A SHORT HISTORY OF ELIM ASSEMBLY
Our Story Began in 1928, when...
Mr. George Hale and his family came to Jamaica from New Zealand. He took up residence at 8 Shortwood Road and started house-to-house visitation in the area. After a few months he pitched a tent at his home and started conducting services.
Charles Rowe, a young man who was passing by there one night, stopped at the meeting where he was struck by its simplicity. He decided to leave the Baptist church of which he was an active member, being the Sunday school superintendent, president of Christian Endeavour, and chorister. Two weeks later he attended a breaking of bread service at the tent, after which brother Herbert Harris, then town clerk, spoke to him about the principles and practices of the brethren. After this conversation, Rowe decided to have fellowship with the believers there. Among the believers he saw there was sister Edna Hendricks, Nee Rogers, who was still attending high school.
Later in 1933...
There was a flood which caused the floor of the hall to be covered with about eighteen inches of sand. There were no more major disasters like this until august 1951, when the hall was destroyed by hurricane Charlie. For a while, meetings had to be held at the home of brother and sister Nicholson at 8 Shortwood Avenue. Soon afterwards, however, the present site was bought for the sum of six hundred pounds on which a tent was erected, then a shed, and then a new hall in 1953.
Elders over the years, some of whom have gone to be with the Lord and others to different assemblies include the following: John Agard, Roy Hendricks, David Rennals, Willie Hart, Herbert Rhoden, Reginald Nicholson, George Chambers, Silas Channer, Locksley Gray, George Markland, Albert Holness, Errol Morrison and Anthony Robinson.
Some facts about Elim Assembly worth noting are:
Before the first hall was erected baptisms were done at Rehoboth mission.
Brother and sister Charles Rowe was the first couple to be married at Elim in November,1929.
The first young people’s meeting in the Corporate Area assemblies was started at Elim.
