Having grown up in the old Camden Gospel Hall in New Jersey' afforded me the privilege of meeting many missionaries going to and returning from South America' especially those engaged in the Lord's work in Venezuela. This missionary spirit and interest in the assembly originated with' and was promoted by the late Charles J. Strom.
As a young girl in my teens' I admired Mr. Robert Halliday and his wife' Agnes who laboured for many years in Cuba - until they were expelled when Castro led the revolution in the late '50's. He and his wife even wanted to take me back to Cuba for a visit prior to the revolution. Mr. Halliday was from Edinburgh Scotland and his wife Agnes Harley Halliday was commended from the Camden Assembly. Her father 'Andrew Harley' one of the elders in the Camden Assembly' was originally from Scotland.
Mr. Halliday was a gifted evangelist. He came in to the Curran's Shoe Store in Camden in the early '30's' looking to purchase shoes. In conversation' he discovered that my father had recently been saved and was searching for a place to worship. Mr. Halliday told him to go to 915 N. Front Street, Camden and "observe the meeting" - which he did. This resulted in he and my mother being baptized and coming into fellowship in the Camden assembly in about 1935-1936. Mr. Halliday also had a radio broadcast in Camden, which resulted in Dad's Uncle Sam Curran getting saved. I feel very privileged to have in my possession (given to me by my father) "What God Hath Done for My Soul" - notes of an address delivered by Mr. Halliday at Central Hall, Detroit, Friday, March 22, 1935. He also wrote a wonderful booklet "The Cleansing Blood". I have found among my photos a picture of Robert and Agnes Halliday in Cuba, each carrying a satchel of tracts and literature. I also have another photo of Mrs. Halliday with a class of Hispanics in San Antonio, Texas where they resided and laboured among the Hispanics after leaving Cuba. This included a large children's work in the area. When his wife died, he married a lady from Waterbury, Connecticut and relocated to Florida where he resided until he passed away, some time later.
Some of the fellow-workers who spoke very highly of Robert and Agnes Halliday were Ed Dougherty, whom I met at the San Diego Conference in 1994 and Arnold Adams, whom I met at a Vancouver Conference some years later. Arnold recalled Mr. Halliday having a series of gospel meetings in Toronto when thirty souls professed faith in Christ, most of whom went on, were baptised and received into fellowship. When some of the elders asked him to return and have another series of meetings, he refused and told them that it was a work of God, not himself - certainly, a very humble brother with discernment!
Spring 2018 Written by Marjorie Thompson - Cuba mjthompsontj@aol.com