The 'Foursquare' Foundation at the Heart of Elim's Faith
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DIRECTION In ‘Land of Hope and Glory’, Kensington Temple’s Associate Minister Bruce Atkinson scans through all the major revivals of British history, giving the ‘big picture’ of God’s work to keep the fire of faith burning. It’s a story that stretches back about 1,600 years, but the Pentecostal revival that gave birth to the Elim Movement was a comparatively recent event – beginning in the early 20th century, spearheaded by two brothers: George and Stephen Jeffreys. In this extract, Bruce looks back at those heady days... The ‘foursquare’ foundation at the heart of Elim’s faith Believing in Jesus as Saviour, Baptiser, Healer and Coming King, George Jeffreys led a revival that would put down roots and live on Above A new movement was being Exodus 15:27. The Elim Evan- George had no intention of Bruce Atkinson, author of born. The new converts for the gelistic Band was a revival group the fruits of revival being lost, as ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ most part did not want to of men and women that in the Welsh revival, and raised Main pic attend churches that were non- George took to break open up leaders to pastor the new Even George Jeffreys, Pentecostal in experience – towns for the Gospel. The converts, ordaining ministers for the founding father of Elim, indeed they would not have the first time in 1917. Soon the started small, with little been welcome in many, as George went from city tent was too small and George evangelistic tent meetings vicious persecution faced the to city, holding miracle was packing town halls with fledgling ‘Tongues Movement’ meetings, and out of thousands of people. By 1920, worldwide. the converts he would George had birthed a powerful Churches were established start Elim churches. Pentecostal revival across Ulster, out of the fruit of campaigns. put in place ministers, evange- George Jeffreys named this ex- Foursquare Gospel was lists and pastors, and now felt ploding movement ‘The Elim preached: Jesus the Saviour, the leading to do the same in Foursquare Gospel Move- Jesus the Baptiser in the Holy Wales and England. ment’, inspired by the Elim Spirit, Jesus the Healer and George went from city to Oasis of refreshment found in Jesus the Coming King. city in England, holding miracle 32 DIRECTION meetings until he broke small, and so they moved to the increased to 1,100 and the through, and out of the hun- 15,000-seater Bingly Hall, George crowds and new converts be- dreds of new converts he would which they crammed to capac- purchased gan to flock to the meetings. start Elim churches. ity for 26 meetings. The total Miracles abounded and the A classic example of his min- number of converts reached Horbury Daily Express reported on the istry was his 1930 gospel cam- 10,000. All of this was accom- 1st August: “Revival in a London paign in Birmingham. George plished without any local church Chapel in street: Foursquare Church with began the meetings in a small support and was due to the 1930, renamed tip-up seats”. church with only a handful of powerful healing anointing that Albert Edsor was a member people there. The next evening was operating. Over 1,000 it Kensington of the George Jeffreys revival the ground floor was full, but no people testified to being healed party and he told me about the one was in the balcony. George at the meetings, and in three Temple and type of meetings Jeffreys would invited people who needed services they also baptised launched the hold at KT. He had a vision of prayer for healing to come to 1,000 people. Three churches going out to the lost and bring- the front, and they literally were born initially of this revival, church with ing them to the Temple to get rushed out of their seats to re- and this number multiplied to saved. There was a marvellous ceive prayer. Five days later the eleven in five years. a two-week atmosphere at the meetings. church was full on one of the George opened hundreds Sometimes, during the worship, afternoon meetings and 88 new of churches in Britain for the healing Jeffreys would go right into the converts were made. Large Elim Movement, but he also campaign. middle of the congregation, stand queues would appear waiting to founded one as a basis for his on a seat and lead meetings from get a seat for each meeting. personal ministry. He purchased there. Sometimes just as a new In one month the crowds Horbury Chapel in 1930, re- song was going to begin he meant that they had to hire a named it Kensington Temple would say ‘Just a minute!’ He hall, which overflowed, and they (KT) and launched the church sensed the presence of a holy moved to the Embassy Rink that as his headquarters in 1931 with atmosphere coming into the had a seating capacity for 8,000 a two-week healing revival cam- meeting; he knew the presence people. Even this became too paign. The seating capacity was of the Lord was there to heal. 33 DIRECTION KT became known as the Doncaster with 1,100 converts ‘Church of the Great Physician’ in two weeks and so on and so due to the constant flow of mira- on. cles that took place. People from Both George and Stephen all over the world would send began to minister internationally in their healing requests to be to great effect. For example, prayed over each day at KT. 6,000 converts in a one-month When George sensed a healing campaign in Switzerland in presence in a meeting he would 1934, including 1,800 converts often exclaim, ‘The Master is in Geneva alone in three days. here’, and eyeballs would crea- tively appear in empty eye sock- “God enabled George ets, crippled legs would be to achieve triumphs straightened and tumours disap- which must for all time pear. George was never the adorn the annals of day-to-day pastor of KT, but he evangelical enterprise.” used the church as his apostolic base for travelling with the re- Stephen Jeffreys died in vival band, as well as his regular 1943, having blazed a trail of un- outreach centre to London. compromising supernatural George also ministered in evangelism. He had taken the many other places in London. Welsh revival and brought it into Most notable was his famous the dimension of the miracu- Royal Albert Hall Easter celebra- George Jeffreys baptising one of 1,000 new converts who were immersed lous. George died in 1962. This tions. In those days the Royal at the Royal Albert Hall in 1928. He emphasised the call to follow Jesus in is how E C W Boulton summed Albert Hall had a seating capac- baptism as a key part of the salvation process up his ministry in 1928, but ity for 10,000 people, and equally it could be extended to George booked it for the first “George pastor there was no doubt. reflect George’s whole life: time in 1927. The auditorium Every member of his vast audi- was filled and hundreds testified Jeffreys ence last night was spellbound “George Jeffreys, with the to being healed. The next year throughout his address, and rod of the inspired Word, fear- 1,000 people were baptised in fearlessly smote when he had finished explain- lessly smote the waters of an ing the symbolism of baptism, incredulous and invasive mod- Six people came who the waters of no fewer that 53 people came ernism, opening up a passage by were wheelchair bound an incredulous forward demanding to be which many others might pass. and all of them were ‘saved’.” He dared to breast the waves healed sufficiently to and invasive Morning Post, 7 April of popular religious opinion, push the chairs home. thereby exposing himself to a modernism, In 1928 Stephen Jeffreys fierce cross-fire of criticism from water in a single service. Excerpts opening up was ministering in Sunderland to most sections of the Christian from a national newspaper re- crowds of up to 3,000 people. Church. In the very face of this, corded by E C W Boulton show a passage A Sunderland newspaper wit- God enabled him to achieve tri- the kind of impact these meet- nessing the number of sick and umphs which must for all time ings were having: by which afflicted people brought into the adorn the annals of evangelical many others meetings said the hall was ‘re- enterprise. His example should “1,000 BAPTISED sembling the scene in a waiting- wield a wide influence and pro- IN ALBERT HALL might pass.” room of a large hospital’. On vide an abiding inspiration to REMARKABLE some individual days over 200 many.” ‘FAITH CURE’ SCENES people were healed. On one PEOPLE WAIT IN QUEUE occasion six people came who Reproduced with permission FOR EIGHT HOURS were wheelchair bound and all from ‘Land of Hope and Glory: All were smiling happily as they of them were healed sufficiently British Revival through the Ages’, descended into the tank; some to push the chairs home them- Bruce Atkinson, Dovewell Communications (hardback were singing, and some waved selves. In one month 3,362 £11.99; paperback £7.99). their hands to the congregation converts were made. He of 10,000, who shouted fer- moved next to Spennymoor, vently all the time. There was making 1,362 converts in three no self-consciousness any- weeks; on to Chesterfield with where. That the people had 1,554 converts in three weeks; been convinced by this young Bury with 2,042 converts; 34.