Brother Harold Percival Mansfield was born in 1912, the fifth child in a large family of nine, the blessings of God to Jim and Lilian Mansfield, a couple with strong persuasions in the Scriptures of truth. Perce was small in stature and so thin that his contemporaries called him “Bones” but his mind was vigorous and his perception quick.
At an early age he turned his mind to the Scriptures and found great and lasting benefit from the pioneer writers of our Brotherhood, especially brethren Thomas and Roberts. Till his dying days Brother Mansfield maintained an unquenchable thirst for the things of God and did not cease to urge upon brethren and sisters the great value of the spirit and matter of the pioneer brethren.
His life was remarkable for vigour, innovation and initiative. One can hardly believe that so much was achieved in one lifetime. “Redeeming the time” was so often the burden of his exhortations and he exemplified that as no other in our experience.
The present writer remembers Brother Mansfield first when we were both members of the Adelaide Ecclesia in the 1950s. Already by that time he had nurtured some half dozen “Elpis Israel” classes in various suburbs, all of which he led personally and from which a great deal of edification had been fed to many members. He was most active also in the Gospel Extension Society and participated in many campaigns in country and suburban locations. Wherever he was involved other brethren were fired with enthusiasm! Difficulties seemed to vanish and brethren increasingly put confidence in his leadership, albeit not all was without controversy.
The Adelaide Ecclesia was expanding rapidly in the 1950s and 60s and extensions into suburban lightstancls was inevitable. Thus the Woodville,
Cumberland and Enfield ecclesias budded off in these years and in each case brother Perce was central in giving courage and confidence to the founding members of these new meetings.
His ability to inspire other brethren and sisters to hard work and diligent study was legendary and arose out of the fact that he never expected anyone to do what he was himself unprepared to do. In every aspect of ecdesial life he was exceedingly diligent; he inspired others by his personal diligence. Whether it was late at night in his little study overlooking the sea in the western suburbs of Adelaide or the jetty of Magnetic Island in the far north of Queensland or 42,000 feet above the earth in one of his many overseas flights, the pen or the typewriter were never still and notes and letters and commentaries poured out of his most versatile mind. It is obvious that writing was an easy task to brother Perce and we review the copious numbers of his publications with bewilderment.
What ever was it that gave such desire and enthusiasm to one small person, that such a vast amount of material flowed from his pen? Those who have most closely emulated his vigour would have one answer to this question. Brother Perce was a Bible student, a sincere, consistent, diligent Bible student on a daily basis, a workman who truly needed not to be ashamed. At a young age he set his heart to master all the books and chapters of the Bible and to a large extent he seemed to have fulfilled that remarkable desire, though in later years he increasingly emphasised the unfathomable, inexhaustible riches of the Word of Yahweh, his God.
Yet brother Perce was not the classicist student. As in all aspects of his life there was a fundamental, practical application of things. All his studies readily opened upon practical issues, on which he spoke faithfully and wisely. From our youngest years we remember the sensation of waiting to see him mount the platform of a Sunday morning; if he was exhorting the meeting was sure to receive valuable material and stirring exhortation. His lectures too were well-prepared and effective. In our youth many of us filled up the front rows of the Adelaide Temple Ecclesia and to this day remember the power and conviction with which he delivered those excellent addresses on fundamental subjects, “1900 years ago …” — so they began and ring in our ears to this day.
Yet it was at the “Rose Park Class” that we really got to know “Uncle Perce”. This class was held at the home of brother and sister Max Eakins, most gracious hosts, just on the east side of Adelaide, and attracted 70-80 young people every second Tuesday. They were significant days, as year after year important studies of Daniel, Revelation, Ephesians were covered in a most interesting and enthusiastic manner. One still sees well the small crouched figure of Uncle Perce seated at the table with legs wrapped together and close, sharp eyes bringing all those young minds to a fervent interest in the matters of God. They were good days and a significant influence on the lives of so many young people in Adelaide. It was at this class that the practice of Bible marking received early impetus, establishing practices that have continued and spread from then to now.
Brother Mansfield was a prolific traveller. Well before the popular use of aeroplanes he travelled regularly by train and car for country and interstate campaigns and studies. He must have flown millions of miles in the last thirty years, to attend Bible schools and other studies in many parts of the ecclesial world and yet he retained a zest for travel right to the end. Almost beyond our belief, we hear that another trip to Israel was planned for 1988! Even whilst in travel a great deal of work was undertaken, perhaps to the distraction and amazement of other airlines passengers! — but very often close analytical study and writing was accomplished on these journeys. During the tour to Israel brother Mansfield used to treat the members as a little flock of sheep that were his responsibility until safely back in Australia. So he cared personally for every detail, quite needlessly it may have seemed to some of his other adult travellers!
But his anxiety on those trips was such that he sought to leave nothing to chance and many hundreds of brethren and sisters, young and old, have gained immense value from those “Logos Tours”, mostly from Australia but on each trip there were a few from other countries with whom strong ties were forged during a month together in our land. What wonderful memories many of us have of these times and how those trips bolstered faith in the Word of God and in the development of Israel as a sign of the times.
Another major contribution of brother Mansfield was his introduction of Bible Schools to the Australian scene. This was an “import” from North America where for some years he had fulfilled their Bible School circuit and been impressed with the spiritual profit of these great occasions. The first Rathmines Bible School was held in 1965 and for the next 18 years he was at the centre of the Committee that organised these very profitable occasions. In all of these schools the same driving impetus was felt, an impetus that was tangible in everything in which he was involved.
There were new ideas like a never-ending, maximum use of time, packed programmes and very little opportunity to relax; brother Mansfield ever enjoyed a zest for labour, a most remarkable ability to continually utilise his time with a vast array of activity. It must also be remembered that whilst attending these schools and bearing responsibility for all their programme, his mind had also to concentrate upon the ever-present pressure of publishing schedules, with various magazines constantly under preparation. Yet all this never seemed to daunt him; he could revel even then in some yet greater challenge! At the opening of one of the early Bible Schools he set before the members the idea of marking up the book of James, the subject matter of brother John Martin, another speaker at the same Tallebudgera School. He showed the brethren and sisters the clean, unmarked margins of his Bible and as an incentive he indicated to them that he intended to have the whole five chapters completely marked before the last day of the School.
Perhaps no one took him seriously, certainly no one else got near the completion of the task, yet on the last session of the School brother Perce spoke of his great joy and satisfaction in having fulfilled his intention! Five chapters of “James” were perfectly marked, neat, interesting and informative, and that performed despite his own teaching appointments and all the great number of matters he had to look after at the School!
A matter of fascination to the present writer was brother Mansfield’s multiple activities within a short time frame. There was almost no waste of time from one duty to another. I remember asking him how he completed his travel books after each of his overseas trips. They are beautiful volumes with hundreds of pages of typing, photos and other illustrations, and represent a great amount of time, memory and diligence. He informed me that he wrote each morning for one hour on his diary, from 6.00 a.m. 7.00 a.m.! This was preceded by one hours Bible study, 5.00 a.m.-6.00 a.m., and followed by an hour of answering letters, and each hour of work punctuated by a hot cup of tea (from a machine!). So by 8.00 a.m. when the rest of mankind were making their way to public transport, brother Mansfield had three separate hours of work accomplished, on three separate projects. There is inspiration in this example for all young brethren and sisters; young brethren, take a steady look at the quality of dedication involved in this brother’s life.
The intensity of his life was probably made more bearable by his sharp and obtuse sense of humour. One really never knew what little twist he was likely to see in a conversation or circumstance. And he could respond brilliantly when challenged in mirth! At a very early Bible Camp, held annually now on the banks of the River Murray, brother Perce was in full flight expounding with enthusiasm the feeding of the five thousand of John Chapter 6, with every eye in rapt attention. Suddenly he noticed the uplifted arm of a little six year old boy in the front row. “Yes?” said brother Perce in surprise. “How big were the baskets” asked the enthusiastic lad. Without hesitation the answer was shot back, “Two feet by three feet” and away he went back into his exposition, the assembly stunned and incredulous at the briskness of the amusing diversion! There are thousands of such stories and they are around the world, in many places.
There were other times when his workers needed a little humour. Brother Perce was a strong-minded person and rapidly implemented his convictions. He greatly respected a strong worker, but found it difficult to co-operate with those not always in agreement with his way of doing things. So much that was built up was of his own initiative and his own work that he seemed to find it hard to co-operate with committee-like organisations. He had built so much and knew what to do, so why any need for a committee? Many younger brethren yearned for that co-operation but it seemed the die was caste.
However, in later years brother Perce was very open to discussions and counsel both in his office at West Beach and moving about on Sunday appointments. We all looked forward very much to those visits and to the vigorous and wise exhortations he gave and continued to give right up to the Sunday before his death. The writer has before him a photo (see page 4) taken the evening before his death when he was attending a kitchen evening for one of the young members of the Woodville Ecclesia. In the course of the evening another young brother asked him a question in the Scriptures. So here he is during supper at the kitchen evening painstakingly deliberating from his ever-present Bible concerning these matters, to the obvious appreciation of the young brother. This scene is a classic summary of his life.
Brother Mansfield’s absence is keenly felt among us all in South Australia. We had our differences with him from time to time but he always got over these and sought to push on with the work. What we greatly miss is that sure knowledge that whatever else the rest of us may be doing with our time we knew what the old veteran was doing with his. He was the consistent pacemaker among us, a life totally committed to every aspect of the Truth’s service. Known unto the Father are all things and with Him too are the issues of life. We always felt that brother Perce would continue through to the coming of the Master but it wasn’t to be so and the Father knows best.
Around the graveside were several hundred brethren of solemn mind, all greatly moved by the significance of the event and taking stock of the increased responsibilities that would inevitably be borne by multiple shoulders much less experienced than those now laid to rest. Brother Perce taught us to love the Word and to labour in the service of our Father. He taught us by word and by his living example. He had his blemishes and they were known to all; but his strengths were singular and God-given and we are all the richer for them.
His constant appeal to us is beautifully expressed in these words of a recent “Logos” editorial:
“Trouble in the Middle East is indicative of Christ’s early return. It proclaims this in clarion tones. It underlines the need to render even more fervent service unto Yahweh. Not a day should be allowed to pass without us doing something for Him. He can be served in many ways; by the youngest and the oldest. We serve Him by an exemplary discharge of the humblest duties of life; by manifesting Christ-like characteristics in our dealings with those within as well as those without; by our dedication to the activities of our ecclesia. But most of all we do so by taking steps to make ourselves strong and reliable in the Truth, so as to be in a position to impart help and instruction to the less enlightened; and encouragement and help to those appointed to guide and serve. We need time every day for Scripture meditation and study, no matter how busy we may be. Only by this means will we keep at bay the impressions made upon the mind by the demands and the influences of a world that knows not God, and is daily becoming more blasphemous and impudent in its rejection of His existence and authority.”
May our Heavenly Father grant us wisdom and courage to take this exhortation to heart and build upon the labours of this faithful old servant now laid to rest.
Fellowship with the Maker and Brethren