GATEWAY COMMUNITY CHURCH

History

Extracts from the records of early years in the Elim Church

The establishing of the Four Square Elim Gospel Church at Pontypridd was preceded by a Campaign held at the White Palace Cinema Pontypridd which commenced in March 16 1941 to April 18 1941. Campaigners Pastor D. Brewster Pastor D.B.Craig and Pastor Shuster.held services at the cinema for two Sundays and in the weeknights at the Elim Gospel Church Pontypridd. The Foursquare Elim Gospel Church was opened on Saturday April 19th 1941, when Pastor G.K.Matthew was inducted as resident minister.

• 20th April 1941. The first Sunday communion Service was held and the first Sunday School met.
• 18th May 1941. The first Baptismal Service was held seven people were baptised
• 2nd August 1941 Convention was held. The speakers were P.S. Brewster, J. Kidd, L.Green, G.K.Matthew. On the Monday the church was filled to capacity.
• 12th October 1941 The first Harvest Thanksgiving was held. Considering it was during the war there was a remarkable display of fruit and vegetables. Provision was distributed to local hospitals and needy cases.
• 3rd December - 14 Dec. 1941 A children's campaign was held. On the first night over 400 children were present, many boys and girls were added to our Sunday School as a result.
• Christmas Eve 1941. A choir went out Carol singing in the Open air.
• Sunday School celebrated its first anniversary on Sunday July 5th 1941. Many failed to get into the crowded services. It was decide to repeat the programme on July 26th. This was a great blessing.
• In January 1943 another children's campaign was held during which a children's procession took place .Over 300 took part.
• December 1944. The choir went out Carol singing both Sat. 23rd. And Sun 24th December. Three outstanding opportunities of witnessing were presented. First, when the choir visited an invalid in Berw Rd. Second, In singing from the top of the old Bridge. Third, the congregating of a large crowd in Morgan Street which ended in about 250 singing Cwm Rhondda . On the last Sunday of the old year the services were outstanding and seven souls accepted Christ.
• During Feb. and Mar. 1946 the Thursday night Prayer and Divine Healing Services became quite the best attended meeting of the week nights, there being several testimonies to the power of God in healing. On Sunday Mar. 17th a public Divine Healing service was held, and out of the crowded congregation, quite a large number came out for healing. Mention must be made of Mr. Harries of Bedau whose one foot had been rigid for 11 years. Suddenly became normal,. Also Mrs. Hammond whose feet were miraculously healed.
• June 2nd. 1946 Church filled to capacity to witness the largest Baptismal Service ever held in this church. There were 20 candidates among whom were a husband and wife and also two brothers, also three volunteered from the congregation.
• o n Friday June 7th. 1946 a band of about twenty went to the top of the mountain leaving the church at 11pm- reached the place fro prayer 11:45pm. A wonderful time of devotion took place, chorus singing, prayer and operation of the gifts. The presence of God was so real and one of the youngest converts received the power of the Holy Ghost in no uncertain manner.

• Saturday March 15th 1948. Quite a number of men with the Pastor worked on the new building all night until 6:00am Sunday Morning
• Monday March 15 1946 was the anniversary of the fire, and at 7;45pm a large congregation assembled among the bags of cement and bricks in the new church, to give God thanks and praise, for the way He has blessed us in procuring our building in the face of impossibilities. Pastors message was inspiring and at the end a young lady gave her heart to the Lord.
• April 1946. During the weeks leading up to the opening of the new church. Brother W.T.Ingram had a job with polishing the pulpit and Brother R.J.Thomas with the lighting. On Friday well into the night the ladies did knee drill with scrubbing the floor
• On Saturday April 10th the opening day arrived with the sun shinning and everybody happy and filled with praise in their heart that their prayers and their work and the church which they had so much desired had become an accomplished fact - that put of the ashes of the fire there arose a beautiful church and the bells of Elim were to ring again GLORY TO GOD
• At 2:00pm the bells rang out over Pontypridd ringing until 3pm the official opening time was witnessed by a huge crowd. Pastors E.J.Phillips W.G.Hathaway, P.S.Brewster, our own Pastor and Mr. Burgess(architect) with the ministers of the Welsh presbytery and their wives were on the ramp outside the doors.
• For a whole fortnight the church was packed to capacity and attempt to explain all that happened at this time is so inadequate.

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