Margaret Barber, Surrey Chapel and the Visitors from China

Around the beginning of 2009 the Surrey Chapel office received a request from a Christian group organizing a tour of Chinese Christians, which included a visit to Norwich.  Could they come and visit Surrey Chapel, because they were on a study tour looking at various places of worship?  Thinking that Surrey Chapel would be the last place tourists would want to look at – our present building is high on functional but decidedly low on numinous – we politely declined.  We then received an email telling us not to be surprised if we see a coach pulling up outside the Chapel, because they were so keen to see our building that they would just come and look at it from the outside!  It was something to do with the histories of our church and their church.

Well, in that case, we thought we had better make arrangements to welcome them and show them round.  So, one of our elders, Derek Haylock, met the group of 47, led by a Professor Chen, at the Chapel (in Botolph Street, near Anglia Square) at 8.30 am on 25 February.  It turned out to be a wonderful and encouraging experience!

Derek told them a little of the history of the Chapel, showing them the plaques for the first two pastors, Robert Govett and D.M. Panton, that had been brought from the original Surrey Chapel in Surrey Street.  They were given copies of 150 Years at Surrey Chapel written by Rosamunde Codling (2004).  Derek told them about why the church had moved from its original building in Chapel Loke off Surrey Street (now the site of John Lewis Car Park).  But, in fact, they seemed to know the history already because it was all written and illustrated in their study guides!  They were particularly keen to see some of Govett’s and Panton’s books in the Govett Room and to take photographs of everything.  In the main Chapel upstairs, as they sat excitedly on the old Surrey Chapel wooden chairs, Professor Chen reminded them of why they were there.  The story was inspiring.

D.M. Panton became Pastor of Surrey Chapel in 1901.  A lady missionary called Margaret Barber (1866–1930), who had returned to England from service in China, left the Church of England and joined the Chapel around 1907.  There were some suggestions of a possible romance between Panton and Barber, but in the end the call to return to China for Margaret Barber was stronger.  It was a period of missionary fervour in the Chapel, when, during the years 1906 to 1917, as many as nine individuals went to serve in China.  Margaret Barber went back to China as an independent missionary, sent and supported by Surrey Chapel in 1909.

 So this year, 2009, is the centenary of her sending to China by Surrey Chapel.  For the Chinese visitors this was a most significant event in their own history.  In China, Margaret Barber met an 18-year-old Christian man, Watchman Nee.  She personally tutored him in God’s word, directed his study and encouraged him in his spiritual development.  Watchman Nee became one of the most influential Christian leaders in the history of the Chinese church – and the visitors to Surrey Chapel in 2009 were all from churches whose roots are in Nee’s ministry.  And this is why they were so excited to be visiting Surrey Chapel in Norwich.  As they saw it, in the sovereign purposes of God, they were Christian believers today because Surrey Chapel had sent Margaret Barber to China one hundred years ago!

There in the Chapel, we sang together a hymn written by Margaret Barber and enjoyed a thrilling time of prayer and thanksgiving.  More photographs and numerous handshakes and hugs and then they returned to their coach – on their way to visit the John Lewis car park!

Jesus said, ‘The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  Though it is the smallest of your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree …’ (Matthew 13.31–32).

Derek Haylock, March 2009