Home arrow About Us
Our History Print E-mail

HISTORY OF ELIM CHRISTIAN CENTRE

This church was planted in 1986 as a daughter church of Greerton Elim in Tauranga (now Tauranga City Elim). It's first pastor came from the Greerton congregation and did a good job in getting the church established in Otumoetai.

For it's first five years it met in the Scout Hall in Grange road in Otumoetai, and then shifted to the Otumoetai Intermediate School.

In 1990 the founding pastor left, and one of the elders then took on the calling and remained there until July 1993. This is when James and Vivian Anson came up from their previous pastorate in Marton and took on the church, which at the time had an average of 85 people. Since this time the fellowship has grown steadily.

In January 1998 Pastor James believed that the church should change it's name from Otumoetai ELIM to "OASIS Christian Centre".   In October 1998 the church moved into a former night-club (next door), then in July 2000 moved into our current building. Both buildings were used up until March 2005 the property next door was vacated and we have been here since. 

In March 2005 Pastor James and Vivian Anson and family were moved very quickly to Auckland to be Campus Pastor for Auckland City Elim. It was then that Pastor Warren & Karen Moar took up the role as Senior Leaders here but still remained the Pastors of Cambridge Elim to competently transition the church to it's new pastors. In December 2005 they relinquished their role in Cambridge Elim, moving to Tauranga on the 10th January 2006.

In February 2007 Pastor Warren and the Eldership believed that it was appropriate time to rename the church Elim Christian Centre to clearly align the church with the Elim movement and its philosophy.   

OUR AFFILIATION

Elim in New Zealand

Smith Wigglesworth the great man of faith came to New Zealand for crusades in 1922.  This was the beginning of what was to be known as the Pentecostal Church of New Zealand with a number of churches throughout the country.  Most of these churches did not stay with the Pentecostal Church of New Zealand but became affiliated to other bodies.

In August 1949 negotiations were set in motion by the Conference of the Pentecostal Church of New Zealand to link up with the Elim Church of Great Britain.  Eventually an invitation was extended to Pastor Dunk to come to New Zealand with a view to establishing an Elim work here.  Pastor Dunk and his family landed in Wellington in April 1952. This saw the beginning of the Elim Churches of New Zealand

Today there is over 50 Elim Churches throughout New Zealand with large churches in most main centres. The Elim movement is also actively involved missions and many Churches have missionaries stationed overseas.
 
[ Back ]