Railway Street Presbyterian Church (1921)




After a short break another mission followed in the Orange Hall and Railway Street Presbyterian Church. An account enti­tled Revival in Lisburn by the Rev. J. N. Spence of the Methodist Church appeared in the Irish Christian Advocate:

Not within the memory of the oldest inhabitant has Lisburn been so deeply stirred as during the United Mission conducted by the Rev. W. P. Nicholson of Los Angeles. For the first ten days, Mr Nicholson's sermons were addressed to Christians, emphasizing the necessity for the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a separable and separate blessing. With true Methodist emphasis, the doctrine was enforced, and many hundreds claimed the promise of the life abundant. Night after night it was a thrilling sight to see scores of men and women, old and young spring to their feet in response to the missioner's appeal for instant decision for Christ and with up-lifted hand shout, "I will." Mr Nicholson is bless­edly unconventional in his methods, saying daring things, using blunt words but all combining to give a vividness and fire to the message which rams it home to conscience and heart. It is still far too early to speak of the ultimate results of the mission.

Over 2,000 souls definitely pledged themselves to Jesus Christ; 1,950 were dealt with in the enquiry room; over 700 names were transferred to the minister of one church in Lisburn. There was sud­denly more members than seating capacity of the building. All other churches have had large numbers of their members converted. In the congregations of our own circuit almost 100 persons have professed conversion... The whole movement was aptly described by one of our godly members when she said, "It was a miracle that was happening in Lisburn.:"

From 'All for Jesus' by Stanley Barnes, published by Ambassador Productions, p65-6.