'They Came to Elim'

DIRECTION The Elim Pentecostal Church is 90 years old this year, though that’s young compared with many other denominations. But it’s a good time to reflect on the development of Elim – its founding in 1915 and subsequent growth is an exciting story of faith. For both those new to Elim and long-time members who would like to know more about our past, Desmond Cartwright, the Movement’s official historian, takes us on a 90-year journey back to our roots… ‘They came to Elim’ Discovering the remarkable story of nine decades of Pentecostal witness The man who under God that they wanted more than George was also healed of a Above founded the Elim Pentecostal what some of the existing stammer and facial paralysis. Evan Roberts, the leader Church, George Jeffreys (1889- churches were providing, and George, still in his early 20s, of the Welsh revival that brought the young 1962), was brought up in the they were not satisfied with the began doing a little preaching in George Jeffreys to faith Welsh Independent (Congrega- dry routine of orthodoxy or a some of the small mission halls tional) Church. He came to faith creeping liberalism. in Wales around 1910. As he Main pic during the first period of the George and his older brother, began to develop in this, there Crystal Palace was packed Welsh Revival of 1904, when he Stephen, were first opposed to came increasing demands for his in 1936 as Pentecostals gathered for Elim’s ‘Coming was 15 years old. the Pentecostal manifestations ministry and this brought him of Age’ celebrations A few years later, after the into contact with the Pentecostal initial impact of the revival had The meetings continued Missionary Union (PMU). subsided, a new movement was for seven weeks and there Feeling the need for training, introduced into the Welsh valleys. were 130 converts as well he applied to the Council of the Though this was at first on a much as a number of people PMU who accepted him as a smaller scale, it contained some healed and baptised. candidate for missionary training of the features of the revival such at the Preston Bible School in as regular prayer meetings and when they were reported in November 1912. He was a times of seeking God – yet it still Wales in 1908. But when good student but only stayed for caused some controversy. Stephen’s son, Edward, spoke in a very short time – because he But this movement’s features tongues during a holiday in West left to help his brother. attracted the attention of some Wales, they were forced to Stephen, who was still of those who were known as examine the teaching more care- working as a miner, had been “the children of the revival”. fully and then both brothers were holding meetings near Swansea Many of these people discovered to share the same experience. over the Christmas and New 26 DIRECTION Year holidays when a mini revival broke out. Quickly, he got in touch with George and asked for his help with the ministry. George willingly obliged. The meetings continued for seven weeks and there were 130 converts as well as a number of people healed and baptised in the Holy Spirit. Soon, a Christian newspaper carried the headline, ‘Wales in the Dawn of Revival’. These were the first of a series of meetings that took George and Stephen to mid-Wales and Lon- don early in 1913. Stephen also held meetings in Llanelly, where he became pastor until 1920. George Jeffreys met the group on 7th January 1915 in Knox’s Temper- ance Hotel… The Elim Movement was launched. George, meanwhile, was invited to preach at the Pentecostal Convention in Sunderland. It was a great honour because he was, at 24, by far the youngest speaker in such distinguished company. And it was as a result of these meetings that he was invited to the north of Ireland by two of the Gillespie brothers – George and William. They sent him three ten shil- they sought to reach out with the Nearly 15,000 tight at times and this could ling notes (£1.50) that paid his “Full Gospel on Pentecostal frustrate their work. Sometimes fare. The brothers together with lines”. Soon, meetings were held Elim people George was hard pressed to a group of young men had in various places and these met find money to reply to letters in booked a hall in Monoghan in with a measure of success. gathered for which he was invited to speak which they were planning to Then, with the growing num- at meetings in distant parts of the hold Pentecostal meetings. But bers following a tent mission in the day at country. sadly, when it became known North Road, Monaghan, other Crystal Palace Then, suddenly and unex- that they were Pentecostals, the Christian workers began to join pectedly, news was received that booking was cancelled! the group. So a somewhat in 1936. George had been made the chief After George had spoken at dilapidated hall was acquired in beneficiary of what was said to meetings in Belfast, he met the Hunter Street, Belfast, and this be a sizeable estate left to him group of young men in Monaghan became the first ‘Elim’ church – by a lady who had died in north on 7th January 1915 in Knox’s named Elim Christ Church. Wales in November 1917. Temperance Hotel. This was the George Jeffreys became pastor. Unfortunately, the will was meeting from which the Elim The growing group of men contested, so George was advised Movement was launched. There and women adopted the name by his friend, John Leech KC, to were seven men, including of the ‘Elim Evangelistic Band’ in register his Elim Evangelistic Band Robert Ernest Darragh from 1916, and by the end of Decem- under the name of the Elim Bangor who had also been a stu- ber 1920 there were 21 workers Pentecostal Alliance. This legal dent at the Preston Bible School. in 15 churches in Ireland. registration gave the group official The group invited George to Many of those who joined recognition as a denomination and take up permanent evangelistic were very able ministers of the would also save George from work in Ireland and declared that Gospel – but money was very having to pay tax on the legacy. 27 DIRECTION Faculty and students of the Elim Bible College, Christmas, 1927 But, as it turned out, they had to Publishing Company. The church proclaimed Jesus Christ as wait until well on into 1925 prospered and the congregation Elim’s full Saviour, Healer, Baptiser in the before the money arrived. It grew to some 500. name summed Holy Spirit and Coming King. amounted to less than £1,000 – Then in June 1924 George In 1925, George and Stephen but this was still a substantial sum Jeffreys sailed across the Atlantic up the gave up their pastoral responsi- in those days. for what was to be his first and bilities to begin a period of Meanwhile progress in pio- only visit to North America. His doctrines that extensive evangelism. They began neering the Movement was re- brother Stephen and three proclaimed in Barking in Essex in January with stricted to Ireland until after the others, Robert Darragh, James just a small group. But, following close of World War I, but in the McWhirter and Ernest Boulton, Jesus Christ a number of outstanding healings, next few years there was to be a accompanied him. They began soon large crowds filled the hired rapid expansion on the mainland. ministering in Canada, where as Saviour, halls. Within less than ten years George continued preaching George preached at the Confer- Healer, and Elim had established 36 churches wherever he could in England, ence of the Pentecostal Assem- in the London area. even during the war, but he blies of Canada. Afterwards, they Baptiser in the A small Bible School was never established any churches. split and went different ways so started in the minor hall of the But in 1921 he was asked by that they could cover more Holy Spirit and Clapham Church in 1925. And butcher George Kingston to ground while preaching in lead- when a former convent came hold meetings in Leigh-on-Sea, ing assemblies – before eventu- Coming King. onto the market in Clarence Essex. Thus the first Elim work ally reuniting in Los Angeles, the Road in Clapham this was ac- in England was established. cradle of modern Pentecost. quired and re-opened in January There they visited Aimee 1926 as the Elim Bible College. The group went different McPherson’s Angelus Temple, The offices were built next door ways so that they could where they saw the word ‘Four- and the four-acre site became a cover more ground while square’ used in the name of the centre of activity for the next 40 preaching – before church that was founded by years. reuniting in Los Angeles. Aimee. Even today, it is an im- In that same year, Elim hired pressive sight for any visitor. The the prestigious Royal Albert Hall In 1922, George moved to British visitors were so impressed The vast tent used for the for a series of meetings over the London where he pioneered a that, not long after their return Monaghan mission in 1915 Easter Holiday. This was a rather church in Clapham. They were to England in October, they de- hurried decision because the able to acquire a disused former cided to incorporate the name meetings had to coincide with a Methodist Free Church in Park into the title of their own work.

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