Day 51: Praying for seaside communities (1924)

Join with Salvationists of the Wales Division for day 51 of 150 days of prayer.

• ‘God, please make my heart new and clean. And make my spirit strong and true, deep inside me’ (Psalm 51:10, EasyEnglish Bible). 

1924

On 29 September 1924 Malcolm Campbell set a new land speed record of 146.16 mph. This took place on Pendine Sands near Carmarthen Bay in a 350HP V12 Sunbeam. A short distance along the coast is the Mumbles.

The War Cry of 1 March that year declared ‘Mumbles wants the Army’ followed by a report of recent events:

‘The notorious “Hell’s Corner” at Swansea was again bombarded on Saturday night by the comrades of the Citadel Corps (Adj and Mrs Phillips, Captain Evans), a crowd of drunken men and women being attracted. On Sunday morning a deputation of women attended the meeting with a request that the Army commence operations at the Mumbles. They said they not only had a list of tradesmen and others who were willing to support the work financially, but also had a building ready for meetings.’ 

It would be great to know the story that lay behind this deputation of community-minded women. This was no spur-of-the-moment request. They had prepared the way for the Army to commence work in the Mumbles. Perhaps some of them could remember the Army coming there almost 40 years earlier. Their request was answered. The opening of Mumbles Corps was officially announced in the War Cry of 21 May 1927, together with news of 21 other new corps in the UK. 

Prayer

• Pray for places where corps are close to or part of a seaside community. 
• Pray for people who might seek out the Army there to worship at while on holiday.