The Years of transition (1971-1973)Leadership
The task of moving The Wayside Mission from a mission to a church
fell to three men, Peter Plummer, Ken Bassett and Owen Wagener. Peter
began the process of reform by giving the Holy Spirit more prominence
and trying to attract new and younger members. Peter's story should be
recorded as part of our heritage but I can not tell it for I did not know
him well enough. I can tell you that he was an English seaman who was
converted to Christianity when in this part of the world. He married Jessie
an Australian and settled in New Zealand for a while. He was called to
be a missionary and in pursuit of this goal was called from the Wayside
to assistant pastor at the Baptist Tabernacle.
The responsibility of leading the Wayside was then passed on to Ken and Owen. I can't remember whom Peter approached first but whichever one it was he said he would only take it on, if there were anyone else to share the responsibility with him. Ken and Owen had known each other before and had been involved in some ministry together so when the prospect of working together at the Wayside came up they took it on. Ken was a secondary school teacher by profession and had been (or was) a lecturer at teachers college. Owen was a businessman and Managing Director of Wagener Construction Ltd. At the time they took over they may not have realised what a task lay ahead of them. But as things progressed and they followed the Holy Spirit's leading a new church began to take shape.
There were some hard decisions made during this time. Numbers fell off rapidly as the direction they set or continued did not meet with people's approval. Many were dedicated followers of the Lord Jesus, faithful and true. Owen and Ken knew they could not abandon them the Lord would no allow it. They served them as best they could, visiting, transporting, praying with them and taking funerals. The final bell for most came when the meeting place moved from Queen Street to the Epsom Normal primary school hall.
Missions
Another hard decision taken during these years was what to do with
all the missionaries who had been supported. The loss of people meant
that support (money) was in short supply. To most of those now attending
these missionaries were unknown. The number of missionaries was therefore
reduced. In the end these were selected, Pat Christen, Jean Taylor, Don
and Betty Theobold, Lindsey and Denise Christie, and Doug and Ruth Plummer.
All these were known to most and saw the Wayside as their sending fellowship.
Doug and Ruth Plummer were an exception for their support came mainly
on the strength of a personal commitment from Owen and Lois. Not ruled
off the list but at this time not needing support was Peter and Jessie
Plummer who were later taken on for support. These were all supported
to some degree right up until their missionary service ended. Denise Christie
is the only current missionary of this group still receiving support.
Intercession
One of the early stories I remember was how in the beginning they
had regular early Morning Prayer meetings. When Lois told me this story
she said the whole church came, all five. This was not long before I came
and I am not sure now whether it was all the men which is most likely
or all the members that gathered. This illustrates just how small the
wayside had become before the new tree sprouted. Such prayer is also the
climate that produces fruit.