Brian Cowell
To: Brian Cowell
CowellSCIATaol.net
Subject: Biographical Sketch of Mr. G. R. Cowell
Wed, 16 Dec 1998
Dear Brian,
I am interested in expanding a brief biographical sketch of your father – and mother – for my web site "My Brethren", and hope that you will be free to share some personal information with me.
- My purpose in this – along with other items – is to preserve such information for the benefit of younger brethren.
I did not know your parents personally but have a fairly good xerox
of a photo which was taken, I believe, when they were here in Toronto in
October 1957.
- I also believe they were related to Mr. and Mrs. Reg and Hilda Saunders.
- We were in touch with them for some time before the Lord took Mr. Saunders.
- Subsequently Mrs. Saunders broke bread with a few in our home until she went to England where she remained until taken by the Lord.
In the early 1970's I was in contact with Philip Haddad and have all
of your father's ministry which he published, and value it highly.
- I have compiled "Ministry by G. R. Cowell and others – A Catalogue" with subjects, scriptures, dates, places. If you would like a copy as a memento, I would be glad to send you one.
I have seen a good deal of the letters etc. circulated in the early 1960's and have no doubt that your father was very badly mistreated, along with Mr. E. J. Hemmings and others.
- A biographical sketch cannot of course undo that – but it would be a contribution to helping others to understand the servant and his ministry – and would have an honoured place on the "My Brethren" web site.
I do hope that you will respond favourably.
- The information I would like for your father – and mother whose fine hymns we often use – is dates and places of births and deaths – and marriage, family and Christian background i.e., were they brought up among the brethren or in some other connection, employment, etc.
- Any other info would be appreciated – also as to you and Alan and your families. If there are any notes, letters, etc. that would be useful and you would be free to share, I would copy them and return to you.
- I understand my request may involve time and work and will appreciate whatever you may do. Perhaps you might just confirm your thoughts so that I will know what to expect.
Affectionately in the Lord Jesus, Gordon.
From: Brian Cowell
Subject: Biographical details of Mr. and Mrs. G. R. Cowell
Sat, 26 Dec 1998
Dear Gordon,
Herewith all the details you require as far as I can remember. [See Biography: G. R. Cowell.]
I have written a document criticizing a book entitled "God, Chance and Necessity" by Keith Ward, Prof. of Theology at Oxford University.
- I have done it for a friend who is both a committed Christian and a committed Theistic Evolutionist. He is one of our trustees of our Mongolian charity which supports a translation team in Mongolia. I can tell you more about this if you are interested. I will send this critique to Keith Ward in due course.
The reason why I am sending it to you is that it might be a good summary of my position re evolution which could be of use to you.
- I have not actually finished the critique but I have fininshed the science section. I will complete it in due course and send it to Keith Ward and other theistic evolutionists I know, including Ichthus Fellowship in London which sadly embraces evolution completely.
Yours in the Lord Jesus, Brian
To: Brian Cowell
Tue, 12 Jan 1999
Dear Brian,
Thank you for the science section of your proposed book on evolution which I read with great interest.
- It is well documented and should provide a real challenge to the theistic evolutionists you have in mind.
- Of course, not having any expertise in your field I cannot offer any detailed comments.
The objectives of "My Brethren" are in a quite different area, but I
would be interested to know how your work progesses and when it is
completed.
- If your final work includes a brief chapter synopsis it might be of
interest and helpful to other guests and suitable for a contribution
page, which is not part of the site at present.
I know you will not like to speak of yourself but in view of level
of your paper and the "Dr." on your address label I, personally, would
be interested to learn your academic attainments. I hope you don't mind.
Laurie Twinam writes, "Brian mentioned to me a Mervyn Morgan of
Ross-on-Wye who has done some research on GRC and his connection with
JTJr;
- "so I contacted him and found that that this project of his is as yet incomplete as he suffered a severe accident three years ago.
- "Mervyn Morgan has promised to contact me when he is finished this
project, and of course I will pass on what he tells me (I have already
mentioned you to him)."
Does MM have an e-mail address? I would like to find out the scope of his project, and to encourage him in proceeding with it when his health permits.
Yours in our Lord Jesus, Gordon.
To: Brian Cowell
Tue, 1 Oct 2002
Dear Brian,
I was glad to hear some news of you via —, although I feel deeply with you as to your wife's condition and your own recent health problems.
In case you haven't checked 'My Brethren' lately, Jeff Kuns and I are making good progress on your father's ministry – almost half completed. Besides posting on MB, all our work is forwarded to — for use on a CD he is assembling.
The audio CD of some GRC's ministry you mentioned to — sounds very interesting. He may have asked you already, but I think there are many who would value a copy, if you were agreeable. I hope I'm not going to far in suggesting that —, who has the expertise, might be able to help in this.
I should have emailed you earlier to thank you for the good photo of your father which came via —. It is a fine addition to Biograpy: G. R. Cowell
and his ministry on MB.
- I don't want to burden you but if you have any letters or papers of your father that would be of historical interest, or any unpublished poetry of your mother, that would be suitable for MB, they would be appreciated.
We think of you and your wife in our prayers.
Affectionately in our Lord Jesus, Gordon.
From: Brian Cowell
Sun, 6 Oct 2002
Dear Gordon,
One problem with the CD of my father's ministry is that my computer jumps tracks and some I can't access it all. Whether that is the fault of the CD or my CD reader I don't quite know.
- But — has just sent me 10 cassette tapes of my father's ministry. These are very clear and I would recommend that you write to him. Otherwise you could certainly borrow and copy the disc. Perhaps your machine will do a bit better than mine.
I do not seem to have any correspondence of my father, and the only poems of mother are in her booklet 'Scattered Seed' of which I have very few copies.
Yours in Christ, Brian.
To: Brian Cowell
Thu, 10 Oct 2002
Dear Brian,
— would be happy to copy the CD and your mother's poems if you would loan them to him for return to you when completed. This would be easier for you than sending them to me.
I hope I am right in assuming that the tapes from — are not the same as ministry on your CD. Thanks for his address. I'm considering writing to him to see if he could supply me with a set of tapes. I am able to duplicate tapes, so that they could be available for brethren on this continent who would be interested.
Thanks for all your help.
Affectionately in our Lord Jesus, Gordon.
From: Brian Cowell
Sun, 13 Oct 2002
Dear Gordon,
I think the tapes were all from the CD, but, as I said before, the CD does not play well on my instrument. I don't know if the fault lies in the CD or my computer.
- My brother-in-law, Ron Brown, says that — got his tapes from the CD. Ron actually got a firm to make the CD from my original tape and this cost him £—, so it seems a pity it is not, or may not be perfect.
- However I am satisfied with the tapes. They are clear, yet not quite as clear as the CD. I'll send the CD to — in due course and a copy of my mother's poems.
Yours in Christ, Brian.
To: Brian Cowell
Thu, 3 Apr 2003
Dear Brian,
I was very interested to see your entry on Dick Wymans's web site. It reminded me that I should have written to you again.
- Perhaps you have noticed that we now have well over half of your father's ministry on 'My Brethren'.
- Besides it's value on MB, Jeff and I have gained immensely from going over it.
Perhaps you could help as to Hubert Calvey. Jeff is scanning his 3 volumes of the 'Confrontation' to preserve them.
- However we have litlle information as to him personally and wonder if you know any details that you could share with us.
Affectionately in our Lord Jesus, Gordon.
From: Brian Cowell
Thu, 3 Apr Mon 2003
Dear Gordon,
Thanks for e-mail. Regarding Calvey, I think he must now be with the
Lord. He was quite elderly when I was in my 30s and I am now 76.
- I do not have his 'Confrontation' although I did read it. It is valuable in pointing out the errors of JTJr, but really, any discerning Christian would surely detect these gross errors and extremes!
- Although well written, I felt the book hardly needed to have been written.
I am so glad you enjoy my Father's ministry. I enjoy the
straightforward expository addresses and readings, but dear Dad was exclusive to the very end of his life.
I now feel more towards the Open Brethren position. "Let a man judge himself..." We are not to be judges unless flagrant and obvious sin in evident and is persisted in.
- Then I don't think anyone could share the Lord's Table with such a man unless he repented.
- Normally it is wrong to refuse to break bread with any other true
Spirit-fillled believer of whatever denomination provided the denomination
holds the basics of the Gospel.
- For example, I have no hesitation about going to the Keswick Convention where many sound denominations are represented, and joining in the Breaking of Bread held during the Conference as is often done to unify the brethren.
- Incidently I have always enjoyed the Keswick Convention. The ministry is first class – challenging, encouraging and stimulating.
- I hope you won't write me off as a heretic!
- But I have thought a lot about conditions of fellowship and gathering to remember the Lord.
- I would still be very hesitant about certain ex-ex groups who would be unhappy about my joining in a Breaking of Bread at the Keswick Convention, and would probably ask me to repent and withdraw from me it I could not see any wrong in it.
- I really don't want anything more to do with this kind of exclusivism.
- We must, of course exclude evil from our lives by living and walking in the Spirit, but how many of us can really claim we have excluded all evil at all times and need no further repentance. I could not make such a claim.
- We all fail, even the most godly, and we constantly need the cleansing blood of Jesus.
- This does not excuse failure, but it give the assurance of forgveness.
Love in our Lord Jesus, Brian.
To: Brian Cowell
Mon, 7 Apr 2003
Dear Brian,
Your comments on Mr. Calvey's 'Confrontation' are noted.
- Whatever his reasons for writing, and whatever the need then or later, it is now a rare and valuable historical record, and worth preserving.
- We don't intend to post it on MB, except for some extracts of doctrinal value.
I suspect that there was a very good reason that your father "was exclusive to the very end of his life".
- You may have seen or be familiar with the following but it is worh repeating from the 'Background' section of his 'Biography' on 'My Brethren':
Around 1915, he came into fellowship with the brethren at Debdon Green, near Thaxted, Essex.
Here is his own account:
- "… you cannot make known the mystery simply by talking about it: right words come in and are needed, but to make known the mystery you must show it.
"I saw it working first in a farm labourer's cottage;
and when I saw it working I was delivered from all
the religious associations of men which we call Christendom.
"I saw the mystery working among the poor of the flock, and that is how it was made known to me for I did not know the doctrine of it then.
"I came into the company of simple folk who loved one another. They had love among themselves.
"Masters and servants were there according to the truth of the body, without respect of persons, and riches were flowing in from the ascended Head.
"They had not human learning, but proved that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge were available in the mystery, because all are in Christ, the Head of the body, the assembly.
"The mystery in that sense, was made known in that little company, and it freed me once and for all from the whole dead weight of Christendom as built up by man".
July 15, 1961, 'Jesus in Control', Vol. 8: 84
While my course was certainly not as even as your father's – as also being 1st generation 'brethren' – I can appreciate his continuance in his commitment.
- Those who have come from 'outside', as we used to speak, have done it at great personal cost,
- like the chiliarch who said to Paul, "I, for a great sum, bought this citizenship", Acts 22: 28.
- Having done so they are governed by that word,
- "Buy the truth, and sell it not", Proverbs 23: 23
It is a great privilege to have been brought up in a home where the truths that have come to light in – what I at least believe to he – the recovery are known and practised,
- Sadly, it seems that many who have had this advantage have no personal conviction regarding the situation in christendom, and have only thought of the 'meeting' as being their 'church'.
No, Brian, I certainly do not think of you as a "heretic" but as one of my brethren.
It is sorrowful indeed that many who once walked happily together are now separated and comiiteed, in many instances, to widely differing views and positions.
- If this grieves us, how must it affect the heart of our Lord Jesus
#421 11.10.11.10. Miss A. Ross
WHAT will it be when all life's toil is finished,
And we have entered our eternal rest;
When past for ever is the night of weeping,
And with Thee, Lord, we are for ever blest!
What will it be when all the strife is over,
And all Thy saints, now scattered far and wide,
Shall be without one shade of variation,
All like Thee, Lord, united by Thy side!
What will it be when sorrow's day is ended,
And pain and grief for ever passed away;
When with Thee, Lord, we share the bright forever,
In perfect peace throughout the perfect day!
What will it be? - In blest anticipation
E'en now our hearts outpour in praise to Thee;
But when we see Thee face to face in glory,
Then purer, sweeter, shall our praises be.
I trust I have not offended, Brian, but have simply spoken plainly as to my convictions, as you yourself have done.
Affectionately in our Lord Jesus, Gordon.
To: Brian Cowell
Wed, 23 Apr 2003
Dear Brian,
In view of our recent correspondence, I thought you would be interested in the following.
- It has just come to hand – from the files of Andrew Robertson – and I have added it to your father's biography under 'His Trials and Stand'.
Extract from a Letter dated 9th November 1961
… I ought also to make clear that I cannot accept the doctrine that those walking together in separation are at liberty to attend religious services held by sects around us.
- I separated from all these in 1915, having had experience of them.
- I could not break bread with anyone who claims this liberty and practises it.
- The fact that the E.B.'s, alas, [have] become, as a body, a pharisaical and corrupt sect, and that we have had to separate from them,
- does not give us liberty to link on with any other sect.
- I would not go back to the meetings of an older sect any more than I would go back to meetings of the E.B.'s, in order to hear an eloquent preacher or other cause.
- It is the same thing in principle, whether E.B.'s, Baptists or R.C.'s, although no doubt there are degrees of evil.
I love and value believers in the sects and would do all I could for them.
- "Hereby we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments", 1 John 5: 2.
G. R. Cowell
Affectionately in our Lord Jesus, Gordon.
Page Top
Jonathan Crosby
To: Jonathan Crosby
scrosbyAThome.com
Greenville, SC, USA
Tue, 6 Mar 2001
Dear Jonathan,
It isn't clear to me – since there is no mention of 'My Brethren' – whether your message addressed to "Dear Seeker of Truth" is a result of your visit,
- or whether it is a general message which you desire to share with others. It seems to be the latter.
