfort in the words of Job 19.26 and C H Spurgeon's exposition, "I shall see God". There was standing room only at his funeral service, and many unbelievers attended, which gave testimony to the high esteem in which he was held by all who knew him.
Mr Michael Browne, missionary, teacher of the Word and servant of the Lord, went to be with Christ on 26 February in his 86th year. Michael was saved as a young Royal Marine in Ipoh, Malaya (now Malaysia), in 1950, and his remarkable conversion story thrilled the many who heard him relate it. He never lost the wonder of God's sovereign hand upon him in salvation, and the zeal, energy and single-mindedness that marked him in later service stemmed from God's dealings with him in mercy.
Returning to Plymouth in 1951, saved but not baptised, Michael was befriended by believers from the Wolseley Road Gospel Hall where, in 1952, he was baptised and received into assembly fellowship. He met and married his wife Grace, and they were blessed with two children, Elisabeth and Andrew. In 1960, Michael and Grace obeyed the call of the Lord to missionary service in Hong Kong where they laboured, often under intense trials of faith, for the next 12 years. The Brownes returned to the UK in 1972, but their sphere of missionary service widened to include many western European countries, the Balkans, India and the Far East. In the UK, they lived in Glastonbury, Orkney and, for the past 32 years, Bath.
Michael's preaching was energetic, Biblically sound and always uncompromising. He was always ready to "endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ", and his dear wife Grace often accompanied him in arduous conditions. Grace was called Home a little more than a year before he joined her in Heaven, and we are left the poorer for their passing. Their joint testimony and consistent, faithful service for the Lord enriched many, and made an indelible mark on the lives of believers all over the world.
There were heartfelt tributes from many of those believers when Michael was buried from Manvers Gospel Hall, Bath on 17 March.
Mrs Margaret Dempster, aged 86, was called Home to be with the Lord on 28 February, after a period of illness. She was saved at the age of 61 through attending meetings in Broughshane Gospel Hall conducted by the late Mr Harold Paisley. Shortly afterwards she was baptised and received into fellowship in the assembly at Cambridge Avenue, Ballymena, where she attended along with her late husband William until she became ill. She had a great love for the Lord, the believers and the assembly, spent much time in prayer for unsaved ones, and was kind and generous to all. After her husband's death, she was lovingly cared for in the home of her daughter and son-in-law, where she resided until her homecall. During these years she was visited diligently by her family, including all her sons. Her funeral was shared by local brethren, and the large gathering both of saved and unsaved betokened the respect in which she was held. Prayer is requested for her family and grandchildren, some of whom do not know her Saviour.
Mrs Jean Graham (Hamilton), aged 80, was called Home on 16 March. Our sister was saved as a teenager in 1954, and married the late Ivan Hamilton in 1957. They lived in Portadown before settling in Glengormley where Ivan became a respected overseer, and together they were a great blessing to the believers. Ivan died in 1994 and, after 15 years, Jean married Wilbert Graham, continuing with him in the assembly there. She was a quiet, godly sister who never complained, even during her illness. She had an open and winsome smile which she retained to the very end. One of the verses read at her service was 1 Peter 3.4: "The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit … is in the sight of God of great price". These words just sum up our dear sister. Mention was also made of Heaven's assessment of certain things in contrast to that of the world - the Adornment, the Blood and the Church, and their true value before God. These are the 'ABC' of real value. The funeral service was conducted by local brethren, at Jean's request, and the large company present bore testimony to the esteem in which she was held. Jean was greatly loved and will be much missed in the assembly. Her quiet godliness and consistency had a great effect and influence. She is survived by her husband Wilbert, and her two sons David and Peter along with their spouses and children. Please remember this family in your prayers that God will comfort them and save those who are still without Christ.
Mrs Josephine McGowan, aged 72, was called Home on 3 March. She was born into a Christian household, her parents both being saved for many years and in assembly fellowship at Kingsmoss. She was saved in September 1959, under the preaching of the late Dan Cameron. In 1960 she was baptised and received into fellowship in Kingsmoss, where she remained until her homecall. She married her husband Stanley in August 1968, and was a faithful companion and support to him for over 47 years. In December 1989, following her husband's stroke, Josephine also became his carer. She had a keen interest in all assembly activities, had a love for the gospel, both amongst the young and older ones, and had an active interest in missionary work, being involved with others in sending parcels to missionaries. She loved music and, in particular, the singing of hymns and choruses. Her health deteriorated in recent years and, following heart surgery in November, Josephine spent the last three months, until her homecall, in hospital. Her very large funeral service was taken by M Coffey, D Connor, P McClarty, R Moore and F Sweeney. Josephine will be greatly missed by the assembly, and by her husband Stanley and daughter Gwen, for whom prayer is requested.
Mr John Bailie McKeown, aged 73, died peacefully on 26 February at his home in Antrim, where he had been lovingly cared for by his wife Rosemary and the family. John was a brother beloved because he showed such love to others. He was saved on 16 January 1963 after a Gospel Meeting in Creavery Gospel Hall when the late Mr Kerr Duff preached the gospel. Following his baptism, he was received into Antrim Assembly where he remained until his homecall. John developed a great love of hymns, and his hymnbook showed that it was well used. His personal use of the hymnbook was evidenced in the suitability of the hymns he requested at the Breaking of Bread. As a valued overseer he was faithful in visiting the sick and needy saints, praying and reading the Scriptures with them. The very large gathering at his funeral service was a tribute to his faithfulness.
Mr Maurice Albert Owen was quietly called Home on 23 March, at the age of 100, as he slept. Maurice was born on 6 June 1915 in Boddington, a small village in South Northamptonshire, the last but one in a family of six. His parents were Methodists and he was a regular church attender. When he was 16 the Methodist Chapel convened a series of gospel meetings, and as Maurice attended these meetings he discovered he was a guilty sinner in need of God's salvation if he was ever to get to Heaven. It was during these meetings that Maurice trusted Jesus Christ for salvation.
The night after his conversion, the gospel preacher invited Maurice to his home and gave him a Bible and the good advice "Read your Bible every day and pray every day." As he grew and progressed in the reading of Scripture, Maurice learned new truths and realised that many of the Scripture teachings were not taught in Methodism. As a result of this he felt he had to find those who were committed to following the Word of God.
In 1940 he was called up to military service and joined the army. He was posted to Wigston barracks in Leicester, and then to various stations up and down the country. He was baptised by immersion in Cadoxton, Barry, South Wales on Easter Sunday 1941. On returning home to civilian life he lived with his parents in Boddington, and joined the fellowship of believers in Banbury Gospel Hall, Oxfordshire.
Maurice remained in fellowship in Banbury for 11 years before joining with others to start a new testimony in Daventry. After four years he parted company with them because of erroneous teaching. At this stage he joined himself to the local assembly in Northampton which met in Tintern Avenue Community Centre and he, and Connie his wife, remained there until the death of his father in 1983. After his father's death, having promised him that he would remain in the village during his lifetime, he and Connie moved to live in Corby, where they remained for four years before moving to Peterborough.
After Connie's death he moved into residential care in Quebec Hall in Norfolk, and later moved to Leicester where he spent his last years in Melborne Home and enjoyed the fellowship of the saints in York Street assembly. He longed to 'go Home' to Heaven, and when told that the end was near he put his hands together and quietly said "I am going Home".
Maurice loved to spread the gospel, and spent many hours delivering tracts around the homes where he lived for as long as he was able. He was a great believer in covering the same area month after month, which resulted in him becoming known to many residents in each area.
Mrs Mary Rudd of Kirkconnel was called Home to be with her Lord on 27 February, aged 91. Mary was saved as a young girl, growing up in the Cotswolds and moving to Scotland when she married the late John Rudd. They both served the Lord with diligence and dedication, their home being open to the Lord's people both locally and wider afield. Following the death of John in 2008, Mary suffered from poor health which prevented her from gathering with the local assembly, but she never lost her interest and was always up-to-date with the affairs of the local company. She spent the last few weeks of her life in hospital, where she bore a bright testimony and exuded a great calmness and peace that was witnessed by all who visited her. Mary's funeral was held in the Gospel Hall and was well attended. God's Word was ministered both tenderly and faithfully in the hall and at the graveside.
Mr Fred Sinton, aged 91, was called Home on 23 February. He was saved as a young man of 17, having heard the gospel preached in the open air. He was first received into the fellowship of the Ormeau Road assembly, before being commended, with his wife Jeannie, to the Glenburn assembly in 1962, where he was a faithful member for almost 50 years. In recent years he was cared for by his daughter Dorothy, and enjoyed the fellowship of the assembly in Larne. His funeral service was conducted by R Pickering and D McClean.
Mrs Mary Thompson, aged 83, passed peacefully into the Lord's presence on 4 March, having been in Prospect Nursing Home, Ballymena for the last two years. Mary, who was brought up in north Belfast, put her faith in Christ in her early teens and was received into the Oldpark Assembly. She married Jackie Thompson in 1962, and moved to the Ballymena area. Initially in fellowship in Ballybollen, they later joined the assembly which now meets in Cambridge Avenue, Ballymena, where our sister was a highly-esteemed member. Her funeral service was conducted by local brethren W Calderwood, J Law, M McKillen and J Parkinson. A short family service at the graveside was conducted by T Wallace and T McKillen. Prayer is requested for Mary's husband Jackie, sons Kenneth and Stephen, daughter Avril, and their families.
Mrs Elizabeth Watt (née Mathieson), aged 75, was called Home on 5 November. Elizabeth was saved as a girl of 12 in 1951, and was baptised into the Church of God in Cummingston, near Hopeman, Morayshire. After she married J Murray Watt from Larkhall, they moved to Hamilton, then Larkhall, being in happy fellowship in Newarthill and Wishaw assemblies before moving to Burntisland. After Murray's death in 1985, Elizabeth moved to Cowdenbeath and remained in happy fellowship in the assembly there until her death. Due to her ill health in the last year, her attendance was not as consistent as she would have liked. She was well supported by the assembly during her final illness which she bore with dignity and quiet faith. "We shall meet on that beautiful shore."
Mrs May Williamson, called Home, aged 94, on 14 February. Our sister was saved in 1947 when the late Harold Paisley preached in Fivemiletown. A short time later, she and her late husband Lexi were received into fellowship in the assembly at Lungs, where they remained for the rest of their lives. May was a faithful attender at all meetings and was a constant supporter of gospel outreach in the district. It was only in the latter years of her very long life that her health began to deteriorate, making it difficult for her to attend meetings as she loved to do. Throughout the years of declining health she was most lovingly cared for by her large family, for whom prayer would be much appreciated. Her large funeral was from her home to Lungs Gospel Hall. The services were conducted by J Wishart, with local brethren G Irvine, M McFarland and E Steen sharing in tribute and prayer. Her burial was in the adjoining cemetery, where G Woods gave a very clear, sympathetic gospel message to a large gathering of family and friends.