In 1977 prophesy was given at the church that God was going to send the FIRE of an Holy Spirit Revival starting in Basildon at the Central Hall as it was called then. Soon after the Church was closed and the fellowship scattered and the Church remained empty for more than six months.
In parallel with this in 1977 the Church which Shirley and Alan were leading with David Masters in the Palace Hotel Southend had to close as the White Room there was to be converted into a bar. We had been there for a number of years free of charge after Henri’s conventions at the request of Mr Bernstein the owner who was so blessed by his relationship with Henri.
So it was at New Year in 1978 the Basildon Glory Fellowship was founded at the empty Central Hall starting with a three day convention. For four days all the people who came on that New Years Eve were snowed in. As a result many slept on the floor at our house until the roads were reopened.
Since then the congregation has grown and we have had to make four extensions to the church. In 1999 the seating in the church was increased to 140 after the floor area was doubled. During that year a tower with a weather vane was added with a motif of a fire signifying our faith that our hearts passion the fire of revival, our ultimate goal for Basildon.
There always been a tangible spirit of love in the church and we are thankful for the history of those who founded the church in 1905. It was built as a free church by a group of Plot-Landers who bought a twenty feet plot and by subscription and built a substantial small brick chapel. One old lady took in washing to fund the project.
Shirley and I used to visit it in our teen years Shirley sang and we always felt that love there. After we were filled with the Spirit in 1958 we used to go with a team, and we were not invited back because the old ladies thought we were too noisy with our tambourines. The Pastor a gracious old man called Mr Lyse was sad but the love he showed us was precious and we used to visit him at home thereafter. Paradoxically when the meetings started in 1978 two of these ladies joined us and were filled with the Spirit, one I baptised at 88 in a four foot swell in the sea at Lowestoft.
We have had many significant manifestations of powerful anointing in our meetings since 1978 and there has always been a hunger for a greater deeper powerful move of the Holy Spirit in our congregation. Since 2009 there has been a fresh wave of the fire among us and the congregation has grown with people coming to us from all nations. We are grateful for the blessings of the Lord and his faithfulness in prospering what he started with us 33 years ago
Pastors Shirley and Alan