What is a Bible Christian?

[Kit]

Just found a rellie, Mark, in the Navy in 1911. The last column of the census is titled:
Additional Particulars for H.M. Ships in Scottish or Colonial Waters.

For the page Mark is on this whole column lists the persons religion. Mark's is Bible Christian but I don't know what it is.

The other religions are: Church of England, Wesleyan and Roman Catholic.

[Durham Lady]

It's a branch of the Methodist Church and started by? oh I forget, but in Cornwall. I've a few of my Cornish ancestors who were Bible Christians.

Just googled and got this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_Christian_Church

Seems the founder was William O'Brian and he was a Wesleyan Methodist.

[Kit]

Thanks Daphne.

Interesting read.

[Olde Crone]

I went to a Bible Christian funeral here in Cornwall. A very strange experience, is all I can say!

OC

[Uncle John]

I have a couple of Presidents of the Bible Christians (named Stedeford) in my tree. By 1915 they had become the United Methodist Church. They were one of several smaller movements, along with the Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists who amalgamated into the present-day Methodist Church in 1933.

My great-grandfather's second wife was a Stedeford.

[Kit]

My man was a Wyatt. Unless his wife was a Stedeford we have no connection.

I haven't looked for her yet.

[Olde Crone]

The Bible Christian Chapel in St Ives does make reference to itself being part of the Methodist Church but it also declares itself to be part of the Evangelical Alliance Movement, which is a better description of the one service I have attended there!

(It is the only funeral service I have ever been to where the congregation laughed, clapped and cheered!)

OC

[Kit]

(It is the only funeral service I have ever been to where the congregation laughed, clapped and cheered!)

That seems weird OC.

That said I've been to a funeral where the last song was a rock song, Khe Sanh, for the aussies. The man's elderly mother had no idea what the song was, nor what it was about.

[HarrysMum]

I want Khe Sanh at my funeral...........lol.

I used to organise funerals as part of my chaplaincy job. It's really important that people have funerals for those left behind. I've found the RC church does great funerals...a real send off rather than a sombre service where people leave feeling worse than they did when they got there.

I remember one I did for a 3 year old who drowned. The parents were in no fit state to do anything. This little tot loved Kermit and the Rainbow Connection was her favourite song.
We decorated the church in rainbow colours, did the order of service to match and had that song there. We also make a movie of it for the parents to see later.

To this day, some 15 years later, they still appreciate that funeral for their little one.

[Kit]

It was funny hearing Khe Sanh. It was also slightly worrying in case the persons elderly parents caught onto the words. lol

I love the Rainbow Connection song.

My Grandad didn't want a funeral so I suggested we go out for drinks and dinner instead. No one argued with me.

[Macbev]

I've just returned from my uncle's funeral. The whole affair was very well organised.....and Strauss waltzes were played as background music during the eulogies, as he loved dancing - was still waltzing at age 94.

[Kit]

Sounds lovely Bev. Sorry for your loss.