Life Church came into being in 1975, when a small company of around 30 adults and children moved from Greens Road Pentecostal Church in Coventry to plant what was then known as Bedworth Pentecostal Church.
Initially hiring a school hall in Exhall to hold services, by September 1975 this faith-filled group of believers had completed the purchase of the school building in Hobb Lane with the help of a £10,000 loan from the Assemblies of God (AOG). An additional £10,000 loan is also obtained from AOG, which enabled some renovation work to be undertaken. In December 1975, the first service was held in the new building, with corrugated tin sheets for windows, paraffin lamps for lighting, and an old coal stove for heating! |
In 1976, John Partington was appointed as the church’s first Pastor, and the next few years saw many people saved and added to the church. The church extended its reach into the local community, with regular outreach events, food hampers for local families, and the launch of a pre-school nursery. In 1984, a Community Manpower project was launched, a government funded initiative that mobilised the long-term unemployed to work within and for the benefit of the local community through things like painting and decorating, gardening, transportation amongst other things. At its height, this project employed 70 people with an annual budget of £350,000.
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By the early 1980's, the Sunday congregation had outgrown the main hall of the church building, with between 120 and 150 people attending weekly. Nicholas Chamberlaine school was rented to hold services in, and in 1985 negotiations were started and completed to purchase a site on Bulkington Road. A new building fund was established and church members were encouraged to prayerfully consider making a pledge towards the fund, to be honoured within 3 months. 120 pledges were submitted, raising a total of £120,000. A successful businessman within the church also donated £2 for every £1 that was given, taking the total to £360,000. In 1988, work on the new building commences.
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From its Bulkington Road location, the church has continued to grow in both its size and influence under the leadership of various pastors and their teams. Many new projects, initiatives and even congregations have been either run by or run from the church.
Under its various names (Bedworth Pentecostal Church, The Christian Centre, King’s Community Church & Life Church International) and under its various leaders, we are thankful for the way God has displayed His faithfulness in building His Church and extending His Kingdom over the years. We are also grateful to the many men and women of God who have established some strong foundations upon which we can build towards an even more fruitful future. |