LIFE Church UK

LIFE Church
Location Bradford, West Yorkshire
Country  United Kingdom
Weekly attendance 3000
Website www.lifechurchhome.com
History
Former name(s) Abundant Life Church
Founded 1976 (1976)
Clergy
Pastor(s) Steve and Charlotte Gambill

LIFE Church UK, formerly the Abundant Life Church, is a Christian megachurch established and primarily based in Bradford, England.

The church has additional facilities in Belfast, Leeds and Warsaw and describes itself as "one church, four cities". In 2003 it had an attendance of over 2,000 people;[1] by 2006, the figure had climbed to 2,800.[2]

History

LIFE Church has its roots in the Charismatic Restoration movement of Arthur Wallis. It was founded in 1976 by Bryn Jones, one of the early Restoration/British New Church leaders, by an amalgamation of three small Bradford churches: a charismatic Brethren Assembly based at the Bolton Woods Gospel Hall; an independent charismatic church made up mostly of former Baptists who had been unable to continue in their church because of their charismatic beliefs; and the New Covenant Church, a fellowship originally under the apostolic leadership of G. W. North.[3]

In its early days it met in the Anglican Church House and so was known locally as Church House.[4] Later known as Abundant Life Church for a number of years, in 2012 the name was shortened to LIFE Church, reflecting a move into a season of new leadership and direction.

Since 2000, LIFE Church has become more widely known through its regular radio and television broadcasts. Programmes are broadcast on God TV, United Christian Broadcasters, Australian Christian Channel and several other stations around the world. The church also has a weekly half-hour slot on Cross Rhythms radio.[5] Many of the programmes broadcast on TV and radio are also available as podcasts via the iTunes store.

Facilities

The church's main base is in Bradford, West Yorkshire, but it also has satellite facilities in Leeds, Belfast and Warsaw.

The Bradford campus has a coffee shop, serving coffee from local roasters North Star Coffee, and connected to the youth building is a skatepark.

College

Life Church College is based in Bradford, England and is designed to equip men and women for leadership in every sphere of life and for Christian ministry.

A world class learning environment where students get to study in creative classroom settings and get hands on with delivering local ministry. With over 17 years experience of training, Life College continues to help students discover their God given purpose. Students come from all over the world and after one or two years of studying go to help strengthen local churches with their new found gifts and talents. [6]

Current principal of the college is Richard Martin from York. Richard is a renowned public speaker and has spoken at many conferences such as Imagine 2008 at Wildlife Norwich. Richard is also an avid sports fan, supporting Liverpool Football Club and took part in the 2012 Dublin Marathon setting a personal best time.

Leadership

Paul Scanlon was, until 2012, the Senior Pastor of the church, having been part of the team alongside his wife Glenda since 1980. In 1997, he led the then Abundant Life Church during a period of transition that later became known as 'Crossing Over', during which it left Covenant Ministries.

In 2012, husband and wife Steve and Charlotte Gambill were appointed as lead pastors of the church.

In 2018, husband and wife Jonathan (Jock) and Shirley James were appointed as campus pastors of the Bradford church. In order to help Steve and Charlotte in the day to day running of the church.

Music

The church has produced a number of albums, mainly recorded live. The early recordings were distributed by Kingsway Communications and later albums by Integrity Music.

Early albums featured songs primarily written by Lara Martin and Mark Stevens. Jonathan James, Matt Hooper, Dan Brummitt and Mike Harvie have also contributed tracks.

Dance Again, a live album released in May 2014 entered UK Albums Chart in the top 40.

Discography

Title Artist Release Year
Higher Abundant Life Ministries 2000
Divine Exchange Abundant Life Ministries 2002
God is Here Abundant Life Ministries 2003
How Loved Abundant Life Ministries 2004
Let the World See Jesus Abundant Life Church 2005
RPM: Live RPM 2005
I Surrender All RPM 2005
Give My All RPM 2007
Send Me Abundant Life Church 2007
Sound of Praise EP RPM 2010
Name Above All Names ALM:UK 2010
I Am Future I Am Future 2012
Dance Again LIFE Worship 2014
Love Let Loose I Am Future 2015
Wide Open Space LIFE Worship 2016
Speak to the Storm LIFE Worship 2018
Love is Life I Am Future 2018

Sources

  • The Times, 28 March 1988, "Spectrum: The feeding of the five thousand"
  • The Times, 9 February 2002, "Christians urged to worship pop idol"

References

  1. ↑ Church criticised over gun video
  2. ↑ Peter Brierley, Ed. UK Christian Handbook, Religious Trends 7 (Swindon: Christian Research, 2008) 9.10.2
  3. ↑ William K Kay, Apostolic Networks in Britain (Milton Keynes, Paternoster, 2007) 48–49
  4. ↑ Andrew Walker Restoring the Kingdom: the Radical Christianity of the House Church Movement 4th Ed (Guildford: Eagle, 1998) 112
  5. ↑ "Podcasts". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  6. ↑ "LIFE Church Leadership College | LIFE Church, UK". LIFE Church, Home. Retrieved 2018-10-08.

Coordinates: 53°47′59″N 1°44′44″W / 53.79972°N 1.74556°W / 53.79972; -1.74556

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