Papa Dan's Pastoral Days

CHATHAM CHRISTIAN BUSINESS MEN'S COMMITTEE   William Pitt Hotel - Chatham, Ontario Before Blue Water Bible & Missionary Conference was opened by the Christian Business Men's Committees of London, Windsor, Detroit and Chatham.  The Chatham committee was a fairly active and functioning group of men.  I do not know when it first began, but Roy Martin was instrumental in establishing the same.  Dad became involved with the group after he became a Christian. I remember Dad attending dinner meetings and coming home and telling us who the speaker was.  There are only a couple of names of speakers that come to mind now, but one that came and spoke at one of their dinners was Dr. M. R. deHaan, the founder and teacher of the Radio Bible Class.  Mr. Martin also invited speakers to his home on occasion and would invite friends to attend.   The Martins had a big house and lots of room.  Some of these meetings pre-dated Blue Water and I t...

BLUE WATER BIBLE & MISSIONARY CONFERENCE Blue Water located by the Snye River July 1st, 1946 saw the opening of a family summer camp, Blue Water Bible & Missionary Conference, about twenty miles north of Chatham located on the beautiful Snye River, three miles west of the town of Wallaceburg.  You could spend a week, few days, one day or a few hours there soaking in the relaxed setting and fellowship with God's people. Roy Martin, a chartered accountant and President of the Christian Business Men's Committee in Chatham, was the man that had the vision of establishing Blue Water Conference.  The property, consisting of about ten or more acres, had been a park, Merwin Park.   It's main attraction was the hotel with a popular tavern.  Well, the hotel burned to the ground and the property was now up for sale.  Roy solicited the backing and support of the Chatham CBMC, plus London, Windsor and Detroit CBMC's. The property was purchas...