| Main Performers | Dr George Jeffreys - speaker |
| Set List | 10:00 Singing (Elim Crusaders Choir),
11:00 Divine Healing Service,
15:00 Mass Baptism Service,
19:00 Holy Communion Service |
| Performance Notes | The Elim Pentecostal Church is a movement of Christian congregations in the UK and Ireland, founded in 1915 by George Jeffreys (1889-1962). From 1915-1934, Jeffreys was extremely active as a revivalist, and preached to large crowds throughout the United Kingdom. His church was brought together, first as the Elim Evangelistic Band, but this was changed to Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance when the Deed Poll was registered in April 1934. The name 'Elim' was taken from the account in the Book of Exodus, chapter 15, verse 27, where the Israelites, leaving the bondage of Egypt under the leadership of Moses, found an oasis called Elim: "Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters." This represented a place of refreshing and it was thought appropriate for a revival movement at that time.
Differences of opinion over Jeffreys' open espousal of British Israelism and disputes on church governance led Jeffreys to withdraw from the Elim Pentecostal Church in 1939 and to form the Bible-Pattern Church Fellowship. The presidency of Elim then passed to George Kingston, a wealthy businessman who had founded many of the Elim congregations in Essex.
The baptism of believers by immersion and Communion are held to be ordinances by the Church. Kensington Temple in London is the largest church in the denomination. Elim missions exist in 35 countries with hospitals, orphanages, and schools. The church operates Regents Theological College in Malvern, Worcestershire, where the movement's headquarters are also based.
During the interwar period their demonstrations of faith would include a part in which up to 200 members of the audience who were inspired to convert were baptised in a galvanised iron tank filled with water and decorated with moss and flowers set up in front of the stage. People that came forward to be saved, would be led away to be changed into white robes before George Jeffreys with helpers would fully immerse them in water in front of audiences as large as 10,000.
"MASS BAPTISMS AT ALBERT HALL.
CONVERTS IN WHITE.
Nine thousand people attended the Albert Hall yesterday for the 14th annual demonstration of Principal George Jeffreys' Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance which has headquarters in Clapham, S.W.
During the afternoon session 69 converts were baptised by immersion in a large zinc-lined tank, half-filled with warm water.
The women converts wore white gowns. Some had headdresses like nurses caps, but the younger ones favoured fasjionable rubber bathing caps. The men wore tennis shirts and white flannel trousers.
Several of the women became hysterical and one or two had to be supported from the tank.
Immediately after the immersion the women were wrapped in dark mackintosh capes and assisted to the basement where they were dried and given cups of steaming cocoa."
(The Daily Telegraph, 11 April 1939) |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1939/33) |