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