ANOTHER familiar Haverfordwest landmark will be lost following the announcement that the much loved Emmanuel Christian Bookshop is set to open for the last time at Easter.
The Bookshop, which is currently situated in the Riverside Market, has a long and illustrious history, as Pastor John Welsby’s wife Cherrie explained in an interview with Pastor Rob James for The Herald: “When John and I came to work with Rev and Mrs Norman Ellison in Emmanuel Missions, Pembrokeshire in 1979 we had the weekly job of helping Mrs Ellison with her Christian bookstall in the old Haverfordwest Market. It was a busy, happy day sharing with the entertaining butcher giving out tasters of his hams and crowds doing their Saturday shopping.”
Mrs Ellison started her book room in their house at 71 Pembroke Road, Merlins Bridge in the 60’s and many teachers with their Sunday School classes from all over the county would come to visit Cherrie said: “They would come to choose annual prizes and enjoy one of Mr Ellison’s Fact and Faith films, games and a good supper.”
In 1982 the Riverside Market was built, and as existing table holders in the old Market, the book room was offered the choice to have a unit there.
Cherrie said: “It was a daunting adventure to agree to open the shop 6 days a week! But together with some other friends who valued Bibles, Christian literature, and quality children’s books, we bit the bullet and set up shop in 23 Market Courtyard.”
34 years on and Cherrie thanks God for their successes: “as we look back down the years we see how God has increased our small beginnings from one unit to the present day four, blessed a very willing, happy stream of volunteers working in the Emmanuel Christian Bookshop”.
Other the years the volunteers have been under the leadership of three manageresses: Mrs Ellison (1982– 1985), Mrs Carol Smith (1985-2007) and the present day Manageress, Mrs Jane Jones.
Mrs Welsby said: “It has been the joy of all who worked there to see customers appreciate the feel and smell of a good leather Bible and hear the rustle of gilt-edged pages as they examine the print size and consider their purchase”
She also explained of the book shops’ un-surprising influence was helped by Pembrokeshire’s popularity as a holiday destination: “Holiday– makers and school teachers from all over the UK have stocked up on resources for Assemblies and RE classes.”
Since the beginning of the Emmanual Christian Bookshop’s venture many churches throughout Pembrokeshire have had bookstalls on loan from the shop and benefited from their discount policy for account holders.
Cherrie continued: “It has been a special delight to see children in the county’s Sunday Schools receiving Bibles and Bible story books, biographies and autobiographies of Christians who left stories of God’s goodness for future generations”.
“Haverfordwest is a much changed and changing county town” she added: “And we have become aware of the shifting shopping habits of the local population and have had to seriously consider our usefulness in the town. No longer is Saturday the busy weekend shopping trip to town! I have noticed over these last couple of years as I work in the bookshop on Wednesdays, that I have much more time to “have my nose in a book” between customers”.
The decision to close has not been taken lightly by anybody involved with the shop but those responsible for it have come to the conclusion that it is time to move on to something new: “It has been a very difficult decision on the part of our Trustees and shop staff, but we are all of the same opinion that the Bible verses in Ecclesiastes 3v1 and 11 sum up our situation, Mrs Welsby said: “To everything there is a time and a season and a purpose under Heaven.”
The Bookshop has also been a big part of the work of Emmanuel Christian Centre at 87 Pembroke Road, Merlins Bridge, Haverfordwest. Before the shop started, Emmanuel has had Sunshine Centre on Saundersfoot beach every year in July and August with teams of young people, students and families sharing Bible lessons, games, drama and music.
She concluded: “This year is our 60th anniversary and there are plans afoot for a special weekend of events in Saundersfoot on August 6.
“While the shop has been in business and the Beach Mission rolls along, Emmanuel Church which was planted in 1983 has grown and developed in Merlin’s Bridge As a church family, we feel the loss of the Bookshop very sorely and at the moment we feel a big space in our usefulness. However, there is a fresh wind of new ideas blowing round and while these settle and become reality, perhaps it is time to re-read a few good old books that have been sitting too long on our bookshelves!”
Voicing his sympathy for the trustees and staff Baptist Pastor Rob James of Pembroke added: “We are truly grateful to all who have made this wonderful bookshop such an enduring blessing over the years. It will be strange for it not to be there. It has been an important part of the Christian landscape ever since I came to Pembrokeshire and I have valued its ministry very, very highly. But I know that while they are feeling sad they are also looking to the future because the cause they serve is unstoppable. Lots of Christian bookshops have closed in recent years but changing times always bring fresh opportunities”.
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