Copy of Personal Letter.
Maurice Lloyd's Comment on Personal Christian Relationships in the 1960s. His understanding of The British Israel Movement and Pentecostalism.
Dear Mr. T,
Thankyou for your letter and for the cheque, which I am returning as there is uncertainty about your reouest. "The Messianic Mystery" in its sequence of issue should have been TIB No.20, but the current issue is now TIB No20 and I suspect this is what you have in mind. I can only supply the former; you must write direct to Andersen if you want the latter, when you may like to ask also for the early Nos 3 & 4 which contain relevant material. My only connection with TIB has been to update the British subscribers list, first for Carl Elleby and more recently for Dan Andersen.
I am quite sure we have never met. It is just a coincidence that you have a namesake living in the same area and having a like interest. I came from Bedford in the summer of 1960 to Birmingham, where I worked as electrical design engineer with Donovan Electric Co. of Stechford. There was a fortnightly meeting held at the Methodist Central Hall where Norman Cooper regularly ministered though organised by Joe Harkness (uncle of Neil whom I guess you'd know). It was at these Sunday evening meetings that I met T.M., who showed much interest and was always keen to have a chat on biblical matters. As I recall he was rather less tall than his wife, and he had the broad build of the South Wales miner, which he had been. He worked at ICI and had come under the influence of the late Charlie Beaumont who also worked there. But Charlie himself( a man of strange outlook and behaviour) had some grudge against Norman Cooper and only appeared when Welch was visiting.
Another who only appeared when CHW was there was John Eades, whom I visited at his house once. But at bottom he was not genuinely interested in Acts 28.28. he was seeking to establish Acts 13. dispensationalism. I believe he worked at Avery's where there was a Christian Fellowship and out of which evolved a regular Bible Study. They held a weekly meeting at Handsworth School, at which on one occasion only was I asked to speak. It was 29th January 1963 and it was here I first met Gilbert Mahler (whose surname you failed to recall. Under the influence of Norman Cooper he and Sidney Barker, together with Roy and Elizabeth Bicknell (who later emmigrated) became actively linked to Acts 28 teaching.
I left Birmingham in October 1964 but some years later I met Gilbert again at Preston, where he came along with Charlie Beaumont who was speaking there. I believe Gilbert joined the Salvation Army soon after this.
I first met Leslie Green at Sunningdale in 1956, but we have never been compatible personalities. he always seems to want to leave his options open while I want to make a firm commitment and I expect those I have dealings with to do the same. He sent me the draft copy of Ichthus Study No.3 for me to make critical comment upon, which I was pleased to do. However, when I asked of him a reciprocal analysis of my own "Resurrection Episodes Reconciled" he refused to do so. So things between us are not amicable.
B.I. writers are in general devout evangelical Bible students, and one can read with profit much that is written by them. Pentecostalism however certainly does have dangers. But I am not advocating B.I. teaching; hence 1 say "well meaning folk may seek to locate Ephraim". Their aims are premature; God is not presently concerned with recovering any of the thirteen lost tribes. Their claim that the British Royal Throne preserves the Davidic Line could well be so. It does not matter either way just now.
I have a reputation for getting folk into a corner and not leaving them a way of escape. In small matters I do sometimes let a person save face, but not in this case where the truth is at stake.
Yours sincerely Maurice Lloyd 3rd January 1986