How strangely life is shot through with
conflicting influences, advantages and disadvantages, good and
evil. And had it not been for religion how different many a life
would have been. Into the maelstrom which to all seeming is calculated
to produce only 
confusion
or futility there comes somehow a new leaven which leavens the
lump. Or, to change the figure, a new principle of life is introduced
which gathers from its mixed environment, by its power of selection
and appropriation, what it requires for its development and, gradually
dominating everything, produces a character of strength and beauty.
A boy was born forty-five years ago in a colliery district yclept Hetton Downs, in the county of Durham. His parents, though vaguely interested in our Church, were never members of it. Still they required their children to attend Sunday-school and the regular church services. When the boy was seven years of age the parents emigrated to the United States, but returned in two years. Then a boy who was the eldest of a family of six would not hesitate, when times were hard, to seek work in the pit at eleven years of age, thus cutting short his elementary education. Four years of "wild life" followed, and the youth seemed to give no promise for the future.
But there was a grandmother, one of the saints of Hetton Downs society, who contributed a gracious, restraining, ennobling influence; yet even the parents were concerned about this wayward youth. Then the boy was asked to join the choir, and became surrounded by the influence of good men. Conflicting forces were at work, but there came a Sunday evening when a local preacher, Robert Bryess, conducted a powerful service. The preacher got into direct contact with some of his hearers, and, placing his hand on Richard Cowie´s shoulder, urged him to stay to the prayer-meeting. He complied, and that night made the great decision. But supposing there had been no prayer-meeting? Powerful services mean prayer-meetings, and prayer-meetings mean powerful services. And where you have neither, there are few conversions or none at all.
Old things passed away, all things became new - desires, companionships, outlook, ideals were all changed. The youth of fifteen joined the young people´s Sunday afternoon class, the C.E., took part in open-air mission work and became a tract distributor.
Five years before, the boy of ten had in strict confidence told his sainted grandmother that he would like to be a preacher. Now he set about self-improvement. Early and late, in the pit and out of it, and often when he ought to have been asleep, the youth toiled at his books. His Bible was always in his pocket, and he memorised portions of Scripture which have since been invaluable to him. When he was seventeen his parents removed to Wallsend-on-Tyne, where at the C.E. he acquired the art of expressing himself. At this time he found kindly helpers in Dr. John Watson, Revs. W. Eccles, G. Emmett and W. A. French. He became a local preacher and was recommended for the ministry. In 1904 he entered college, and became a soloist in the college choir. As missionary secretary he initiated the two days´ anniversary and secured £150, double the amount usually raised. He began his probation at Horwich, a difficult situation, but trust debts were reduced by £300. The last two years of probation were spent at Leicester First, with Rev. John Holland as superintendent. Following this came three years at Malmesbury and then Witney. In 1917, as chaplain in the Army, he was in Egypt and Palestine. In 1918 he returned to circuit work as superintendent of the old Brinkworth Circuit, where he spent four happy years of wonderful success. Now he is in Cardigan-street, Leeds, and has promised to stay till 1928, which will make six strenuous years.
Let us enquire what the varied influences of these years have produced. What is the man they have made? A most capable minister, a man of initiative, "go", and of administrative gifts and general ability of an unusual order. Missionary enthusiasm is one of his outstanding features. In all his circuits he has seen a great quickening of missionary interest and the doubling of the income. As secretary of the Leeds Council he organised a Missionary Festival week-end. He is now president of the Council. He has just retired from the presidency of the Young People's Missionary Association, and is again appointed president-elect. He has reduced and cleared off chapel debts in his circuits, and carried through various schemes of renovation without leaving any debt behind. He is also honorary secretary of the Boys´ Home, Leeds. At the Conference of 1924 Rehoboth Circuit and Cardigan-road Circuit were amalgamated. During the last three years the membership has been substantially increased and the congregations have wonderfully improved, especially among the young people, a most hopeful feature. Biography, poetry, psychology, race problems, missionary literature are among his more absorbing interests. A man of such organising and administrative gifts is sure to come to the front and render valuable service to the Church in the coming years. Religion has made him. Mastering the disadvantages of early years, he has gained an equipment of no mean order. The spiritual principle which entered into his life at fifteen has laid its environment under contribution and fashioned a Man of the Morning who long ere noon should give a good account of himself.
_________________________
Source: "The
Primitive Methodist", 23 July 1925
Thanks: Ian Cowie