Bolton Bookshop celebrates 50 years' service

Operation Mobilization (OM) opened the first Christian Bookshop in Bolton at 86 Deansgate in 1964 and 50 years later this bookshop continues to serve the local Churches and the Christians of Bolton and surrounding towns.Over the years the shop has been owned by OM, STL, Wesley Owen, and now CLC and the location has changed (now at 129 Deansgate) “but the ministry remains the same.”

OM’s Founder George Verwer lived with his family at 86 Deansate at the time and in June he made a return visit to the home where his daughter was born, also in 1964. Verwer was guest speaker at the 50th Anniversary ‘Evening of Celebration and thanks to God’, which was held at Claremont Church in the town on 20th June. He was joined by the Bishop of Bolton, Rt. Revd. Chris Edmonson, and CLC’s Phil Burnham.

Verwer said, “While working in the bookshop the vision for the first OM ship came to us, as well as the vision to open the work we now have in Israel. In the early days of OM, two major conferences took place in Bolton. Praise God that OM now has 6000 workers in 110 nations!”