Sandy - church plant

In my previous post I mentioned the commitment of LGCC - Letchworth Elim - to the church planting vision that is at the core of our Movement.

An expression of this is the church plant that is being birthed in the town of Sandy  that is led by Michael Sijuwade (pictured here with his wife Ola) who is also on the pastoral team of the Letchworth church.

It was my privilege to speak at a Sunday service and to meet the people personally.  We thank God for the faithful and tenacious leadership that people such as Michael and Ola bring to to the extension of the Kingdom of God by planting our into new areas.

LGCC - Elim Letchworth

Dominic De Souza (pictured) is the senior minister of Letchworth Garden City Church better known as LGCC.  

Prior to coming to Letchworth Dominic was on the pastoral team of Kensington Temple, Elim's largest church. In the five years that he has been the senior leader of LGCC the church has experienced constant growth both numerically and in depth

Around 400 people were present for the morning service and, given the commitment that this great congregation church has for our Movements church planting vision, around 500 people will have been connected with LGCC during the day.

Elim / AoG leadership

Elim and Assemblies of God are the two largest Pentecostal Denominations in the UK with well over a thousand churches among them. The only difference between our two Movements is the way that we are structured and there has always been close fellowship between us

John Partington (National Leader of AoG) and myself were both  friends many years before either of us were called to serve our respective groups in leadership.

On this occasion the two National Leadership Teams held their respective meetings at the Elim International Centre in Malvern but also held a joint meeting at which we looked at ways in which our two groups could work even more closely together in the days that lie ahead.  We wish our sister fellowship God's richest blessing in everything they are endeavouring to do to extend the Kingdom of God in our nation.

CLM Coventry

Coventry Elim is one of our finest churches with three morning services to accommodate their growing congregation.

However, on this occasion I was not with our own church in the city but with Christian Life Ministries led by Martin and Esther Storey (pictured)

CLM is part of our sister      fellowship,Assemblies of God, and their state-of-the-art modern complex houses a large auditorium, conference centre and office suite.

It was a delight to be with Martin and Esther not just in the context of the church service but later in their home where I was able to spend time with them and their young family.  Although they have not been in Coventry for a great length of time their leadership gifting and pastoral heart has already had an impact on this fine congregation.  Also on the team is John Partington the National Leader of AoG

Kensington Temple, London

Kensington Temple is Elim's largest congregation and via its network - London City Church - reaches several thousand people every week.  The senior minister Colin Dye is a member of our Movement's National Leadership Team.  KT as it is more generally known has a heart to reach 'London and the world for Christ' and its influence, reflecting this, is felt in many countries of the world.  Its wider pastoral and leadership team is comprised of very many gifted men and women and its multicultural congregation adds a very positive dimension to the expression of the Christian Church in our nation's capital.  I ministered on this occasion at its morning service.

Romania

I spent four days in Romania visiting  Ioan Ceuta (pictured here, second from left, with his wife and two daughters and their son-in-law) who heads a network of Pentecostal Churches in the Country.

Ioan and I are members of the European Council of Empowered21 - a group committed to effectively linking Pentecostal and Charismatic churches throughout Europe.

As our friendship has developed over time Ioan and his National Leadership Team felt it right to link his churches into "Elim Global" an international group set up to embraces previously formed churches to our Movement and who identify with Elim's vision and values and wish to be connected with us.

The purpose of my visit was to meet his NLT for the first time, to preach in a number of the their churches and take part in a  radio broadcast.

It was a fruitful and memorable time.  One of the highlights was touring the magnificent facility that is the central hub of the organisation and incorporates their Headquarters, a theological College and infants school that is built and run to the very highest standards.  The church campus is based there and the church feeds 500 of the poorest families in Bucharest with a hot meal five days a week.

Hoddesdon

Hoddesdon is a long established Elim Church - once known as Rye Park.  It has been pastored for the past three years by Jamie Lavery - pictured here with his wife Sophie and their daughter Lilly.

This was my first visit to the church and it was great, as usually is the case, to meet those who had been there for many years as well as those who had more recently become part of the church.

Jamie and Sophie are typical of the excellent calibre of young leaders who lead our churches around the UK with a passion for God and a love for the people they they have been called to serve.

Launceston, Devon

There are some people who dedicate themselves to the planting and pioneering of new congregations and I so much enjoyed being with John and Sally Berriman who, having worked faithfully in St Ives, moved to Launceston in Devon  to plant an Elim church in that area.

Meeting in the town hall in the centre of this small picturesque town the congregation is now firmly established in the area.  John and Sally and the church that they lead and doing a fabulous job and it was a delight to be with them for their Sunday service

Hope Chapel, Birmingham

Hope Chapel in Birmingham was founded by Sally Livingstone who is also the founder of the Livingstone House group of residential centres that she established to care for those who have been challenged by life-controlling issues such as substance abuse.

This dynamic and entrepreneurial woman has impacted the lives of many hundreds of people and it is always a joy to be connected with her inspirational ministry.  I was the guest speaker at a packed gathering at this new and growing congregation.

Liverpool (Kensington)

It had been two years since I had last visited Liverpool (Kensington) led  by Paul Dunne (pictured with his wife Lynne) and it was great to witness again the great pastoral heart this fine couple bring to this warm and lively congregation

Growth in the congregation and improvements to the building were obvious since my last visit and its always a joy to see the number of ways that the local church increases its contact with the surrounding community.

Weston Super Mare

Holy Trinity, Weston Super Mare, is an Elim Church pastored my close friend of 40 years, Claude Ellerington, (pictured here with his wife Susan). 

Holy Trinity is a great church and I always enjoy ministering there.  One previous occasions Claude's two sons, Richard and Steve, who are both Elim ministers have been on the team locally but now Steve is pastoring on the team in Bristol and Richard and his wife Regi are planting a surfers church in France.

Hope Church, Corby

There are not many churches that grow from a handful of people to a regular congregation of around 230 in just five years.  But that is what has happened at the Elim congregation in Corby.

Damian Carr, pictured here with his wife Maggie, moved from Selly Oak to his home town with a vision to plant a church and, and through faithful pastoral care and wise leadership, this fine congregation has become flagship for how church planting should be done.

Though catering for all ages, anyone visiting will become immediately aware of the number of young people and young families that are present.

They currently meet in a local school but their vision is to have their own building.  Hope Church is an exciting and dynamic congregation with a great future.

Daniel Stanley

Elim is not just comprised of churches but also trans-local ministries.  Such groups include evangelistic organisations and chaplaincies.

On this occasion I was spending time with Daniel and Sunitha Stanley (pictured here with sister Ramadevi and daughter Rachel) who is overseeing a number of Tamil Indian congregations around the UK.

Before taking up this role Daniel was a senior executive with a multi-national bank based in India.  It was a huge and sacrificial step for the him to resign his position but he has done so without regret knowing with certainty the clear call of God upon his life.

Acocks Green, Elim

The  church in Acocks Green, Birmingham was planted twenty-five years ago by the late George Canty one of Elim's foremost evangelists.  The reason for my visit was to celebrate this special anniversary.  Also present for the service was the Regional leader for the area, Gordon Neale and Stan Taylor a previous pastor.

Until recently the minister at the church was Jamys Carter (pictured centre) but the congregation is now pastored by Terry Jennings (pictured left) who ably led the meeting and is on target to take the church forward.

Anniversaries always provide opportunities to celebrate the input of leaders past and present and especially the faithfulness of the membership of the congregation.

Epping Forest Elim Church

Lee and Alison Carmichael, pictured here with their daughter Martha, have served sacrificially in Epping for several years having been bi-vocational in order to ensure the growth and development of the church.  

Leaders that serve the church by holding down two roles are among the heroes in our Movement and we thank God for them.

Kennet Christian Centre

My time at  Kennet Christian Centre was another 'first visit' and it did not take me long to realise that this excellent church in Newbury was one of Elim's 'best kept secrets'.  

Though I arrived early the church was already filling up and by the start of the service stewards were struggling to find seats for the people who were continuing to arrive.  This was not because I was there - it is like that every week.

Ian Gardiner (pictured here with his wife Marion) has led the church for over twenty years and it is very evident that the incredible atmosphere that makes this church so attractive is largely down to their influence over the years.

Treorchy, South Wales

It is always a pleasure to speak at Elim churches but especially when it is my first visit to them. 

So, when preaching at the Elim Church in Treorchy, in the Rhondda Valley it was great be with Jeff Evans (pictured here with his wife Sue) who has pastored the church there for the past twenty three years.

It was to be expected that any church in South Wales would be a welcoming environment what I was not anticipating was the exceptionally gifted way in which Sue led the worship.    I would also want to honour leaders such as Jeff who have invested so much of their life, often sacrificially, into local church over such an extended period of time.

AoG Leaders

There has always been a close affinity with our Sister fellowship, the Assemblies of God.  Both our Movements were formed almost a century ago and our doctrines and beliefs are identical.  The only thing that differentiates us is our form of church government.  The two previous Superintendents of AoG have been close personal friends as is the current National Leader, John Partington

It was a pleasure and a privilege to speak to their National Leadership Team, Regional Leaders and Regional Teams at their excellent venue in Coventry.  Both our Fellowships are looking at every opportunity in which we can work closer together in the days that lie ahead.

Elim@Bristol

It hardly seems four years since Simon Foster (pictured) became the senior leader of Elim@Bristol.  The long established congregation, formerly known as the City Temple, has always been a strong church but it has never been stronger, in size and depth, than it is today.

I spoke at the two morning services.  The first was well attended and in the second the main auditorium and the balcony was packed.  The guest worship leader for the day was Noel Robinson one the primary Christian singer/song writers in the UK.

Simon is a member of Elim's National Leadership Team and has built a great team of leaders around him in Bristol - a church that is leading the way in 'The Big centenary Ask' by planting three other churches out of this strong and exciting Bristol base.

Archbishop of Canterbury

The installation of Rev. Justin Welby in Canterbury Cathedral was a remarkable event.  The then Bishop of Durham had not been likely a choice for a number of reasons not least because he had only been a bishop for a comparatively short period of time.  Dr. Welby is clearly an evangelical and this was reflected not only in the poignant address that he brought but also in the choice of hymns which included “And Can be that I should gain and interest in the Saviours blood”.  And, as the congregation sang a piece written by Tim Hughes, Steve Clifford (leader of the Evangelical Alliance) and I turned to one another and expressed the same thought, “Who would have thought that the inauguration of anew Archbishop would include music written by the worship leader of a charismatic Anglican Church such as HTB.  Later that evening in at a celebratory meal in Canterbury the Dr. Welby was to publicly refer to Nicky Gumble as his ‘mentors’. 

I have long advocated our Movement’s involvement with Christians from traditions other than our own.  My position on the Council of the Evangelical Alliance and other similar groups remains an expression of this. 

In a letter responding to my good wishes on his election , and prior to my invitation as the first General Superintendent of Elim to be invited to Canterbury for such an occasion, the new Archbishop had kindly written that he had been “much blessed by Elim” over the years.

We pray God’s riches blessing on him as he commences this new and challenging role in leading the many millions of Anglicans around the world.

Birkenhead, Elim

I would not know what the average length of a time a minister  commits to one single congregation but forty years is outstanding by any standard.  And that is the period of ministry that Paul and Evelyn Epton have accomplished in Birkenhead.  

Starting from a handful of people in the most modest of accommodation the three hundred strong church now exists at multiple sites in the town.  It is a tribute to a long and faithful ministry.  

However, Paul's ministry has not been limited to any geographical area - though the Wirral has always been where his heart lies.  As one of Elim's foremost evangelists over the years his ministry has taken him all over the world and, at the special service to mark the occasion at which I was the speaker, there folk who had come from as far away as Nigeria - for the event.

Apart from a very from a very full church, there was a strong representation of ministers who had been assistants during Paul's tenure and who now were pastoring significant churches of their own.  One of them Simon Foster, lead pastor of Elim at Bristol and NLT member, preached at the Sunday services as the anniversary continued over the weekend.

The service was ably convened by Greg Epton, Paul and Evelyn's son, who will be continuing to lead the congregation after Paul's retirement as senior pastor

Newcastle, Elim

An increasing number of Elim churches that I visit have needed to move to two morning services in order to accommodate their growth and this is true of our congregation in Newcastle whose senior pastor is Simon Lawton (pictured here with his wife Julia and daughter Amy)

It was two years since I was last in Newcastle and it was a joy to see the growth in size and overall influence of the church.

Newcastle people are by nature warm and welcoming and this is very much reflected in the style and the atmosphere of the church.  The worship was led by accomplished musician and song-writer, Sarah White.  I thoroughly enjoyed my most  recent visit to this great Fellowship.

New Wine Conference

'New Wine' is  a group of mainly Anglican Charismatic churches and it was pleasure to participate as a speaker in their recent Conference held in Ealing, London.  The two venues used were the local Anglican church, St Pauls, led by Mark Melluish and Ealing Christian Centre (Elim) which is just a few hundred yards away.  

It was also good to share fellowship with Mark Bailey, another New Wine coordinator, who is senior minister of Trinity Cheltenham - the second largest Anglican Church in the UK after Holy Trinity Brompton.

Leicester Elim

It had been forty years since I had last preached at Leicester Elim and I was told by some members who could still remember the visit that I brought with me a worship leader in his late teens who they described as 'Noel Richards' before he was Noel Richards.  I knew what they meant as the young man who accompanied me was later to become one of the best known Christian singer song-writers in the country.

The church now was in a totally different venue since those days and their relatively new pastor Ian Nicholson, pictured here with his wife Liz, is already having a very positive effect on this fine congregation.  Ian has a faithful track record in our Movement and is a wise leader with a great pastoral heart.  Thank you Leicester for your warm welcome.  I very much enjoyed my time with you.

Ambilly & Thonon

I can remember the earliest days in which Luke and Rachel Favre pioneered a church in Thonon, France. 

During my five visits overt the years I have witnessed its growth and development as they have worked sacrificially to make the dream a reality.

In my latest visit I ministered at the church on Friday and Saturday night and on Sunday morning.

On the Saturday morning I spoke at a men's breakfast meeting at a second church that Luke now leads - over the border in Ambilly, Switzerland - a congregation that Rachel's father pioneered twenty five years ago.

It was a joy to spend time with such exemplary young leaders.

OneChurch, Gloucester

The majority of my weekend speaking engagements revolve around the invitations that I receive from within our own Movement.

A recent exception to that was my visit to One Church, a dynamic and growing congregation pastored by Simon Jarvis (pictured here with his wife Ally and children Jack and Abigail.)

OneChurch is part of Elim's sister fellowship, the Assemblies of God, and over the past few years I have had an ongoing connection with it.
When Simon Jarvis took over the senior leadership it had already been an established Pentecostal Church for many years and numbered around 150 people.  Today the congregation is around four times that size with two morning services to accommodate the increasing numbers.  While there are no sure-fire 'secrets of success' for any church, one of the hallmarks of OneChurch is the vibrancy of its meetings, the culture of 'team' and affirmation within in the church and its prioritising engagement and commitment to the City itself.

Greenock

There are two Elim Churches in Greenock, and my visit on this occasion was to the one in Kelly Street which is pastored by Fraser Donaldson - pictured here with his wife Susan.

The Saturday evening was an informal cafe-style format under the title 'Meet the GS' in which I was able to share the vision and values of our Movement in an interview

I was with the whole church on the Sunday morning and, before going to the airport in the evening, I met with all those in the church in a 20 - 30 year age group, in the local Costa coffee (they had designated a special area for us) at which we discussed church and contemporary culture.  My visit was one of the best possible uses of the 24 hours in a land I have grown to love over the years - Scotland.

Teen Challenge UK

Teen Challenge has been a phenomenal resource for over a generation for those who have been damaged by the use of addictive substances.

The current Director, Jay Fallon, is an ordained Elim minister and this was my first opportunity to view the brand new facilities at a site between Leicester and Nottingham.

The first thing that that you become aware of when entering is the commitment to excellence at every level.  These two photos show the reception area and the dining room but the bedrooms conference room, library, media centre, chapel and gymnasium reflect the same story.  Jay and Fiona Fallon are two very special people who have built a first class team around them.  The highlight of the day however was not the facilities but the opportunity to spend time with those whose lives had been transformed by the power of the Gospel - people who have transitioned from  heroin to health both physically and spiritually.

Gloucester

My visit to Gloucester Elim church coincided with just the third Sunday that Paul Meiklejohn had been the pastor at the church but it was clear that he and his wife Debbie had already caught a vision for the city and were feeling very much 'at home' in their new location.

I have known Paul for many years and am familar with his ministry.  I have no doubt that the pastoral gifting that has been a hallmark of his ministry thus far will be utilised to its fullest extent as he commences this next phase in his ministry. he and Debbie are a great team.

Serious4God

One of the greatest developments in our Movement in the past few years has been the way that Elim's youth organisation, Serious4God has developed under the leadership of Mark Pugh and the incredible  team he has built around him.

The Elim International Centre is an ideal location for any conference and that was the venue for a youth leaders Conference at which I spoke at one of the sessions.

No one who attended could fail to sense the amazing dynamic in the room - an understandable vibe when so many creative young leaders are in the same place at the same time.

Elam ministries

Elam, not to be confused with the name of our own Movement Elim, is one of the most significant Christian organisations in Iran - a hard line Muslim country in which it is an offence to share your faith with other Christians or even to celebrate Christmas.  Direction readers will remember a report on this page of my visit to a country in the Middle East to meet with young Iranian leaders who had suffered persecution, imprisonment and, in a number of cases, torture.

The pictures above relate to a recent meeting organised by Elam and held in St George's church in the centre of Leeds and at which several hundred Iranians now living in the UK attended.  The worship group led songs in English and in Persian and I had the privilege of being invited to be the speaker throughout the day at the first Conference of this nature.

It was wonderful  to witness a number of young Iranians commit their life to Christ at the close of the service.

Braintree Elim Church

Alison and William Atkinson, pictured here with their two sons Iain and Stephen, are both ordained Elim ministers.

For several years William served our Movement with distinction as the Principal of our College before taking up the role of Vive Prinicipal with the London School of Theology.

Alison is the pastor of the Braintree church and is also currently a member of The Bridge - a group of senior leaders that I meet with on two occasions during the year.  The church and gallery was full for the morning service at which I spoke and there were also people in attendance from the Elim church in Maldon.

Cardiff City Temple

When I was a young minister, Cardiff City Temple was a flagship church in the Elim Movement in terms of its size and influence.  The minister at that time was PS Brewster who pastored the church for over thirty years. 

Today the City Temple is far larger than ever it was in those years.  I spoke at the two morning services to around seven hundred people but there were four services during the day.

One of the things that anyone who attends the Cardiff church feels very quickly is the sense of vision and expectancy.  They are great people and the Temple is a great place to be.

One of the elements of building a successful church is creating a great team and that has certainly been accomplished by pastor Steve Ball (second from left) who came into that role after the previous minister Chris Cartwright became a Regional Leader.

Kilsyth, Scotland

 It is always a pleasure to minister in our churches throughout the UK but it was special joy to be in Kilsyth for their anniversary weekend as this was the church that I had pastored prior to being elected as General Superintendent in 1999.

Kilsyth Church of God is the longest established Pentecostal church in Scotland and celebrated its centenary during the period in which I was the minister.  This anniversary marked fifty years since the opening of its present building.
Twelve months ago Mike Preston - pictured here with his wife Bev, his son Yoshan and daughters Yolanda and Zara - became the pastor and the church is prospering under his ministry.

Apostolic Church, Ebbw Vale, South Wales

Although I usually only accept invitations for ministry at the weekend from Elim Churches it was a pleasure to visit the Ebbw Vale Apostolic church pastored by Jason Pennington - pictured here with his wife Charis, his son Nathan and his daughters Abigail and liberty - all of which are fully involved in the life and ministry of the church.

It was a joy to spend time with this warm and welcoming congregation. 

 

Gatehouse Elim Church, Porth

It was great to be with John and Debbie Bullock (pictured) and the Gatehouse Church in Porth - a dynamic congregation in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales.

Apart from being the local Elim church in the area, it is also home to  'Sporting Marvels' a phenomenal initiative that links the church to the community via sport -  google 'sporting marvels' to find out more.

This church also holds many memories for Marilyn and I as it was venue at which we were married over 40 years ago.

Silverdale

The Saturday meeting for leaders entitled, "Creating a place for the Presence'" was made open to a number of churches in Potteries and was organised by Edwin Cotter, pictured here with his wife Lorna, the senior pastor of the Elim Church in Silverdale.

It is a remarkable that a village of just a few thousand should have such a thriving Pentecostal Church.

It was an excellent day and I thoroughly enjoyed being with leaders from a variety of backgrounds.

Faith through a lens

A powerful scene of former drug addicts reading the New Testament scooped the overall winner’s award at the national amateur photography competition, Faith Through a Lens. Created by national church insurer Congregational and General, renowned photojournalist Don McCullin and Minister for Faith and Communities, Baroness Warsi, John Glass, General Superintendent  Elim Churches and Dr. David Cornick presented the prizes. .
‘Brothers in Arms’ by Paul Triller was praised by the judging panel for its immediate impact, fantastic use of light and real intensity. Paul, who took the photo whilst in Romania, received a camera-shaped trophy sculpted by emerging artist Craig Dyson and a prize pack valued at £1,400 which included a new Nikon V1 camera. Winners of the other categories also scooped a photography prize pack and also the opportunity to nominate a faith, charity or community group to receive £1000 of audio-visual or photography equipment of their choice.
Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, said: "They say a picture is worth a thousand words and I was delighted to see A Year of Service really come alive in some terrific photos that perfectly captured the strength of our faith communities and the commitment they make to their neighbourhoods. This has been a memorable year of social action so thank you to all the budding photographers who entered and congratulations to the winners."
The above photo shows the winning picture two of the judges - John Glass and Don McCullin CBE

Bethnal Green, London

It is always a pleasure to visit the Elim church in Bethnal Green, London - known locally as New Life Bible Church.

This vibrant fellowship of warm and welcoming people is pastored by Richard Jama (pictured here with his wife Toyin.

Richard Jama is also attaining an increased reputation in his home nation of Nigeria where he conducts leadership meetings and Crusades.

West Wellow

This was my first visit to this small Elim congregation on the outskirts of Salisbury.  One of the hallmarks of smaller congregations is the high percentage of people who are actively involved in the life and ministry of the church.  And this is particularly true of the good people in West Wellow.  It is in a period of transition and it was a pleasure to meet both those who had been part of its past leadership together with those who are involved in planning for the future.

Scottish Regional Retreat

Having spent fourteen years of my ministry in Scotlandd there is little wonder that I was looking forward to my time with our leaders north of the border.

Kevin Peat, NLT member and current Regional Leader, excels in pastoral care and, together with his wife Margaret, hosted the Scottish pastors at a the four-star hotel in Strathclyde Country park.

The theme was 'Replenish' and it was a privilege to be part of this fabulous two day event - not just in terms of the teaching that I was invited to bring - but being able to interact with our leaders between the various sessions.

Macclesfield

The last time I spoke at Macclesfield Elim church was 47 years ago.  I was in my mid teens and this was the was the first time that I had preached outside of the home church that I grew up in.

For the past ten years the church has been pastored by Cindy and Dean Shaw (pictured here with their two daughters).  

Though not a large church it has many activities during the week and there was an excellent family atmosphere at the morning service at which I ministered.

Coatbridge, Scotland

I have visited the Coatbridge church on a number of occasions during the past twelve years and was a pleasure to witness the growth in size and depth since my previous visit.

David and Linda Bell have worked faithfully there over the years and all of their family are involved in the Fellowship.  Pictured left to right are Louise, Shirley, David, Linda, Audrey and Stephen.

The Saturday evening service was attended by other churches in the area and the Sunday morning by the local church family. 

Ellesmere Port

 This was my first visit to the Ellesmere Port church that had been planted just three years ago as an Elim church.  Its visionary leader, Peter Israel Peters, took a great step of faith when he embarked on the purchasing of a large church complex at a time when the congregation was so small.

He and his family have worked sacrificially in order to see the new church become established and I believe that principles for growth and expansion are in place that will ensure that the church will continue to effectively reach the community with the Gospel.

After the morning service it was a pleasure to also spend time with the leadership of the local church as listen to their vision for the future.

Bethany Community Church, Cheadle

Tony Lacy (pictured here with his wife Jennifer) retired from the Elim church in Chorley (see previous post) but, far from scaling down their ministry, continued to act as a consultant to other churches in the locality.

When Bethany Community Church applied to affiliate with our Movement the Regional Leader Kevin Peat saw Tony as the obvious choice to give initial leadership to this fine congregation which meets in the excellent church complex pictured below.

I greatly enjoyed my time with one of the newest churches in our Elim Network.

Living Waters, Chorley

I always enjoy my visits to Living Waters. One of the highlights in the past was to speak at at Saturday meeting which was the farewell of the founding minister Tony Lacy (see next posting) which was then followed by the Sunday service at which one of Tony's sons John (pictured here with his wife Michelle) was inducted as the pastor.

In the period that has followed the congregation has more than doubled and has outgrown in premises in the centre of the town.

Saturday night took the form a teaching meeting for the leaders of the church.  Around fifty were present including nine leaders from other churches.

Sunday morning was the meeting of the full church family.  It was a great atmosphere and the Living Waters Praise Band is one of the best in our Movement.  The Elim church in Chorley I believe has an exceptional future ahead of it.

Dowlais

It has been three years since my last visit to Dowlais and I was immediately struck by two things.   The first was the increased size of the congregation.  The second was the refurbishment of the building. Wayne Carpenter, pictured here with his wife Carol, has always been a person committed to excellence.

The theme that the church has set for the weekend was "Intimacy with God". The Saturday service was attended by other Elim churches in the area and both Sunday morning and Sunday evening meetings were memorable occasions.

UCB

United Christian Broadcasters are a powerful and effective Christian ministry in the UK.  Operating out of state-of-the-art TV and radio studios they provide programming for their TV station and DAB radio station.  Those with an iphone or ipad should be sure to download the free UCB app.

Though UCB serves the whole church across the country, Elim has a strong relationship with this great organisation and it is UCB that broadcast our Bible Week on their TV station.

The reason for me being there on this occasion was to record thirty one-minute video shots each of which will be broadcast between programmes over the next few months.

Ignite Conference

Each year Kevin Peat, Regional Leader for Scotland and the North West,  hosts a conference for the North West Region at Cefn Lea holiday park in North Wales.  Aptly called 'Ignite"it serves to be a means of fellowship and inspiration to all those who attend.  Having spoken there in 2011 I had been invited again to speak at two of the sessions this year also.

There is always a great atmosphere at Ignite and the Elim Church in Chorley who led the worship are, in my opinion, one of the best Praise Bands in our Movement.

Persecuted church

It was over two years ago while at a Conference in South Africa that I was approached by an Iranian man in his early thirties who asked if I would travel to a country in the Middle East to give teaching and encouragement to young leaders who were undergoing persecution.

The concept at the time was that I would go to a relatively moderate Islamic country and that they would travel from the countries where persecution was more intense.

The arrangement was delayed for two reasons.  The so-called Arab Spring meant that the location needed to be changed but the second reason was far more serious.  On 26^th December 2010 my contact was himself arrested along with 40 other Christians and detained in one of Iran’s worst prisons in Teheran.

Separated from his wife and young children he is currently serving six years for converting from Islam and encouraging others to follow Christ.

A new location selected, Chris Jones and I travelled to meet a group of around 50 leaders all who had undergone persecution – some under torture. Those who had suffered imprisonment had been forced to leave their country with nothing but what they stood up in.  As they were not given passports their status was that of a refugee.  There is a huge price to pay for following Jesus around the world and the opportunity to meet and minister to them was one of the most humbling and impacting times of my 44 years in ministry.

Stockton

The reason for my visit, my first to the Elim church in Stockton, was on the occasion of their 40th anniversary.  The church is between ministers at the moment but there was an excellent attendance as several people from the Elim church in Darlington joined for the morning service.    Because of the occasion a number of people also attended from the local estate - some of which had never attended since they were children.  Four people responded to the gospel appeal at the end of the service.

Apostle Michael NTumy

One of my closest friends in recent years has been Apostle Michael Ntumy, former chairman of the Church of Pentecost.  Under his ten year tenure as the leader of our sister Movement he saw it grow from around 760,000 to over 1,600,000.  It now stands at over 2,000,000 world wide.

A few years ago he emerged from a serious spinal operation paralyzed from the neck down.  Since that time he has astounded surgeons, doctors and physicians with his progress which they have put down to his faith in God and the strength of his character.  He has also been wonderfully supported by his wife Martha (pictured standing between us).  I have visited him on two occasions in Germany where he currently resides but on this occasion I travelled to see him during a recent visit to London.  Also in the picture are dignitaries from the Church of Pentecost - including the UK Area Head (far right)  In my opinion Michael Ntumy is one of the most significant Christian Statesmen this century has produced.

MiT Conference

Each year around ninety 'Ministers in training' descend on the Elim International Centre for a three-day conference hosted by Nigel Tween and myself.  Main speakers, apart from the hosts, were Duncan Clark, Carl Johnston, Geoff Lee, Gordon Neale, Kevin Peat and Jonathan Skelton - reflecting a wide range of age and experience that contributed to what many felt was once of the most successful MiT conferences in a long time.

Crewkerne, Somerset

I have visited and spoken at hundreds of Elim churches across the UK but this was the first time I had been at Crewkerne.

The church is pastored by Steve Gray (pictured here with his wife Sian, sons Aaron and Joel and daughter Aoife)

Though Steve is from Ireland and Sian from Wales, their commitment to the area over several years has meant that they are very much part of the local community of which the church is an integral part


I enjoyed meeting the congregation and was blessed by the worship.  The added bonus was being able to spend time with this great family over  lunch at the conclusion of the service.

Leytonstone Men's Retreat

For the past few years around sixty men from the Leytonstone Elim Church conduct a retreat for men at the Elim International Centre in Malven.  For the past two years I have been invited to speak at the event.  There is always something great about guys getting together in this kind of context and the 2012 event was no exception.

South Chard

There are times when I get to visit excellent churches situated in very small communities.  My visit to South Chard, Somerset, was one such occasion.  It is led by Neil Reid (pictured here with his wife Jenny).  It was a delight to be with them.

There was a great sense of 'family' in this warm and relational congregation and after the morning service I was able to meet the wider leadership and their spouses over a curry.

Ministers Fellowship Europe

Ministers Fellowship International was  founded many years ago by Dick Iverson and thirteen years ago MF (Europe) was commenced under the leadership of Colin Cooper (pictured) - senior minister of the 800 strong Huddersfield Christian Fellowship who has brought dynamic leadership to the group.

Every year this group, dedicated to the encouragement and support of pastors and leaders,  holds a Conference in a different location throughout Europe.  The 2012 venue was in a top hotel in Athens, Greece.  I considered it an honour to be invited to speak on four occasions during the four days.  The Conference took time to especially honour its founder Dick Iverson who now is 82 years of age but who has lost nothing of his fatherly heart for leaders.

Elim Summit - Ireland

Northern Ireland was the venue for the last of six leadership summits that, over the past few months, have been held in Scotland, the North West, the Midlands, the South West and London.

It has been a pleasure to have travelled with such a great team that included Gary Gibbs, Darren Johnson, Chris Jones, Mark Pugh and Nigel Tween.

Over 200 ministers and lay leaders gathered in Hillsborough for the day subsequent to the invitation of Irish Superintendent, Edwin Michael.  The venue, the hospitality and the atmosphere made the final summit one of the best on the tour.

Newquay Christian Centre

The first time I preached at Newquay many years ago there were just 35 people present.  On the last occasion there were two morning services to accommodate the burgeoning congregation.

On this occasion there was one service but it was in the newly acquired premises - the third complex in the centre of the town and only a short walk from the seafront.

NCC is a great success story that is the product of excellent leadership from Mike Robins (pictured here  with his wife Shelagh) his team and a dedicated congregation.

Whether you speak to the Newquay surfer set that are part of the church, or the most senior people in age, the comments are the same - the pleasure of being a part of a church relevant to every age group.

Following the service the congregation gathered on the beach as six young people were baptised

The Bridge, Erskine, Scotland

The church in Erskine was originally pioneered by Derek and Anne Chittick. On their retirement their son Gavin (pictured here with his wife Louise) already an ordained Elim minister, moved from another part of Scotland to take over the leadership.

The congregation currently worship in a local community centre.  They did have a building fund but when they heard of the devastation in Haiti, emptied the bank account and gave it towards the rebuilding of broken communities.  How can God fail to bless a church with a heart like that?

Gavin and Louise are typical of a whole breed of young leaders within Elim whose character continually reinforces my belief in a great future for our Movement.

Hope Chapel

Sally Livingstone founded the rehabilitation centre for those wanting to be free from controlling addictions and is shortly to set up the fifth house for this purpose.  Hundreds of people have been helped since its inception.

Now Sally is has planted and pioneered a church in the Birmingham area and it was my pleasure to be the speaker at the opening celebration.

Livingstone House and Hope Chapel is a tribute to tenacity, dedication, spiritual principles and the highest standards of clinical excellence.