There is always a huge turnout at a Metropolitan Regional Day and my recent visit was no exception. I would have to say that it was one of the most exceptional Regional days that I have participated in in my eleven years in office. David Campbell, pictured with his wife Mandy, is responsible for Elim's two Metropolitan Regions and serves alongside me on the National Leadership Team, He is also a close and valued friend.
The worship team was extraordinary and contributed hugely to the success of the day. I enjoyed immensely the opportunity to minister to the high calibre leaders who had gathered for the event.
Every week I receive in my office those who are visiting our International Centre in Malvern. As the numbers are too numerous to mention on these pages, the visits of Denominational leaders, para-church leaders and those from within politics and the media are rarely mentioned.
I make an exception this month however for Rev. George Canty who at 99 years of age is the oldest minister is our Movement having joined Elim over eighty years ago. He pioneered his latest church when in his Seventies and has been a prolific writer and broadcaster. When an evangelist he was most well known for doing an oil painting while he preached and which he gave away at end of the service. When I mentioned his visit to me on Facebook several people responded by saying that they still have one of his paintings to this day. It was a joy and a privilege to have visit with us.
There are an estimated two million evangelicals in the UK. Many of these Christians, who are reflected in a wide spectrum of Denominations and networks, are represented by the Evangelical Alliance. It speaks to the media and to parliament about issues that concern the Christian faith as well as acting as a comprehensive resource to the local and national Church.
Though Elim is registered as a Denominational member I would encourage every Elim church to register as a church.
The EA council, on which I have considered it a privilege to serve for the past six years. meets every few months in order to conduct its business. At its most recent meeting I had the honour to be elected to serve for a further six years
There are three Elim Churches in Peterborough and it was my pleasure to be speaking at the congregation in Midland Road. Jonathan and Lucisha Featherstone have led the church for the past three years and what a thrill it was to enter a meeting and be faced with a wall of sound emanating from an atmosphere of dynamic worship.
There are 550 Elim churches throught the UK. The 69,000 people who make up our Denomination represent many diferent formats and flavours of worship. I enjoy them all because I am aware that God is more concerned with content than with style. Having said that, Marilyn and I felt very much at home with this great church as the vibrance of the worship was matched by their engagement with the word of God.
We enjoyed lunch with two of the Peterborough leadership teams. But the day was far from over for the two churches that were represented. One group of leaders, ably led by senior pastor John Harrison went away tp prepare for their evening service while the leaders of Midland Road returned to their church to cook the weekly meal they make for fifty homeless people. The more I travel the more I continue to appreciate the leaders and congregations that represent Elim across the UK
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The church that I grew up in was pioneered by my father, pastor Jack Glass. After a period of twenty years, though the congregation now had a church building and a manse the congregation was never large. After his retirement, the church fell into numerical decline and when Paul and Mags arrived they commenced with just a very small group of people.
That was twenty-four years ago and the journey since that date would require a report the size of a book. However, the story that took them from those beginnings to the opening of an 25,000 square foot complex in one of the most significant areas of the city will feature in a future Direction article. What is certain is that excellence at every level and a great deal of personal sacrifice has been the hallmark of their ministry in Manchester.
The new centre that incorporates an 800 seater auditorium, five star Confrence Centre, cafe and bistro could not more strategically placed. Their new neighbours will the the BBC's Media City.
The opening celebration was attended by a packed house. Several Elim churches were represented as were local churches. The Mayor of Salford was present as was the local MP, Hazel Blears.
One of the most important guests were Rev and Mrs Alexander Tee who, apart rom being one of the most successful evangelists that Elim has every had, are also the parents of Mags Hallam.
It was a delight to speak at this great celebration and to spend time after it was over with the leaders who, together with the senior pastors had brought he dream into a reality.
At every opportunity Paul and Mags gave glory to God for making the miracle possible but no one who was there was in any doubt about the part that they had played through their courageous tenacity in bringing a local congregation on such a remarkable journey.
From this one church has sprung orphanages in Romania and more than sixty thriving churches in India. The best days of the Lighthouse are yet to come.
Each year new groups of dedicated people set out via Elim Missions to serve God around the world. Part of their preparatory induction is to spend a a few days at our International Centre in Malvern where a number of our leaders are invited to bring various levels of input.
I always consider this a special occasion and, again this year, it was a joy to meet those who, at some sacrifice to themselves, had volunteered to serve God abroad. We appreciate them and I encourage you to uphold them in your prayers.
If there is any name that is likely to get confused with Elim it is Elam. The latter however is a ministry into Iran and Chris Jones our International Missions Director and myself were present for its 20th Anniversary held at its UK base in the south of England.
It was a moving occasion on many levels. One young leader was unable to be present as he was martyred as a Christian just a few weeks earlier. One of the Elam leaders introduced me to a young lady in her Thirties and asked her to tell me her story.
She had been a Muslim at the point of being married but a few years later was converted to Christianity. The Muslim authorities said that she must choose between Christ and her two year old daughter who she would never see again unless she reconverted to Islam. She was unwilling to denounce Christ and her daughter is now ten and she has not seen her for the past eight years. There are multiplied thousands of untold stories like this within the persecuted Church around the world. They are of course recorded in heaven and stand as a constant challenge to our commitment.
There is always a huge turnout at a Metropolitan Regional Day and my recent visit was no exception. I would have to say that it was one of the most exceptional Regional days that I have participated in in my eleven years in office. David Campbell, pictured with his wife Mandy, is responsible for Elim's two Metropolitan Regions and serves alongside me on the National Leadership Team, He is also a close and valued friend.
