The History of Bethel

Early in the twentieth century, after the Welsh Revival began in 1904, there was a religious awakening called the Pentecostal Revival. The emphasis was on baptism of the Holy Spirit and the recovery of the Gifts of the Spirit. As a result of the move of God, groups of churches were formed. Assemblies of God was one of them. It was created with 60 churches in 1924, but now numbers around 600 throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Bethel Christian Fellowship (BCF) is one of them.

In addition to the Assemblies of God in Great Britain and Ireland, Bethel Christian Fellowship is also a member of the Evangelical Alliance.

Pentecostal Church in Witham is a church that dates it origins back to the early 1920's. As a result of this, meetings began to be held on Sunday evenings in a YMCA hut opposite the current Labour Hall on Collingwood Road on a regular basis. As a result, the meetings were moved to a former British Legion hut in Mill Lane after a while. The Bethel building in Church Street was built during the Second World War. Sunday morning meetings were moved to Powers Hall Junior School in 1992. They were then moved, with a short spell at Spring Lodge Community Centre, to The Maltings Academy in February 2006. However, the Bethel building is still in use for small group meetings and other church activities, including a pre-school playgroup. In 2009 the fellowship opened a coffee shop called The Well in Guithavon Street. The COVID 19 pandemic hit our nation in 2020, and government legislation forced us to close the church. It was with much pleasure that we reopened in our renovated home at Wood End Farm in Witham.