Thursday, April 18, 2013

REMEMBERING IVOR NICKLIN

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." (Psalm 116:15)

This post is one I originally posted in October of 2006. I called it, "A Man You'll Want to Meet". At that time, my good friend the Rev. Dr. Ivor Nicklin was scheduled to be our guest speaker on Sunday, Oct. 29 and I wanted people to learn about Ivor Nicklin and be there. Well, now if you want to meet Ivor Nicklin, you'll have to meet him in Heaven. Dr. Nicklin passed into his eternal reward on Sunday, April 7. His Memorial Service was today, April 18, in England. Dr. Nicklin had stayed in close touch with me. We received a very nice Easter card and note from him just a few weeks ago, and from time to time he phoned me. He will be missed. Incidentally, Ivor and his wife Margaret had a website which you'll want to check out. You can still order his Bible study materials, and the site includes a photo and biography. The website is at

http://www.nicklinministries.co.uk/index.html

Here is my October 2006 post:

It’s very hard for me to believe that January 2007 will mark twenty years that I’ve lived and pastored in Framingham.  Back in 1987, our church was located at Hartford and C Streets. Although it LOOKED like a church- actually it looked like a CHAPEL- our facility seated only 55 people, sat on a tiny lot, and had no parking lot.  It was in that little building, however, that I first met one of the greatest Bible teachers alive today.

I hadn’t been in Framingham much more than a few weeks before Claire, our volunteer part-time Secretary began speaking of Dr. Ivor Nicklin.  She raved about him being an outstanding speaker and teacher.  She explained that he was British and an ordained Anglican priest who traveled to the U.S.A. once a year to do a circuit of speaking at churches and Bible Study groups, mainly in the Northeast.  Under my predecessor, the Rev. Tom Gurney, Ivor Nicklin had spoken at the Framingham church several times.

Over the years, I’d heard people rave about various teachers and speakers.  I’d eventually hear many of them in person.  Usually, such speakers were “O.K.” but did not live up to their billing.  Nevertheless, at Claire’s urging, I booked Ivor Nicklin for a special Sunday night service when his U.S. booking agent phoned the church.

That night proved to be difficult at first.  6:30 (service time) arrived and there was no Dr. Ivor Nicklin to be seen.  We sang choruses, I led congregational prayer, and announcements.  Ultimately, I was nervously starting in on jokes when Nicklin arrived almost one hour late.  I’m very punctual, and I especially don’t like when guest speakers arrive late, so that was not a good beginning.   Dr. Ivor Nicklin was not the typical Assemblies of God church speaker, if there is such a thing.  He wore dark clothes and a clerical collar, and large rimless glasses.  He looked like he came out of “Central Casting” to be cast as either an Episcopalian priest, or even more likely, a Professor of Theology.  I slipped Nicklin a card asking him to limit his talk to 35 minutes.  When he opened his sermon he pleasantly (but bluntly) in a VERY British accent dramatically announced, “I’ve been told I have THIRTY-FIVE MINUTES!”  Wow.  This was going to be uncomfortable.

It wasn’t.

When I’m right, I’m right, and when I’m wrong, I’m wrong.  That time I was wrong.  Ivor Nicklin turned out to be one of the finest, most interesting, and most entertaining speakers I’d ever heard!  His Biblical and theological knowledge was “way up there”...definitely Ph.D. level stuff- but he was funny, and interesting, and yet VERY practical.  I could have listened to him all night.  In reality, I think he spoke about forty-five minutes that evening.  After the service, I noticed he’d arrived in a Pontiac Grand Prix coupe with Rhode Island plates, and had “planted it” right on the church front lawn!  What a character!  My wife and I went out with him to Friendly’s in Saxonville (when there was a Friendly’s in Saxonville) and had a delightful time.  I had to apologize to him about my reservations about him.

Since then, I’ve had Nicklin in at least a dozen times in the various locations were our church has met through the years, and I’ve loved every time Dr. Nicklin has been with us.

If you’re anywhere in the Framingham area on Sunday, October 29, you’ll want to come to our 10:30 a.m. service at 32 South Street (off Route 135) to hear Dr. Ivor Nicklin.  It doesn’t matter who you are.  As Billy Graham would say, “You may be Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, or no religion”- but you’ll enjoy Ivor Nicklin.  If you’d like more information you can e-mail me at either RevRBaril@aol.com  or  AGframingham@aol.com

“Study to shew (“show”) thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”  (2 Timothy 2:15)

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I have been thinking of Ivor Nicklin the last several weeks and wondering if he were still on earth. A young lady working for me suggested I “Google” him. To my sadness, as your blog indicated, Ivor is in heaven. I have heard him speak many times as he was a frequent speaker where his good friend Richard Scanlon pastored The Berean Assembly of God in Milford, CT. I know of no man more filled with God than he. I recollect a week of meetings where Ivor spoke on one scripture for an entire week of meetings. One of those meetings concluded when Ivor, so filled with the Glory of God while preaching, could do no other than worship the God who was anointing him, and the entire church followed Ivor into the Presence of God with worship. But the most treasured memory I have of Brother Nicklin was that, unlike most ministers of the Gospel who would wait at the back of the church for the accolades of the people filing out of the sanctuary, having concluded his sermon, Ivor would gather the children who would flock to him and bless them and embrace them and pray for them. His life and presence was a living declaration of the Love of the Savior, so much like the God whom he served. But Jesus called them unto him, and said Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Luke 18:16. Brother Nicklin, Servant of God, Thank you.

Unknown said...

Okay this may sound strange but as I was trying to go to sleep, Brother Nicklon's name came to mind very strongly. I know he passed away a few years ago and I haven't thought about him in as many years. I was a pre teen when Brother Nicklon made his Northeatern visits ad he used to stop at The Gathering church qhere I was attending. My mother would invite Brither Nicklon and his family to our home. I was young so I was more interested in playing than much else but what memories. I don't know what God wants to show me in all this but I am praying for his family.

Unknown said...

Very well said.
Ernie

truthseeker said...

his name came to me as I was thinking of past years at central assembly of God in central village Ct he was one of the best teachers that we ever had at that church I could have listen to that man all day he had a impact on my life and many more people at that church
thank you Ivor for your great teaching




Mark SURPRENANT FLorida

Frank P. Brady said...

I have been spending a couple weeks thinking about Brother IVOR NICKLIN, he use to visit my grandfathers church where my Pops was the Pastor, Pilgram Assembly of God in South Carver Massachusetts. I was a young man of 9 or 10 the first time we met and 12-13 the last time I saw him preach. My grandfather would visit him and his family in Wales, UK, and travel Europe with him as they preached all over together. His kind eyes and smile always made me feel safe and enthralled me to hinge on his every word. My grandfather considered Ivor as one of his closest friends... I miss them both as my grandfather passed away on a Sunday May 3rd, 2009 at the age of 89. I think of them both often sitting up drinking tea and talking late into the night. Both of you influenced my life and I thank you for your dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ. I can only imagine the two of you now in heaven and what your both doing... Will see you one day, God willing, Frankie Brady