A BRIEF HISTORY OF ELIM

Elim Churches were founded in 1915 coming out of the Welsh Revival of 1904. This revival impacted a man named George Jeffreys, giving him a passion to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Alongside an “Evangelistic Band” of devoted Christians, meetings were commenced and miracles of healing began. Churches were established as new believers found hope in Jesus Christ. This work began in Ireland and then spread across the UK. Later, it has spread to many different nations across the world.

Elim’s beginnings in New Zealand were influenced by the visits of Smith Wigglesworth in the 1920s. Wigglesworth was an evangelist who held meetings in the Wellington Town Hall with many miraculous healings taking place and stories of lives transformed by the power of the gospel.

The Pentecostal Church of New Zealand was birthed out of that visit. The Wellington church was officially joined to Elim in 1952 and since then Elim Churches have been set up in many different locations across Aotearoa, New Zealand.

These stories of God at work in the lives of people are a constant encouragement and reminder to us of our Lord’s great story of redemption which is unfolding both in New Zealand and across the world today.