| Kensington Temple | |
|---|---|
 Kensington Temple | |
 | |
| Location | Notting Hill, London, England |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Elim Pentecostal Church, Evangelical Pentecostal |
| Membership | 7,000 (2020) |
| Website | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1930 |
| Founder(s) | George Jeffreys |
| Clergy | |
| Senior pastor(s) | Mark Ryan |
Kensington Temple is a Pentecostal Church in the Notting Hill area of London, England. It is pastored by Reverend Mark Ryan, and is the largest church in its denomination, the Elim Pentecostal Church.
The present church building was founded as Horbury Chapel, and used by the Hornton Street Congregational church, Notting Hill, in 1849. [1] The building was purchased in 1930 by George Jeffreys. [2] This became the Bible-Pattern Church Fellowship,[ citation needed ] Elim's flagship church, becoming Kensington Temple, Church of the Foursquare Gospel in 1935. [3]
The use of the building reverted to the Elim Church in the early 1960s, and the church as it is known today was founded in 1965 by the Elim minister Rev. Eldin Corsie. Under his ministry in the late 1960s–1970s the congregation grew to 600, and then to several thousand under Rev. Wynne Lewis (later to become the Elim Church's General Superintendent) during the 1980s.
Since the 1980s, nicknamed by members of the church as 'KT', Kensington Temple has planted 150 churches across London. [4] Today, the wider Kensington Temple London City Church Network includes 26 Network Churches located across Greater London. [5] Over the years, many churches KT has planted have opted to become independent churches or to have an official status as a self-standing Elim church.
In 2000, Kensington Temple began to transition into a cell church, and today it has hundreds of cell groups meeting weekly across London. The same year, KT moved its offices from Tabernacle, an ex-BBC warehouse in North Acton, to Monarch House in North Acton. [4] In 2005, the church moved its offices to Summit House, Hanger Lane, London. Over the years, Kensington Temple has held some of their annual events in large premier venues and conference centres in London including; Royal Albert Hall, Westminster Central Hall, Wembley Conference Centre and Wembley Arena.
In 2020, Kensington Temple has 7,000 members. [6] [ better source needed ] The church continues to hold services in Notting Hill, as well as running a Bible School, online learning, rooms to let, a bookshop and a publishing company; Dovewell Communications.
Kensington Temple's theology is Pentecostal, emphasizing the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church and individuals.
The emphasis of ministry at KT is to equip all Christians to follow Jesus Christ and to grow both individually and collectively to be like him. Much of this equipping happens through cells, small groups that gather throughout the city. During the week, cell groups provide pastoral care, support and training for church members.
The overarching mission is London and the World for Christ. [7]
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is an Inner London borough with royal status. It is the smallest borough in London and the second smallest district in England; it is one of the most densely populated administrative regions in the United Kingdom. It includes affluent areas such as Notting Hill, Kensington, South Kensington, Chelsea, and Knightsbridge.
Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and the Portobello Road Market. From around 1870, Notting Hill had an association with artists.
Shepherd's Bush is a suburb of West London, England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham 4.9 miles (7.9 km) west of Charing Cross, and identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan.
Elim Fellowship is a Christian Ministry of Pentecostal and Charismatic background. It was founded in 1933 in Lima, New York, United States. It is named for a biblical location named in Exodus 15:27, wherein Elim is described as an oasis in the wilderness.
The Elim Pentecostal Church is a UK-based Pentecostal Christian denomination.
Ladbroke Grove is an area and a road in North Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, passing through Kensal Green and Notting Hill, running north–south between Harrow Road and Holland Park Avenue.
The Latter Rain, also known as the New Order or the New Order of the Latter Rain, was a post–World War II movement within Pentecostal Christianity which remains controversial. The movement saw itself as a continuation of the restorationism of early pentecostalism. The movement began with major revivals between 1948 and 1952 and became established as a large semi-organized movement by 1952. It continued into the 1960s. The movement had a profound impact on subsequent movements as its participants dispersed throughout the broader charismatic and pentecostal movements beginning in the 1960s.
The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) is a Pentecostal Christian denomination and the largest evangelical church in Canada. Its headquarters is located in Mississauga, Ontario.
Lancaster Gate is a mid-19th century development in the Bayswater district of central London, immediately to the north of Kensington Gardens. It consists of two long terraces of houses overlooking the park, with a wide gap between them opening onto a square containing a church. Further terraces back onto the pair overlooking the park and loop around the square. Until 1865 the terraces were known as Upper Hyde Park Gardens, with the name Lancaster Gate limited to the square surrounding the church. The development takes its name from Lancaster Gate, a nearby entrance to Kensington Gardens, itself named in honour of Queen Victoria as Duke of Lancaster.
George Jeffreys was a Welsh evangelist who founded the Elim Pentecostal Church, a Pentecostal organisation.
Donald Henry Frere Gee was an English Pentecostal Bible Teacher. He wrote the book Wind and Flame, which is the story of Pentecostalism in Europe in the 20th century. He was called "The Apostle of Balance."
The Australian Christian Churches (ACC), formerly Assemblies of God in Australia, is a network of Pentecostal churches in Australia affiliated with the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, which is the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world.
Northpoint Bible College and Seminary is a private Pentecostal Bible college and seminary in Haverhill, Massachusetts. The college's sole purpose is to teach and train students for Pentecostal ministry for the spread of the Christian gospel. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biblical Studies and Practical Theology.
Elim Bible Institute and College is a private Christian college in Lima, New York. It awards bachelor's degrees, associate degree, and one-year certificates.
The Tabernacle is a Grade II-listed building in Powis Square, Notting Hill, west London, England, built in 1887 as a church. The building boasts a curved Romanesque façade of red brick and terracotta, and two towers with broach spires on either side. Today the Tabernacle serves as a cultural arts and entertainment venue, including a theatre, meeting rooms, music studio, art gallery, bar and kitchen, conservatory and a garden courtyard.
John Tarring FRIBA (1806–1875) was an English Victorian ecclesiastical architect active in the mid-nineteenth century. Based in London, he designed many Gothic Revival churches for Nonconformist clients.
Christ Church is an Elim Pentecostal Church in Station Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.