Once inside the room, the two women who had hoped for this moment, Elaine Edwards and Karen Scheibe, recited the first 10 questions. The lady in charge watched and listened and suddenly seemed to be interested. I then asked if these women, who had worked so hard for this time, could recite the entire Catechism? It would take only about 30-40 minutes? She said “yes.” By this time, she was on our side and listened intently.

When I married into the Horton Family in 1969, I realized quite soon that Joyce’s parent’s were quite serious about The Westminster Standards. My father-in-law, Frank Horton, was a very successful defense attorney, a godly man, and one of the six original founders of Reformed Theological Seminary in 1966.  He told me once, “When you know and understand The Shorter Catechism, you know theology, PERIOD!” My mother-in-law, Joyce Horton, who was the greatest Christian I ever knew, wrote a book entitled, “How To Teach The Catechism To Children.”
As we raised our five daughters with this story, we told them that they had to learn, memorize and recite at one sitting The Children’s Catechism and The Shorter Catechism; of course, each at different times and ages. This was certainly not easy; and required that Joyce and I help and encourage them often. And one very motivating factor when they were teenagers was, “No driver’s license until you say the Catechism.” It worked and they all did it. There was a great celebration each time, as well as public recognition in our church’s worship services; there were even and some Christian periodicals that reported their accomplishment.
When I was an Associate Pastor with John Sartelle at Independent Presbyterian Church in Memphis in the 1990s, there was an amazing time of growth for that church both spiritually and numerically. And during that time, Joyce started a study group for women on The Shorter Catechism. It became very popular and was greatly blessed by God during those years.
Out of that group and from her Senior English teaching time at Evangelical Christian School in Memphis, we began to lead tours to the United Kingdom from the mid-1990s through 2010. During an adult tour, while we were at Westminster Abbey, I discovered that two of the women in our group had recently memorized the Shorter Catechism. They asked me if it would be possible for them to recite the Catechism from memory in the room, of course, referring to the Jerusalem Chamber, where the Westminster Assembly met, wrote, and eventually adopted the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger Catechism and the Shorter Catechism, in 1648.
Most people do not know the origin of that name, the Jerusalem Chamber. It dates from the 13th Century when Henry IV was King of England. He had been planning a trip to Jerusalem when he had a stroke in Westminster Abbey, nearly died and was semi-comatose. It was a very cold winter and the king was moved to a side room near the front of the building where there was a fireplace. He soon awakened and asked immediately if he was in Jerusalem? Since that day, the room has been known as The Jerusalem Chamber.
So early one morning after a brief tour of the Abbey, I inquired at the Visitors Desk if we could see the Jerusalem Chamber. I was told “NO” that it was not open to the public that day. I then said that we were a group of “16 Presbyterians on a Pilgrimage from America,” and that it would mean very much to us if we could step into that room for a few minutes where several of the most meaningful documents in our church history were written. After a long pause, the lady in charge said, “yes.” Once inside the room, the two women who had hoped for this moment, Elaine Edwards and Karen Scheibe, recited the first 10 questions. The lady in charge watched and listened and suddenly seemed to be interested. I then asked if these women, who had worked so hard for this time, could recite the entire Catechism? It would take only about 30-40 minutes? She said “yes.” By this time, she was on our side and listened intently. My wife Joyce, and another lady, Candy Denton, asked and listened to each answer. The rest of us watched in awe!
When they finished, the Abbey official stood and said in British fashion, “Brilliant! I have never seen anything like that before. We must celebrate! I will be back shortly.” When she returned, she brought a tray with about 18 little glasses and a bottle of Sherry. She then said, “We must all take a “nip” in celebration and congratulations.” And we all did! It was such a happy, joyous, and God-glorifying occasion.
I have always wondered if anyone else in history had recited entire Shorter Catechism at one sitting in the room where it was written and adopted?.
The Westminster Assembly was like none other in church history. Those men had  prayed, fasted and studied together for many days over several years (1643-1649), and produced unique materials that have served as an anchor for “true truth” through the centuries.
So remember: “If you know and understand The Shorter Catechism, you know theology, PERIOD!”
Wayne Herring is a retired Minister in the Presbyterian Church in America living in Raymond, Miss.
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Shortly after Elizabeth was crowned as Queen, she established a day each year from then on, stating that if any of these young women who had performed such noble service, would like to come and be thanked, she would meet them at Westminster Abbey. These 40-50 older women we saw walking in were some of the very few still living. The Queen had been honoring the service of these women every year for over 50 years.

In the very early part of this century, my wife Joyce and I were on one of our many trips to the United Kingdom leading a student tour. One early morning, we had spent about an hour at Westminster Abbey with about 25 recently graduated high school seniors. We were just about to leave the Abbey when someone found out “the Queen is coming.” And so we decided that we should stay and see her. The Abbey officials eventually herded us outside and put-up small barriers from the street right up to the entrance. We were quite excited to be right in the very front. From this vantage point, we waited and waited probably an hour or so, and nothing happened. Finally I said to Joyce, “Let’s go! I wouldn’t wait this long to meet the Apostle Paul.”
No sooner had those crazy words left my mouth when I looked up and suddenly there were sharp shooters on the tops of four different surrounding buildings. And then I heard the sirens and a motorcade of motorcycles and large cars pulled up. Just before this happened about 40-50 older women were ushered by right in front of us and led into the Abbey. Some walked very slowly, some limped, all had gray hair, and I thought none were under 80-years-old.
I quickly asked someone standing on the other side of the barrier, who looked like a guard, who were these women? He told me they were probably some of the last ones still alive known as “The Maidens of Dunkirk.” And he also explained that when the infamous Dunkirk evacuation from France took place in 1940, when over 300,000 soldiers were evacuated across the English Channel, many of them were sick and wounded and close to death. The British Government was overwhelmed in trying to care for all these soldiers; they sent out an urgent request for young women in their 20s and 30s to come and help nurse and care for these suffering soldiers. Thousands responded and many lives were saved!
Shortly after Elizabeth was crowned as Queen, she established a day each year from then on, stating that if any of these young women who had performed such noble service, would like to come and be thanked, she would meet them at Westminster Abbey. These 40-50 older women we saw walking in were some of the very few still living. The Queen had been honoring the service of these women every year for over 50 years. And this special commemoration just happened to take place on the morning we were there!
And as I turned, suddenly I saw the Queen getting out of her car and walking right in front of us; maybe 10 feet away. And as she walked in she glanced up and our eyes met for just a second. That second is frozen in time for me. Not only was I staring face to face with one of the most famous persons in the world, but she was doing something so meaningful and thoughtful. No wonder the whole nation loved her, as they are showing now in mourning her loss.
Of course, the tears appeared in many of our eyes at that moment, including a number of those who had just graduated from high school, boys and girls from Memphis, and Greenwood and Hattiesburg, Miss.
There is much evidence coming to light right now that Elizabeth was a genuine Christian. She certainly made a group of Americans believe she was that morning.
Wayne Herring is a retired Minister in the Presbyterian Church in America living in Raymond, Miss.
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