John Carter (Christadelphian)

John Carter (1889–1962) was editor of The Christadelphian from 1937 to 1962.^[1]

Carter was the third editor of the Christadelphian after the founding editor Robert Roberts and his successor Charles Curwen Walker. He was the first editor of the magazine to be an employee of the Christadelphian Magazine and Publishing Association (CMPA), which Walker had established before his death to ensure a stable continuation. For most of the period 1937 to 1962 Carter worked to promote a broader range of content in the magazine, more outreach publications, and set in motion a series of New Testament Commentaries of which he himself wrote several volumes. In 1938 he was the representative of the church in front of military tribunals.^[2]

The reunions

On its establishment by Walker, the magazine's association CMPA had initially been viewed with some suspicion by many Christadelphians who traditionally had been opposed to any body other than the independent local congregations.^[3] However, after the Second World War, and with the backing of the managing committee Carter increasingly put his energies into trying to heal the succession of divisions which had hampered the Christadelphian body since 1885, 1898 and 1923. Although Birmingham had in many ways been the heartland of the Christadelphian church's development in the 19th century, when Carter took over from Walker in 1937 the "Central" grouping, or Temperance Hall Fellowship accounted for only half of Christadelphians worldwide. In Birmingham itself many Christadelphians adhered to the "Suffolk Street" grouping of which Thomas Turner was editor of the Fraternal Visitor magazine. Although the position of editor carried no formal authority Carter was frequently invited to speak at Bible Schools in North America and Australia.^[4] He used these opportunities to encourage and support local efforts for unity. These reunions occurred in America (1952), Britain (1957) and Australia (1957) bringing 90% of Christadelphians into one group for the first time since 1885.

Works

The Letter to the Hebrews, Birmingham 1939
The Gospel of John, 1943
The Letter to the Ephesians, Birmingham 1944
The Letter to the Romans, Birmingham 1944
The Oracles of God, 1944
Prophets After the Exile, 1945
Parables of the Messiah, 1947
God's Way, 1947
The Letter to the Galatians, Birmingham 1949
Marriage and Divorce, 1950
Dare We Believe? (editor)
Delight in God’s Law - articles 1964
Speeches in the Acts, CSSS 2016 - adapted from transcripts of talks at Wilbraham, US 1952
The Name of Salvation, A series of articles in The Christadelphian Magazine Sep 1958 - Mar 1959

References

^ Nigel Scotland Sectarian religion in contemporary Britain 2000 "Christadelphians have never had any centralized council or organization. One important figure in recent times was John Carter (1889-1962), editor of The Christadelphian from 1937 to 1962. By his speaking and writing he was able to bring together many of these diversified groups and draw them into a more cohesive movement. "
^ Bryan R. Wilson Sects and Society 1961 p236 "In 1936 the possibility of a re-introduction of conscription induced the Christadelphians to set up a Military Service Committee, which compiled a register and collected literature for the use of the authorities, principally to establish the fact that conscientious objection was no new doctrine within the movement. In 1938 steps were taken to inform the government of the Christadelphian position, and, on the introduction of compulsory service, Carter, as editor of the magazine, represented the sect before the military service tribunals. There was this time no prominent brother, such as Jannaway in the Great War, to expend time and money on these matters. It was now a subject for official action, and the acknowledged leading brother was thus expected to state the Christadelphian case. Once again the movement evolved agencies contrary to its own organisational tenets to meet the exigencies of an external situation. Exemption was fairly easily obtained in most cases, but, as before, virtually identical cases received very differing treatment from different tribunals. But, this time at least, less than a score of brethren were made to suffer prison for their consciences, as against ‘scores’ in the First World War."
^ this pertains also to the Auxiliary Lecturing Society and CYCs see Wilson Sects and society 1961 p257 261
^ Charles H. Lippy The Christadelphians in North America 1989 "At the center of this endeavor was John Carter, then editor of the Christadelphian, who travelled to the United States in the fall of 1952 to encourage reunion efforts."

[1] Nigel Scotland Sectarian religion in contemporary Britain 2000 "Christadelphians have never had any centralized council or organization. One important figure in recent times was John Carter (1889-1962), editor of The Christadelphian from 1937 to 1962. By his speaking and writing he was able to bring together many of these diversified groups and draw them into a more cohesive movement. "

[2] Bryan R. Wilson Sects and Society 1961 p236 "In 1936 the possibility of a re-introduction of conscription induced the Christadelphians to set up a Military Service Committee, which compiled a register and collected literature for the use of the authorities, principally to establish the fact that conscientious objection was no new doctrine within the movement. In 1938 steps were taken to inform the government of the Christadelphian position, and, on the introduction of compulsory service, Carter, as editor of the magazine, represented the sect before the military service tribunals. There was this time no prominent brother, such as Jannaway in the Great War, to expend time and money on these matters. It was now a subject for official action, and the acknowledged leading brother was thus expected to state the Christadelphian case. Once again the movement evolved agencies contrary to its own organisational tenets to meet the exigencies of an external situation. Exemption was fairly easily obtained in most cases, but, as before, virtually identical cases received very differing treatment from different tribunals. But, this time at least, less than a score of brethren were made to suffer prison for their consciences, as against ‘scores’ in the First World War."

[3] this pertains also to the Auxiliary Lecturing Society and CYCs see Wilson Sects and society 1961 p257 261

[4] Charles H. Lippy The Christadelphians in North America 1989 "At the center of this endeavor was John Carter, then editor of the Christadelphian, who travelled to the United States in the fall of 1952 to encourage reunion efforts."

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