Centenary Celebrations (Part One)
This year, 2021, marks the centenary of the partition of Ireland and the establishment of the Northern Irish State. One of our leading politicians recently commented, in relation to the planned centenary celebrations, ‘there is nothing to celebrate’. Others, of course, feel very differently. As Christians living in Northern Ireland, we find that looking back to 1921 is a worthwhile exercise for us. We discover that there is much to celebrate because exactly one hundred years ago God raised up an evangelist by the name of W P Nicholson who was mightily used in the preaching of the Gospel throughout our land. Thousands of people professed faith in Christ through WP’s ministry and although there was uncertainty, confusion and bloodshed throughout the land God was pleased to move by his Spirit in a mighty way.
In this and subsequent articles we want to reflect on W P Nicholson. Who was he? What did he do? Why did God so mightily use him? So let’s plunge right in and consider the birth and upbringing of this remarkable man.
William Patteson Nicholson was born on 3rd April 1876, in Cottown, near Bangor, County Down. His mother, Ellen Campbell, to her maiden name, was a native of Cottown while his father, John G Nicholson, was a captain in the Merchant Navy. When William was young the family moved to live in the University area of Belfast. Every Sunday they walked to Albert Street Presbyterian Church so that they might sit under the faithful evangelical ministry of Rev Henry Montgomery.
William, however, turned his back on the gospel and when he was sixteen years of age he went to sea as an apprentice on board the sailing ship ‘Galgorm Castle’. After four years at sea he left the navy and joined a railroad construction gang in South Africa. At the age of 23 he returned home to his family who were now living again in Bangor. It was there, in the family home; on 22nd May 1899 while waiting for his breakfast that he came under deep conviction of sin. Let William himself share with you details of his conversion to Christ,
"Suddenly and powerfully and consciously, I was saved. Such a peace and freedom from fear, such a sweet and sure assurance filled my soul.
I turned to my mother and said, "Mother, I am saved"
She looked at me and nearly collapsed and said, "When?"
I said, "Just now"
"Where?"
"Here where I am sitting" 1
Some months later WP attended a conference for ‘the deepening of the spiritual life’. These meetings were addressed by his brother, James, and Rev. Stuart Holden, and the attendees were encouraged to seek the ‘Second Blessing’. Now those who were involved in these meetings were sincere, Bible believing Christians who had a real desire to serve the Lord and live lives of holiness. However, they erroneously believed that Christians, subsequent to coming to faith in Christ, should seek a further experience in which they would receive a mighty outpouring of the Spirit of God lifting them up to a higher spiritual plane. We don’t deny for a moment that God sometimes gives to his people remarkable experiences in which they are overwhelmed by a sense of his love and grace. However, the Bible is clear that we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit on coming to faith in Christ. It’s the Spirit who gives the gift of regeneration. Scripture teaches that our Christian lives will be characterized by an ongoing struggle with indwelling sin (Ephesians 1:13, Romans 7:14ff).
Let’s conclude by letting WP share with us about this ‘new experience’ and how he felt it helped him to lose his fear of what others thought of him. The piece is entitled ‘How Billy Nicholson caught the fire’ ,
"The Salvation Army had come to our town. The Corps consisted of two wee girls in uniform. They held open air meetings and made a noise with their tambourines. Their first soldier was a man called ‘Daft Jimmy’. He had hardly enough brains to give himself a headache, but he had sense enough to get saved…. The very thing I dreaded most before the blessing, walking down the street with the Salvation Army, had to be faced. As I walked down the street that Saturday it seemed to me as if every friend and relative I ever had were out and about. When I came to the open air meeting and saw the two wee Salvation Army girls singing and rattling their tambourines and poor Daft Jimmy holding the flag, I nearly turned back. The crowd gathered round. I could hear their laughter and jeers and then, to my horror, one of the wee girls said, "Brother, take the tambourine and lead the march back to the barracks". I couldn’t let a girl beat me so I took it. That did it. My shackles fell off, and I was free. My fears were all gone." 2
Footnotes
1 All for Jesus: The Life of WP Nicholson by Stanley Barnes, Ambassador (1996), p.21
2 ibid. p.26-27
