Chapter 15
JOCK TROUP
Jock decided in 1922 that his Bible
knowledge was limited so he enrolled at the famous Bible Training Institute in
Jock would constantly be having prayer
meetings in his room at all hours of the day and night, and although this
created some problems for Dr. McIntyre in his responsibility for the other students,
the godly principal used all his wisdom and knowledge in making Jock realise
that rules had to be kept. Some students testified that these times of prayer
were a tremendous blessing to their souls, and set them an example of how to
pray through and claim the blessing from heaven.
It was during these days that Jock met
another young man who was fired with the power of Christ. When that young man
arrived at the Bible Training Institute, he hardly knew how to use a fork and
knife. Peter Connolly was born and brought up a Roman Catholic in a poor home
in the North of England. From the moment he was saved his life began to speak
volumes for the power of salvation. Soon a bond of love, unity and desire to
work for Christ grew between these two and they were constantly called upon to
conduct campaigns together during college days. Both of them found the
discipline. hard at the Institute, yet later on they often paid tribute to the
help and encouragement they received. On one occasion Jock and Peter complained
about a certain lecturer who had not mentioned Jesus Christ in his lecture. The
principal asked for their notes and they told him that they had disposed of
them. He took time and patience to explain to his two over zealous students
that the lecture had been on the Children of Israel in the Wilderness.
Travelling together in gospel campaigns around
In many fishing towns along the Scottish
coast there are still those who remember missions being conducted by Peter and
Jock. Over the next years they travelled extensively. In 1932 Jock was invited
to become Assistant Superintendent to Mr. P. T. McRostie at the Tent Hall in
Mr. McRostie died in 1933 and Jock was
asked to take full responsibility for the work at the famous Tent Hall. At that
time it was one of the largest independent missions in the land. He accepted
the challenge and was Superintendent until 1945. During those years Jock fought
against every evil that abounded in the city of
His open-air services at the Glasgow
Cross were blessed times when his tremendous voice could be heard singing and
preaching ever Saturday afternoon. He made sure that his meetings were always
bright, whether it was out in campaigns or in the more organised atmosphere of
the Tent Hall. One of his saying was, "There is no warrant in Scripture to
tell us that a gospel service should be conducted like a funeral." In Tent Hall days Jock invited many powerful
ministers and evangelists to
Jock Troup in later life.
(Picture: Mrs. K. Troup.)
Jock never lost the urge to travel in
order to preach the gospel. He had realised earlier on that he was called to be
an evangelist and never lost that sense of call. However, the years had taken
their toll on his health and after some illness he resigned from the
leadership of the Tent Hall in 1945. Many folks speak yet of those days, and
there are many who are proud to have been associated with him in the work of
the Gospel. He never lost his love for the Salvation Army. During his frequent
visits to Wick he always visited the Corps there. He took great delight in
appealing for funds for the Salvation Army picnic for children in Wick. In the
open-air at the Camps in Wick he would cry out for all those who could afford
to give £1 notes, then for those who were able to give 10/- notes and last of
all he would ask for the snow (silver) to cover the paper.
When a Wick Salvationist was being
interviewed as a candidate for Officership by Commissioner Jeffries he was
asked, "Do you know a John Troup?" "I know a Jock Troup,"
replied the candidate. ''Well," said the Commissioner,. "I invited
him to become an officer in the Salvation Army, but he felt he could not stand
the discipline. Jock is reported to
have said at least once, "If 1 had my life to live over again, I would be
a Salvation Army Officer."
After Jock's health began to improve, he
started to travel again and conduct missions throughout
Jock was not an old man, but the
thirty-six years of Christian experience were packed to capacity .in the
service of Christ. Truly he could say, "I, love my Master, I will not go
out free." He has gone down in the
annals of the
One of Jock's favourite choruses was, .
"Just a little longer, and the trump of
God will sound,
Just a little longer, and we'll
all be glory bound.
Look away to Jesus, your
redemption draweth nigh ,.
Just a little longer, and
we'll meet Him in the sky."
His melodious voice has been preserved
for posterity on quite a few gramophone records. He sang the old hymns' with a
"tremendous depth of conviction seldom found in modern gospel soloists.
Many of the renowned evangelical leaders
paid tribute to Jock and lamented that a great man and a prince had
"fallen in