Congregation needs more room for training

7:04pm Thursday 15th May 2008

A DYNAMIC church that moved out of the historic centre of York looks to have found a new base in the east of the city.

Elim Pentecostal Church, which used to meet in Swinegate, has tabled plans to move into vacant offices on the corner of Lawrence Street and James Street.

The congregation left its Swinegate home in 2004, relocating to St Lawrence's Primary School, in Heslington Road, as the city-centre building was no longer suitable for the café-style services being held.

The city-centre premises are still owned by the church, but are now leased to the Biltmore Bar and Grill.

Sunday services will continue to be held in the school, but the church now says it needs more space for midweek activities and training.

"We need more permanent offices," said the Rev Graham Hutchinson, pastor of the church.

"Due to rapid growth in the congregation we have a need for meeting/training rooms and midweek and Sunday evening worship space.

"As we recognise the need to stay in the neighbourhood where we have now become established and where we have experienced rapid growth, we believe the rooms in Technology House, Lawrence Street, would be ideal for us."

Mr Hutchinson said: "We are an international church now. I think we are probably the biggest regular international gathering in the city, with more than 20 nationalities.

"The property in Lawrence Street will be particularly for office space and midweek meetings and training etc.

"One of our difficulties is that we do not have the facilities for midweek activities unless we can book places, but we do have quite a demand for services such as life skills and personal development.

"We just need a regular, reliable location that can offer this, as at the moment we have to use another church's hall."

Elim has close links with St Laurence's Church, in Lawrence Street, and currently has an office there. The proposed site is almost directly opposite St Laurence's.

A planning application has been submitted to City of York Council, and is under consideration.

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