With a rich church history of over 60 years, Romford Elim Church has developed into the vibrant community it is today, thanks to many years of steady Christian witness.
It all began in 1956, the year our church was founded, and we officially opened as an Elim Pentecostal Church on Wheatsheaf Road in Romford one year later.
Pastor Glen Podd, his wife Gill and their family arrived at the church in October 1998 when our church fellowship had come very near to closing after having dwindled down to 30 people. The church was revitalised under the new church leadership.
In October 2007 we moved our Sunday morning church service to the Royal Liberty School because our congregation – now numbering around 100 – had outgrown the Wheatsheaf Road church building. We began the search to buy a bigger building of our own, a search that still continues today.
In July 2015, having seen the Sunday attendance rise to 200, we moved yet again to hold our Sunday morning church service at the United Reformed Church in Western Road, Romford, and in July 2021 we moved to St Edward's Primary School, Havering Road where we still currently meet.
During this 17-year period the character of our church has changed from being a fellowship of largely senior-aged attendants into a family church, with the Sunday School making up 45% of the congregation.
From our home base in Wheatsheaf Road, Romford, which houses our church office and mid-week activities, we still provide youth, children, toddlers and over 50s club activities for our members and the community. Our church building is also being used for various other community associations.
Despite the fact that we meet to worship away from our own church building, our heart’s desire is still to bring the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Romford community we serve. We have become known for spearheading major community events, pulling churches across Havering together for projects such as for The Nativity Project, The One Day initiative, as well as supporting On the Move, Across Havering and Town Centre activities on the streets.