Henry and Margaret Hall

Henry and Margaret first came to South Chard Church in 1969. They married here in 1971.  Henry is an elder in the church and he and Margaret run a Life Group.  They have a heart for God’s people and their life group is well attended.

I asked them what brought them to South Chard and what makes it special to them?

Henry:  We lived in West Drayton, and went to a very good Baptist church there.  Andrew Jordan, who used to be our Baptist minister, had moved to Kilmington where he met Uncle Sid and got baptised in the Spirit and became a minister at South Chard Church.  One day, Andrew came back to visit West Drayton, and our Baptist minister had a sore throat and so couldn’t speak, so Andrew ministered instead.  After the meeting the young people met together and Andrew came to talk to us about being filled with the Spirit, we had never heard of it before and wanted to know more.  A number of us began meeting together in a house which quickly developed into a house-group.  We left the Baptist church and eventually about six of us moved to South Chard.

The Church is special to me because of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  It is the friendship and the love for each other and I love the type of worship here.

Margaret:  The love that we experienced here was very unique.  Aunty Mill and Uncle Sid had an unconditional love.  They became family – our spiritual family. 

I asked them for their testimonies.

Henry:  I wasn’t brought up in a Christian home, although my mother did occasionally go to a Church of England Church. One Sunday evening we were out for a family walk and the Baptist Church was holding a rally on the village green and someone started to talk to us about the Lord; and we got saved together.

Margaret:   I was 12 when I got saved.  My sister went to a Scripture Union camp the year before and got saved.  She told me all about Jesus, how He loved me and how He had died for me.  That year we moved to the same village where the leader of the camp lived.  She began holding a bible study in her home – and there Margaret gave her heart to the Lord.  I moved to West Drayton with my job as an occupational therapist, and there I met Henry. The faithfulness of God has kept me all these years.

I asked Henry and Margaret about a difficult time that God has helped them each through.

Henry:  I had meningitis 31 years ago.  I was in the garden when I suddenly felt giddy.  I crawled on my hands and knees to the back door and Margaret helped me to bed.  I had a very restless night and had an epileptic fit in the morning.  Margaret called for the doctor and an ambulance. Before it came, Margaret phoned Harry and Pam Greenwood. Harry came straight away with his son David and prayed for me. The ambulance arrived and in hospital the consultant confirmed that I had meningitis. The Church had been praying, and the next morning Pam and Harry came to pray for me in the hospital. I was unconscious. Harry said later that I had looked near death.  A lumbar puncture was preformed and when the results came in that evening there wasn’t a sign of meningitis!

Margaret adds:  The next day, Henry was sitting up and eating a roast dinner wondering what all the fuss had been about!

Margaret:  One of the times which I found particularly hard was when we got married, we wanted to have children straight away but were unable.  This was a great distress for me and after four or five years I got down on my hands and knees and cried to the Lord, “Why me Lord?  Why am I so different from everyone else?  Why haven’t You given me children?”  And God spoke to me so clearly in my heart, “The timing has to be right.  If they are born at the wrong time their circumstances are wrong, their friends are wrong, their teachers are wrong.  They have to be born at the right time.”  Well, that really gave me hope, and I really sought the Lord and He gave me three bible verses to confirm that I would have children; and so I was at peace.  I didn’t feel the need seek any medical advice, because God said He would do it and I trusted Him.  One day Owen and Margaret Keitch, who were elders at the Church, came and prayed for me and I knew that God had touched me.  Nine months later I gave birth to James our first son.

I asked both Henry and Margaret for a favourite bible verse and why.

Henry:  Psalm 91.  It was given to me by two different people when I had a heart attack a few years ago.  I read it every day when I was in hospital.  It really encouraged me.

“The Lord says I will rescue those who love me.

I will protect those who trust in my name.

When they call on me, I will answer;

I will be with them in trouble.

I will rescue and honour them.

I will reward them with a long life

And give them my salvation.”

Margaret:  Proverbs 3.  It was given to me when I first got saved.   I didn’t understand the relevance at the time – but since then I look back and see that it’s been the story of our lives together; because there have been so many times when we didn’t understand what God was doing.  We just had to trust and He has directed our paths.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

 Another verse that has kept us both is Romans 8 verse 28.  Because when you’re going through it and you can’t quite see the end of the story you know that if you love God, God will always turn the situation around and good will be brought out of it.

“And we know that all things work together

For good to those who love God, to those

Who are called according to His

purpose.