Harrow International Christian Centre

It was a joy to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of HICC with my good friends Michael and Pat Carr. Prior to planting the church, Michael Carr was on the pastoral staff of Kensington Temple in London. He was also one of the earliest Regional Superintendents in our Movement and had served with distinction in Elim for many years.

Starting with a small number of people the church eventually secured its own premises in the center of Harrow but before long these proved to be too small. The growing congregation vacated the site and moved to an adjacent cinema while the original facility was demolished and, on its footprint, a three story building was erected which now houses a sanctuary area that currently attracts up to 500 people.

The morning celebration service, in which African, Asian and West Indian groups took part was followed by a second service at which Michael Carr shared his vision for the coming years. This was followed by a time of prayer for the ongoing ministry of the church.

Northampton

Jason and Linda Heron have been in Northampton less than three years but in that time the church has grown by over a third to around three hundred and the building which is now too small for their present needs has undergone a major refurbishment. I was to be there for the Sunday morning but as the womens ministry was being linked to "Aspire" Marilyn was invited to be present for their Saturday Christmas outreach. It was an amazing event that exuded excellence and at the end of the evening at which Linda spoke powerfully, eleven people committed their lives to Christ. Sunday was a great day. Northampton Elim is a tremendous church that is perfectly poised for a great future.

REACH Conference

Swanwick Conference Center was booked to capacity with four hundred Elim Pastors and wives for the fourth Vision Conference. Nigel Tween Elim's Director of Training organised the event and it was evident that a great team and months of planning had paid dividends. Top speakers from within and outside our denomination contributed to the event and subsequent response by letters and email revealed that many who attended felt it has been a time of input, inspiration and challenge

Derby

Derby City Church has always been a great church for as long as I can remember but the members tell me that it is now numerically larger than it has ever been in its history. The first thing that I noticed on my latest visit was not only the fact that the church was packed - extending well into the gallery area - but the atmosphere. A cultural change has taken place which has added an increased sense of warmth and vitality into the ambiance of the place. Dave and Julia Ayling head a great team. Its a fabulous church with extensive plans in place for a new facility to cope with the continual growth.

A special guest at the International Offices

Elim as a Denomination is ninety three years old and George Canty has been an minister for around eighty of them! It was great to have him visit our offices and hear his reminiscences of the early years of our Movement. He is anything but a man locked in 'yesterday'. He was known in the past as pastor and an evangelist who held many successful Divine Healing Crusades. He comtinues to be a prolific writer with his books still translated into many languages.

Bandon - Republic of Ireland

Bandon is evidence to the fact that not only large churches are effective. I was invited to speak, by Brian and Doris Synnott, at an Evangelistic event that was held in a hotel in the town center Around sixty people were present and it was wonderful to see three adults make a first time commitment to Christ at the close of the meeting. On the following Sunday morning I spoke at the regular church service and was able to meet the regular congregation

Irish Leaders Day

This was held as part of a leadership training program. It was hosted in the Hillsborough Elim church and Pastors, Elders and Deacons from Ulster and from the Republic were present. I always enjoy being in Ireland as there is always a great atmosphere, sense of rapport and attendance. This day-long Saturday event was no exception

Rugby

David and Sheila Crabb have been at Rugby for twenty-two years and this great church is a testimony to the value of long-term ministry.

Both of them have have a heart, not only for their congregation which is their first priority, but for other leaders.

I spoke at the Sunday morning service and in the evening many of the members were engaged in practical service to the neighborhood.

Yet another example of a warm and welcoming congregation with a desire to positively affect the community in which they have established a long and trusted relationship.

Glasgow Elim

Simon Foster is the senior pastor of this four hundred strong church. He and his wife Jane have been in Glasgow for the past six years in which they have seen a great deal of numerical and spiritual growth.

I was present for the Sunday morning service after which there was a fabulous meal to honour around fifty members who had been involved in various forms of service within the church during the past year.

This church is without doubt one of the finest Pentecostal churches in Scotland

First Elim Conference - India

Over eleven hundred church leaders were present for the first India Elim Conference. Paul Hallam Elim's coordinator for India has done a phenomenal job over the past few years in networking these churches together. The host church senior pastor Dr Arthur Paul was honored together with his wife and sons for the magnificent work that they had done behind the scenes. This 5000 strong church in Bangalore is a dynamic congregation. Elim's international missions director Chris Jones also spoke at the Conference attended by around twenty Elim leaders from the UK who are supporting missions in India. A fuller report will appear in Direction magazine.

Isle of Man

There are four Elim Churches on the Isle of Man which has a population of 84,000. On Sunday morning I spoke at Douglas and then, after a meal with Simon and Anita Ricketts (3rd and 4th from the left) and their family, spent the afternoon with all the pastors/wives. In the evening there was a joint service in an Anglican church for the four Fellowships to which members of other Denominations were invited.

Hamilton Elim NZ

I have known Bob and Margaret Lawson for longer than any of the New Zealand Elim leaders and, as with Luke and Marilyn Brough, they are great friends. It was great to be with them on the Sunday evening at their fabulous church in Hamilton.

Driving into the city one is immediately impressed by the imposing building that, when it it is fully developed will incorporate a thousand seater auditorium.

There is a great atmosphere in this church and there is little wonder why it is a growing congregation. I was due to fly home to the UK on the Monday but, before doing so, spent some time back at the church which was packed with children enjoying a vacation holiday club.

Bob and Margaret will be the delegates to our 2008 Conference in Prestatyn

Auckland Elim

Luke and Marilyn Brough pioneered Auckland city church with just a handful of people. Today it is one of the largest congregations in New Zealand with Sunday attendance of over two and half thousand people. I preached to a different congregation in each of their three morning services. The complex sits on a seven acre site and incorporates a 500 strong school and a Bible College. The youth group of the church attracts 500 people every week. This church is the largest of the 45 Elim churches in the country. There are around 16,000 in Elim churches throughout New Zealand.

There are six Elim churches in the city of Auckland alone and it was great to meet with leaders (pictured) from some of these churches on the Sunday afternoon.

Elim New Zealand Conference

Elim New Zealand is a success story and their strength was certainly reflected in their largest Conference ever. I was one of two keynote speakers for the event - the other being Wayne Alcorn of the three thousand-strong Brisbane City Church in Australia. Conference business was minimal and, because my plane was delayed an hour I missed it! The primary consideration is teaching and worship which takes place throughout the entire day.

Luke Brough leads the National Leadership Team. Elim New Zealand has a wide spectrum of high caliber leadership.

The worship bands are as good as can be found anywhere in the world. The presentation of the Conference was hallmarked by excellence from start to finish.. The Auckland Elim hip hop dance group who took part in part of the worship time - recently came fifth in the entire country and are a great testimony to radically saved young people.

Elim New Zealand is linked closely to Elim UK in that at each of our Conferences we send and receive a delegate from each of our two nations.

Christian Life Centre - 25th Anniversary

It is 25 years since Christian Life Center in Selly Oak, Birmingham was first planted. To celebrate this, 250 people met for a banquet in the Botanical Gardens. Stuart and Amanda Blount have been at the church for the past 14 years and have taken the rapidly growing congregation through a major building program. Stuart, who also serves on Elim's National Leadership team, used the celebration to announce to the church, which has a prime position in the area, that it had now totally cleared its debt. Two morning services are necessary to house the burgeoning growth and it was my privilege to speak at these celebration services. Simon Foster, a previous associate minister and now senior minister of the Glasgow Elim Church, ministered at the evening celebration. CLC, while catering for all ages, has a high percentage of young couples. It's expanding leadership team is evidence of preparation for an even greater future

Pentecost Centenary Celebrations

The first modern outpouring of the Holy Spirit took place at an Anglican church in Sunderland one hundred years ago when Rev. A.A. Body was the minister. The building today houses an Elim Church pastored by Mark Drew who put in many months of work to highlight this very important event. Similar manifestations of the Holy Spirit took place in the USA and Norway a century ago and today there are around 600 million Pentecostals around the world. I had the privilege of speaking on the opening night to a packed church.

Chinese Church London

"Salvation for Chinese Church" is an exciting place to be. The five congregations based around London are led by people who, while working in their secular professions, are growing an amazing network of congregations. Those who hold Elim credentials are Joshua Chan, Aaron and Anna Chan and Tony Tsang. Periodically all the congregations come together at the Barbican Theater and it was to that group of around three hundred that I was the speaker. All the worship is in Mandarin or Cantonese and the message is translated into both those languages - either directly or via headsets. There will be a major feature of the church in a future edition of Direction.

Elim NW Region Residential Retreat

Kevin Peat is the Regional Leader for the NW Region and the Scottish Region. I had the privilege of being the speaker at the two-day residential retreat for the NW held in one of the largest hotels on the promenade in Blackpool. Around eighty pastors and spouses were present and there was a perfect balance of teaching and relaxation together. At the close, well-deserved appreciation was expressed to Kevin and Margaret for putting on the event. Spending quality time with Elim leaders in such a context was a tremendous pleasure.

Smethwick Elim 75th Anniversary

Fourteen ministers have pastored the Smethwick church in its seventy-five year history. For the past six years Joseph and Elizabeth Chinnalyan have led this growing congregation and have tapped into the multi-racial context in which the church is located. My message was translated into Tamil and the three girls pictured are the Tamil children's dance group who took part in the meeting.

Dunstable

Doug and Helena Richards planted Dunstable Christian Centre twenty two years ago and today it has a thriving congregation located in excellent premises in the centre of the town. For may years Doug worked for GMAC the American company that finances General Motors. He joined it in the early Seventies three years after I left the same company to enter Bible college in 1968. Though it was the hight of the holiday season with may members away, the church was very full for the morning service at which I had the privilege of preaching.

City Gates - mens weekend

City Gates, Ilford, is one of the largest churches in our Movement with a regular Sunday attendance of around a thousand people. The senior Pastor, Stephen Derbyshire has seen remarkable growth in the church in the fourteen years that he and his wife Julia have been there. The mens weekend was held at the Kings Park Conference Centre in Northampton. It was great to spend a couple of days with a group of amazing guys who are open to all that God wants to do in their lives.

Apostolic Conference

I considered it to be an honour to be invited to speak at the final night of the Apostolic Conference. Over a thousand people packed the marquee. in the grounds of Swansea university. Elim rejoices in what we have witnessed happening in our sister Denomination under the excellent leadership of Warren Jones and his team. Warren is shortly to retire from office and we wish him well as he itinerates around the UK and abroad.

Clacton on sea

It was great to be at Clacton for their 70th anniversary. Over the past year the church had encountered a number of difficulties so it was especially thrilling to see what a great sense of faith and excitement there was for the future. Stephen and Elizabeth Smith (pictured here with Mark, Sarah and Annie) have only been at the church for a few months and it is very clear that they are delighted to be in this new pastorate and the people have very evidently taken them to their hearts. Pastor and Mrs Rose who successfully ministered in the church for over thirty years were present at the meeting. This is now a church so full that they need to be urgently considering an extension. This is an example of church set to flourish through good leadership and a faithful congregation

Llanelli

The Elim Church in Llanelli is a remarkable success story. When Bill and Ellen Chapman came eleven years ago there were less than twenty people in the congregation. Today more than that number are employed by the two-hundred strong church that is housed in a complex that sees a thousand people pass through its doors every week. Care for the elderly and a well-managed nursery is just part of the churches involvement in the local community. I spoke at the church in the morning and at a baptismal service in the evening at which the Elim jchurch oined with the local Apostolic church which is also enjoying a season of growth.

Dowlais

It was thirty five years since I last preached in the Dowlais (South Wales) church. Since those day many things have changed not least their occupancy of a fine building. Phil and Babara Gray (pictured here with two of their four sons) had been missionaries in Belgium before taking up the pastorate here. In the evening David and Jan Holdaway who pastor the Elim church in Merthyr attended with a number of their congregation

MIT Conference

Every twelve months Nigel Tween and I co-host the three-day Conference for 'ministers in training' held at RTC. Other speakers this year included Stuart Blount, David Campbell, Clive Corfield, Eric McComb, Robert Millar. Mark Ryan and Ben Oliver. The excellent quality of emerging leaders within our Movement augers well for the future.

Redditch

Robin and Esther Baker (pictured here with Lydia and Joshua) have built an excellent team around them. The only problem that the church faces is accommodation. The building was packed to capacity on the morning of my visit and it was great to see the plans for the new complex displayed as a reminder of the provision this excellent congregation is making in anticipation of even further growth.

St Combs Community Church

St Combs is a remarkable success. Commenced four years ago with 18 people it now has a Sunday attendance of over 100 - and that in a village with a population of only 800. I spoke at a midweek meeting at which 120 were present due to additional support from the Fraserburgh Elim church from which St Combs was planted. Forbes was a deep sea fisherman with his own boat before selling up and, with his wife Audrey, investing their lives in this new ministry. Though all age groups are present, the 18-35 range is the most predominant. Through focused outreach and good pastoring, this church has acheived what many people may have thought impossible in such a short space of time.

Nuneaton

David and Jan Evaniew have spent much of their life in Canada and are now pastoring the Elim Church in Nuneaton. It is five years since I last visited the church and its growth and development is evident. I met members who had been there for fifty years and others who had only recently joined the fellowship. Nuneaton is a warm and welcoming congregation led by a couple with strong pastoral gifts

MetroChurch International

Ken and Lois Gott, who have been close friends for many years, lead Metrochurch that is located in Newcastle Sunderland and Durham. It was great to be with them and to witness firsthand how God is blessing their ministry. Friday night was spent in at their Prayer Centre that is open 24/7 365 days of the year. The occasion at which I spoke was the Fire School that attracts many young people. Saturday morning was spent with twenty of their core leaders and Sunday morning I preached to over 500 people at their prime location in Newcastle.

Letchworth Garden City Church

Letchworth is a success story.. I can remember when this church had a congregation of thirty and was meeting in a small hall. Today it has a congregation of over over 400 and meets in one of the most state-of-the-art facilities in our Movement. This thriving congregation, which for the past ten years has been pastored by Mark and Kathy Ryan, spans all age groups but most are young families. Its vibrant services and innovative and creative style is attracting ever-increasing numbers. My time with them was spent at the morning service followed by a meeting with twenty of the core leaders in the afternoon. This church is is a tribute to a faithful congregation and excellent leadership at every level.

Eastbourne

The church in Eastbourne, pastored by Keith and Barbie Jackson (right), currently worship in a school. This is not because they do not have a building of their own but due to the fact that their current site is under development. The three million pound project will be completed in around twelve months time. In the two years that they have been there they have seen the relatively small congregation grow and the average age decrease. Among those who worship in Eastbourne are the families of some of Elim's pioneers. One former Elim minister, now in his 89th year is Bill Plowright (left). He is not only known for being one of our finest pastors but also an accomplished soloist in the formative years of our Movement.

Portadown - Ireland

Portadown has long been one of Elim's finest churches. Edwin Michael (pictured here with his wife Margaret, daughter Laura and son Ryan) leads a great ministry team. Around 600 people were present for the morning service. It is a church bursting at the seams. A major feature on Portadown will appear in a forthcoming issue of Direction. On Saturday, shortly after flying in, I visited the Y Zone drop-in centre in the town. It is not unusual for a church to cater for young people who are vulnerable to drugs and other addictive lifestyles. What is immediately striking about this outreach is that there are no threadbare carpets or old setees. Everything is of the highest quality - top multi media, IT, internet access, big screen Xbox gaming etc. The lounge area with is sumptuous leather sofas would not look out of place in a corporate HQ. By showing respect and value to the young peopole who attend they, in turn, treat the facilities with respect. The members of Portadown Elim have invested heavily in reaching their community in a spirit of excellence.

Keynsham - Bristol

Though my Sundays remain booked until 2009, midweek services are still possible in 2007. I have enjoyed therefore being at Keynsham to take a series of the three Thursday Bible Studies. It was good to be with my good friend Des Morton and this excellent church.

Palmers Green -London

I enjoyed an excellent time with Bediako and Caroline Bosque-Hamilton who lead the church in Palmers Green. This creative and innovative church, which is part of the KT network, was packed for the morning service which was conducted cafe style. The service began with a short time of worship which was followed by a meal after which I was invited to preach. It was a delight to spend time with this warm and welcoming congregation. The congregation presented me with a very generous financial contribution to Elim's relief work in Mozambique.

Crawley Leaders Day

It was great to spend Saturday morning with around 40 key leaders from three churches and which began with a breakfast in a local Hotel. Elim Crawley- led by James Glass, Mid Sussex Christian Centre - led by Christy Smith and Aldershot Elim- led by Mike Keeping joined together for a time of teaching. Few things are more enjoyable than being with men and women of this calibre who are open to be their very best for God and sharpen the gifts they already possess

Kilsyth Community Church

My last pastorate, before taking on the role of GS, was at the Church of God Kilsyth. During that period I had considered inviting Mark Fleming to be my associate pastor. However it occurred that at that time Kilsyth Community Church was looking for a pastor and, as I knew that Mark had a great track reacord of growing a successful church, I suggested to their leadership that he might be the man for them. Subsequent to the interview he became their pastor and in the years the followed now leads a great church with an excellent future.

It was a delight to spend time with his leaders on the Saturday and preach at both services on Sunday. His wife Aileen, herself an accomplished speaker, have become great friends and I have a high regard for them both..

China

China is undergoing an economic explosion. It is now one of the top four tourist nations with inbound tourists reaching 120 million in just one year. Its tourism industry employs 7 million people directly. 30 million Chinese visited other nations in a single year also. Construction is unparalleled. Half the world's cranes are being used in the country,

This expansion is having a huge effects on the world's resources. Though many of its 1.3 billion population are poor, there are 25 million cars on China's roads. The mobile phone industry is already twice the size it is in the USA. In a single year China manufactures 300 million of the world's mobile phones. It manufacturs 50% of the worlds shoes and 70% of the world's DVDs and micro-wave ovens.

But what is happening spiritually? There are two "churches" in China. The official church is heavilly controlled by the atheistic Communist government. It allows only a modified Bible. No evangelism is permitted and the Deity of Christ is not allowed to be taught. In contrast, the underground church exists in a context of severe persecution. Imprisonment, beatings and torture are common. Despite this, the underground church is growing and is conservatively estimated at 80 million.

Chris Jones (Elim's international Missions Director) and I had arranged to fly into Hong Kong and from there to enter mainland China to meet with some of the leaders of the underground church. However on our arrival in Hong Kong our key contact "John" failed to meet us. He and his wife have been referred to in our prayer request as John and Mary (not their real names). Mary is Chinese and has spent time chained in prison simply for bring a Christian.

We found out on our return that John and the leaders had been arrested while in a meeting and John was not released until Chris and I had left the country. Our time however was valuably spent as we were able to spend time with a group who have multi-level means of outreach into China. As a result, Chris will be soon unpacking the possibilities for Elim people to be personally involved in this vital mission field. The short-term obstacles put in our way only served to re-double our determination to ensure that our Movement plays its part in reaching this great people for Christ.

Hundreds of thousands of people enter Hong Kong from China on a regular basis and the picture above shows a team, based in Hong Kong, that provides free literature for those who enter the harbour. It was a joy to meet and pray for them before we left.

Elim@Bristol

Every time I visit this church it appears to have risen to a new level in either attendance or in the development of the fascilities. There are now two morning services to accomodate the numerical growth and, before they commenced, Peter Davies (pictured) showed me the architectural drawings that outline the next phase in their building development. A theme that is current in the church at the moment is the "Presence of God" and the ambience of the time of worship indicated to me that the emphasis is having a positive effect. E@B adverstise themselves as a "new generation" church and anyone wanting to know about "doing church differently and well" could do far worse than check them out. As always, I enjoyed my time with Peter and the team.

Lane End Elim Church

I came to conclusionon, on this my first ever visit to Lane End, that it is one of our Movement's best kept secrets. John Richards (pictured between his two associate pastors) has been there for 25 years. Lane End has a population of only 3000 but the church complex would do credit to any city centre. As so often is the case, a first class worship group led the service which had a high proportion of teenagers in the congregation. At the conclusion of the service everyone stayed behind for a meal together. John and Marion and the team have done a fantastic job over the years and this church planted the Princes Risborough church several years ago which continues to grow under the leadership of Geoff and Jane Blease.

Selly Oak Banquet

I mentioned in a previous posting that I had been asked to take part in the 70th anniversary of the church. This occasion however was a banquet to celebrate the event. Senior minister, Maldwyn Jones, one of our finest Pastors, hosted a large number of guests. Also present was the Regional Leader of the area, Gordon Neale, and his wife Kaye. Maldwyn, Gordon and I were in College together in the Sixties and Maldwyn and my wife Marilyn attended the same Grammar School.

York Community Church

Its rare that I take Sunday engagements outside our own Denomination but YCC was an exception. One of my relatives is a member of the leadership and my cousin and her husband, who also attend the church, had asked me to dedicate their new baby daughter while preaching at the morning service. YCC is a growing church that meets in two locations across the city.

Gloucester

Until recently Steve Kempton had been the senior minister of the Gloucester church. Now he and his wife Helen are preparing to move to Asia under the auspices of Elim International missions. Under his leadership the church has seen growth in every area including the adding of facilities and the complete refurbishment of the building. In the interim, assistant pastor Sarah Whittleston has been doing a tremendous job leading the church along with the Eldership. It was Sarah who lead the Impact meeting at which I had been invited to speak. While missing their previous minister and wife, the congregation is clearly looking forward expectantly to all that God has in store for them in the days that lie ahead.

Missions Course 2007

Those pictured, with the exception of the course leader Sarah Bale (far right), had completed the course preparing them to be stationed to various parts of the world under the auspices of Elim International Missions. I had been with them on the final day. All of them spoke warmly of the streling work that Sarah had done to bring the period of preparation to fruition and steering it through.

Clapham Christian Fellowship

Clapham Christian Fellowship commenced as a church plant of Kensington Temple and I was present as the speaker as they celebrated their tenth anniversary. Roger Stedman has pastored the church since its inception in 1997 and I know that he was delighted not only to see a full compliment of his congregation present but also several visitors who had been impacted by the life of the fellowship over the years

Romford - 50th Anniversary

It was 50 years since the Romford Elim church was founded and during the anniversary service, held in hired venue to accommodate the extra numbers, messages were brought from previous ministers to add their best wishes on this special occasion. Glen and Gill Podd have led the church for several years and the expanding congregation has far outgrown its current building. As well as being senior minister of the church, Glen is also a member of Elim's Serious4God national youth team.

Bethnal Green - Leadership

Bethnal Green - London

Wherever I visit there is also something that stands out as memorable and which I would want to commend - perhaps the warmth of the people or the music ministry. Both of these would be applicable to the church in Bethnal Green pastored by Richard and Toyin Jama (pictured) but the things that will stay in my memory after my day in this excellent church was the great relationship among the leaders that was evident as we shared a meal together after the service. The church has tripled over the past ten years and I have no doubt that it is on course for accelerated growth in the days that lie ahead.

Kingston upon Thames

Kingston is a beautiful and historic town just seventeen miles from the center of London. For the past ten years Alan and Margaret Hilton have pastored the church which is part of the Kensington Temple network. Alan, who by profession was a structural engineer before taking early retirement, has worked tenaciously to create a viable witness in the area.

Letter to the Times

It is not unusual for Elim to lobby politicians and the media on issues that affect issues in the nation with regard to justice and biblical standards of morality. It is unusual to comment on debates in the General Synod of the Church of England. However, the debate on same-sex marriages is something that affects the wider Church. In consequence, seven Denominational leaders produced an open letter that was subsequently published as follows.

Letter in The Times February 23, 2007 from Denominational Leaders

Sir

On February 28th, the General Synod of the Church of England will be debating two Private Members Motions, one promoting tolerance of same sex partnerships within the Church, proposed by the Revd Mary Gilbert, the other promoting traditional marriage, proposed by the Revd Paul Perkins.

We call on all members of the General Synod to support the motion being put forward by the Revd Perkin, and to oppose that put forward by the Revd Gilbert.

Over recent months, a spotlight has being shone on the Church’s position in relation to homosexuality, with the public watching and waiting for the Church’s response to the ever-increasing parity with which homosexual relationships, and marriage, are being treated by politicians and the legal system. The question is whether the Church will shift its stance on homosexuality, swayed by the changes created by the Civil Partnerships Act and the forthcoming Sexual Orientation Regulations, or whether the Church will stand firmly in its reliance on the unchanging Word of God.

Recent discussions about the issues of gay adoption, faith schools, the rights of cohabitees and freedom of conscience and religion in 21st century Britain mean that there is an unprecedented platform for the Church to speak boldly about God’s creation plan for humanity and his desire to reconcile sinful man to Him through Jesus Christ.

There is a battle for truth taking place in this nation. The battle relates to the meaning of family, the meaning of marriage, the welfare of children, and what sort of family and upbringing is in their best interests.

Mr Perkin’s motion calls for clarity of the Church’s witness to the Bible’s teaching on sexual morality. In contrast, the Ms Gilbert’s motion would be unhelpful and could lead to further confusion and misunderstanding about the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality. In particular, the motion could give the impression that all forms of relationship are equally acceptable and that the Bible has nothing to say about the rights and wrongs of extra-marital relationships.

Marriage is the bedrock of society. The Church is called not to reflect society’s standards but rather to show society how God has taught us to live. We ignore God’s biblical model for society at our peril.

Yours faithfully

THE REV JOHN GLASS

General Superintendent Elim Pentecostal Churches

THE REV PAUL WEAVER

General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Churches

THE REV RICHARD UNDERWOOD

General Secretary, The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches

WARREN JONES

The Apostolic Church UK

THE REV ALFRED WILLIAMS

Prophetic Voice Ministers Network

PASTOR ADE OMOOBA

Cohesive and Coherent Voice

JONATHAN STEPHEN

Director, Affininity

More than Gold

Attended the Westminster launch for Denominational leaders of "More than Gold" highlighting the role of the Church in the next Olympic Games to be held in the UK. Speakers included Joel Edwards, Rowan Williams and Cabinet minister Tessa Jowell. This is likely to be just one of several initiatives in which Christians can make an impact

Whitehaven

Whitehaven is situated in one of the most beautiful parts of the UK in the far west of the Lake District. I was there to speak at the 50th Anniversary of the church. It was founded by George Canty and a very young John Lancaster was the pianist for the Crusade. John and Pauline Campbell have been there for the past ten years and all of their three sons are involved in the church. Luke is currently serving on Elim's Gap Team in Kosova.

Chorley

It was good to be with Tony and Jennifer Lacey at Living Waters in Chorley - a church that bears witness to the benefits of long term pastoral ministry. Tony is the Regional coordinator for the area. The cafe area which is filled both before and after the service may be one of the contributing factors to the fact that this is such a warm and welcoming church. One of Tony and Jennifer's three sons, John, has recently joined the ministry team and also serves as the worship leader.

The Gathering

On Saturday I attended "The Gathering" organised by Seious4God Elim's youth department. The weather was horrendous with snow causing hours of delays. Neverltheess 1,700 young people gathered for one of their best events ever. Mark Pugh and his team once again did a tremendous job. Clicking on the following link will take you their Blog and you can see for yourself what people were saying about it. The Gathering Max at the NEC will attract around 5000 in October.

http://www.serious4god.co.uk/discussion_forums/view_postings.asp?topicid=TPC00076&forumID=CON00153&sort=desc

Missions Training Course

It was good to be able to spend time with those who are preparing to embark on Elim International Missions in various parts of the world - all were of excellent caliber. Most were young but a few , having taken early retirement, were now committing themselves to serve God abroad.

Irish Leaders Day

There are some things that I have to do as they are necessary to my role. There are others that I am enthusiastic about for their own sake. Spending time with our leaders definitely falls in the the latter category. There was tremendous support from those from Ulster with several making the long journey from the Republic to be there also. There is an incredible team of leaders in Ireland which have been led for many years by my good friend Eric McComb, the Irish Superintendent.

Kings Church - Boston Spa

This was my first visit to this excellent church that is affiliated to Elim and was pioneered fifteen years ago from a home Bible Study group. There were no spare seats in the packed Sunday morning service. Stephen Thompson, one of our finest Bible teachers, (pictured with his wife Ruth and daughter Christel) has led the church since it was planted and is totally committed to its future. This warm and welcoming congregation is an excellent testimony in the small town that it serves.

AoG leaders Regional Day

This was my third visit in the past four years to the Assemblies of God Regional Day based outside Cambridge for the fifty churches that are covered by Regional Superintendent, David Puddle. David and his wife Jackie were young people in the Cheltenham Elim church when I pastored it twenty-five years ago. It was good, once again, to be with them and leaders of Elim's sister fellowship.

Dunamis - House of Praise CD

In a previous Blog I referred to my visit to Ealing Dunamis and the album that has recently been produced by the Dunamis Collective. The easy thing to do would have been to make a praise album. They decided instead, generously, to profile several of the different musical genres represented by artists that are part of this innovative Elim congregation - a number of which are professional musicians. The result is an album featuring styles through jazz, hip-hop and rap. To sample the music and to find out how to secure the album go to www.myspace.com/thedunamiscollective. I keep this CD permanently in my car. It is a prime example of the best in professionally produced contemporary Christian music.