It all started when Rev. A Dennis Burton M.A. became the Minister at Flexbury Park Methodist Church, along with his wife Sally and their three young children.
Soon after their arrival, prayers began about Christian literature in the town and how a venue could be provided. Two other couples also felt that God wanted a Christian Bookshop in Bude. Dennis had a vision from God that showed him a 70’ narrow boat, (in need of repair and refit) which would provide an ideal place for a Christian Bookshop on the Bude Canal. Later the vision was shared on a larger scale, and when a visiting American choir sang at Flexbury half the proceeds were donated to The Book Boat as it came to be known.
A series of providences eventually led us to Birmingham where we found the very boat, in the very place, the vision had shown. At 6 pm on October 8th in 1985, while the rain poured down, Mountbatten Venturer arrived on the wharfside at Bude Canal where a large crowd had gathered to see her lowered into the water by the waiting crane. The name Ark Angel was given to us by Dennis Burton' s son Matthew, (11 years old at the time), who said that the Ark was sent to save people from the floods and an Angel was a messenger from God. During the autumn and following spring she was fitted out as a bookshop and Christian centre which opened in brilliant sunshine on May 26th 1986.
From then on Dennis continued to pray as he saw God moving in a very special way. He was called home to the Lord on April 29th 2001 but our work at the Ark Angel continues daily. He was a man of God who followed the ‘vision’ which became reality.
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