The Elim Pentecostal Church is a growing movement of more than 550 Christian congregations in the UK and Ireland.
Elim was founded in 1915 by George Jeffreys, a young Christian from Maesteg in South Wales, George Jeffreys, was welcomed into the area and here Elim began, as a small group called the Elim Evangelistic Band. The band preached, founded churches, spreading first through the north of Ireland and then to England in the Essex area and London.
Things were moving steadily, but not spectacularly, when suddenly God answered the prayers of those early pioneers in a big way. Miraculous healings became almost commonplace instead of occasional, and the number of people becoming Christians exploded. The meetings hit the headlines, and from 1924 to 1934 Principal George Jeffreys (as he became known) and his team became household names as they toured the country.
The founders wanted the name of their new Movement to express their vision and values, and so chose ‘Elim’, the name of an oasis in the Bible that the people of Israel discovered as they wandered through the desert. It provided shade and refreshment to all who encountered it (Exodus 15:27).
In a world that can feel like a desert, our 21st-century churches seek to be a place of spiritual resource within their communities
This heritage has guided Elim for nearly a century now, with our leaders and churches consistently seeking to:
- reach up to God in worship
- reach out to the community in service
- share the difference that Jesus Christ makes to lives
- challenge the trend towards declining church attendance
It is our belief that Elim has a significant part to play in the world today, and we are confidently looking forward to what God will do in the future.
