OXFORD GROUP.

Waikato Times, Volume 120, Issue 19992, 16 September 1936, Page 8

OXFORD GROUP.

RALLY AT BIRMINGHAM. 10,000 REPREBENT 36 NATIONS* A CHRISTIAN REVOLUTION. Thirty-five nationalities were represented at the National Assembly of the Oxford Group here to-day, says the Birmingham correspondent of the Sunday Times, writing on July 25. There were nearly 10,000 people present. For the first time in its history the British Industries Fair building at Castle Bromwich was the scene of a national assembly instead of displaying to the world the fine products of the British craftsman. Stands were dismantled to make room for the largest demonstration the Oxford Group has ever staged in this country. Twenty-one special trains, and buses and coaches, brought visitors from all parts of the country. From Holland came 5000 visitors, while there were large parties from South Africa, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Denmark and Switzerland. Some delegates to the Assembly had travelled more thap 13,000 miles. Note of Pageantry. The proceedings were begun in the afternoon with a note of pageantry. There was a march through the hall to the platform by groups of Nationals bearing their respective flags. They were accompanied by the band of the sth Royal Warwickshire Regiment in red and blue uniforms. Mr George Marjoribanks L a Heading University student, presided, and he announced that 500 men and women at the camp were training to become spiritual revolutionaries. Business men, unemployed, navvies, university students, ex-prisoners, coal miners, Army officers and former Communists and Fascists sat side by side listening to speakers setting forth the aims of the Group as "a Christian revolution to remake the world.” “A Nation Awake.” In the evening the youths of many nations combined to affirm their determination to put the “Christian revolution” policy into effect. To-morrow the theme will be “A nation awake—God governing Britain through God-controlled men and women,” while the final session, which coincides in time with the Vimy Ridge ceremony, is entitled “The Drums of Peace,” and will be a call to enlistment in the moral equivalent to war. The speakers include a team of Yorkshire mill girls and employers and employed from all parts of*the country.

Overlooking the Fair building is a camp where 600 people representing 15 nationalities are housed for “spiritual revolution through God*control.”