July 7th 1956 was a memorable day for the Elim movement but also for the Clapham Church. At last they had a building that could be called their home. There was a great celebration as they now had a state of the arts building with a seating capacity of approx 500.
 Next door was the 'Elim Publishing House' (later to become known as 'Victory Press') where the weekly publication of the 'Elim Evangel' was produced. When this building was first purchased it was a two-story building and an additional story was added to accommodate the volume of work which was being produced by the movement. Later on this was one of the many buildings that had a 'compulsory order' placed upon it by the then council of Wandsworth, who wanted to develop the area to provide housing accommodation for the increasing population.
The minor hall of the new premises was constructed first and it was here the church would meet while the main building was still being constructed. Week after week this small hall was packed out as people continued to attend - there not being another large building available in the locality which the church could use in the interim.
 The opening was a memorable occasion - people travelled from all over London to join in the celebration of the New Beginning of the Elim Pentecostal Church, Clapham. After all this was quite a significant place for the movement, with their International Headquarters, Bible College just a short distance away, and their publishing house next door to the new church.
Today the scene is a lot different. The church is situated in the middle of two housing estates. The houses to the left of the church are now replaced with a roadway through one of the estates, from which an increasing number of local people now attend the church. - A tremendous opportunity for the people to experience the power of the love of God in their lives. |