This is a transcript of part of a booklet called “More Life in St Ouen” which was published in January 1988. It seems to be a local Church Magazine, printed and produced by St Ouen’s Church, and provides an interesting snapshot of how the Church was at that time, under the leadership of the Reverend Ray Speck, who was Rector of St Ouen.
St Ouen has always tended towards the Conservative Evangelical wing of the Church of England, and it is interesting to note that one of the talks at this conference was about "Belief, unbelief and occultism” as it was about this time that Jersey woman Diane Postlethwaite was taken to court for practising clairvoyance for profit.
There was a strong belief in some Church circles in the 1980s that Jersey was full of witches worshipping the devil and practising black magic in covens, no doubt fuelled by G.R. Balleine’s article in a Bulletin of the Societe Jersaise, which draw strongly on the works of Margaret Murray, and indeed some still do today.
St Ouen has always tended towards the Conservative Evangelical wing of the Church of England, and it is interesting to note that one of the talks at this conference was about "Belief, unbelief and occultism” as it was about this time that Jersey woman Diane Postlethwaite was taken to court for practising clairvoyance for profit.
There was a strong belief in some Church circles in the 1980s that Jersey was full of witches worshipping the devil and practising black magic in covens, no doubt fuelled by G.R. Balleine’s article in a Bulletin of the Societe Jersaise, which draw strongly on the works of Margaret Murray, and indeed some still do today.
Now while I have good grounds for believing Ray Speck had nothing to do with the case, the fact that this was mentioned in the “Spring Harvest” account shows that it very much formed part of a fundamentalist zeitgeist at this time. I would just add that no modern historian takes Murray’s work on witches seriously as the evidence does not support it.
A note on the event: Spring Harvest is an inter-denominational evangelical conference and gathering in the United Kingdom that started in 1979. Its stated aims are to 'equip the Church for action' through a range of events, conferences, books and resources. The tone is generally evangelical with modern worship music, workshops and Bible study groups. In 1988, a worship album was launched at the festival, with profits going to Christian projects involved in supporting those with HIV/AIDS. It went on to raise over £20,000, a tidy sum on those days.
A note on the event: Spring Harvest is an inter-denominational evangelical conference and gathering in the United Kingdom that started in 1979. Its stated aims are to 'equip the Church for action' through a range of events, conferences, books and resources. The tone is generally evangelical with modern worship music, workshops and Bible study groups. In 1988, a worship album was launched at the festival, with profits going to Christian projects involved in supporting those with HIV/AIDS. It went on to raise over £20,000, a tidy sum on those days.
I’ve also included some of the adverts from the magazine as these are rather fun.
Spring Harvest by Jackie Payne
(January 1988)
This Easter several thousand people -- Christians and non-Christians alike — will be meeting for celebration, study and fellowship in the Butlins camps at Minehead and Skegness. Spring Harvest, a series of week-long festivals running simultaneously in the two venues, was initiated a few years ago by a group of people who felt the need for Christians of all denominations to meet, share and learn together. It has proved to be extremely successful.
During Easter, 1987, a group of approximately 35 people from St. Ouen's church, family parties included, braved the somewhat uninspiring climatic conditions of north Somerset to learn just what Spring Harvest had to offer the ordinary person.
Greeted by continuous torrential rain we arrived at the holiday centre in the late afternoon of the first day and from then on were swept along in a whirlwind of events which left us exhausted but generally exhilarated at the end of each day. We began the experience in a Big Top packed with some 6,000 people and spent an evening singing and being introduced to the speakers who would guide the week. Each day we were able to attend as many or as few events as we chose — sometimes depending on the importance of a lie-in!
During Easter, 1987, a group of approximately 35 people from St. Ouen's church, family parties included, braved the somewhat uninspiring climatic conditions of north Somerset to learn just what Spring Harvest had to offer the ordinary person.
Greeted by continuous torrential rain we arrived at the holiday centre in the late afternoon of the first day and from then on were swept along in a whirlwind of events which left us exhausted but generally exhilarated at the end of each day. We began the experience in a Big Top packed with some 6,000 people and spent an evening singing and being introduced to the speakers who would guide the week. Each day we were able to attend as many or as few events as we chose — sometimes depending on the importance of a lie-in!
The start of the proceedings was prompt — a bible study at 9.30 a.m. to put the brain in gear — rather a shock to the system for many! As the day progressed, and eyes became less bleary, seminars were held on the chosen topics of the week. These were COMPASSION, CONVICTION, COMMUNITY and CONVERSION. The discussions revolved round the ways in which Christians' can put their beliefs to practical use among the rest of the community for the benefit of all.
It was also possible to listen to various speakers who dealt with subjects as varied as "How to be a missionary", "Feminism" and "Belief, unbelief and occultism". The list of options was so comprehensive that most people found something of personal interest. So much reference to seminars and lectures perhaps conjures up rueful visions of school and hard work, but all one needed to gain something during the Spring Harvest week was an open mind and the desire to hear sound teaching on important issues which face us all.
It was also possible to listen to various speakers who dealt with subjects as varied as "How to be a missionary", "Feminism" and "Belief, unbelief and occultism". The list of options was so comprehensive that most people found something of personal interest. So much reference to seminars and lectures perhaps conjures up rueful visions of school and hard work, but all one needed to gain something during the Spring Harvest week was an open mind and the desire to hear sound teaching on important issues which face us all.
Evenings were spent in the Big Top singing lively songs, praying and hearing various people speak — some giving testimonies of faith and others describing their work as Christians. The atmosphere was vibrant. There was an immense aura of fellowship between a large group of people from all corners of the United Kingdom. Altogether, the entire Spring Harvest experience was highly worthwhile. As "a Christian I found it greatly helped the strengthening of the basis of my faith in the Lord. Many non-Christians who have been to Spring Harvest have voiced the opinion that it gave them much to think about.
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