A CHURCH FAMILY
FOLLOWING JESUS IN WAKEFIELD
The Well Church is a growing Pentecostal church family in Wakefield. For almost a century, people have gathered here to encounter Jesus, experience the power of the Holy Spirit and share the Gospel with the city around us.
We are people of different ages, backgrounds and experiences, united by our faith in Jesus and our desire to follow Him. There is a place for you at The Well.
REAL FAITH FOR REAL LIFE
We are passionate about a faith that speaks into the real lives of real people.
We do not believe difficult experiences or important questions should be ignored. Christian faith is not an escape from the realities of life; it is where those realities are brought honestly before Jesus.
Through biblical teaching, prayer, genuine community and the work of the Holy Spirit, we want people to discover the transforming life that God offers.
GATHERED AND RELEASED
Our life as a church is expressed both in the times when we gather together and in the places where God sends us throughout the week.
THE GATHERED CHURCH
We gather on Sundays and throughout the week to worship Jesus, pray, learn from the Bible and encourage one another.
Gathering reminds us that we are not following Jesus alone. We belong to a church family where every person is valued and has something to contribute.
THE RELEASED CHURCH
Church does not end when a meeting finishes. We are released into our homes, streets, workplaces, schools and friendships to live as followers of Jesus.
We want to demonstrate the love of Christ, share the Gospel and serve others wherever God has placed us.
OUR STORY
The story of The Well Church is not simply the story of a congregation surviving for almost a century. It is a testimony to what God can do through ordinary people who pray, trust Him and obey His call.
The story began when a small group of Christians prayed about what God was asking them to do in Wakefield. Although they had very little money and no impressive resources, they became convinced that God was calling them to establish a Pentecostal church.
Wilfred Dearnley led the new work while continuing to run a small business to help finance it. His commitment was simple: while God provided the means, there would be a place in Wakefield where the Gospel of Jesus Christ was faithfully preached.
1928 — CALLED BY GOD
The first service took place in a neglected building without heating or electric lighting. The congregation sat on makeshift seats constructed from orange boxes, wooden planks and brown paper. Approximately thirty people attended—and fourteen responded to the message of Jesus.
As darkness fell, people returned home and brought candles so the meeting could continue. What looked unimpressive from the outside became the setting in which lives were changed by the Gospel.
AUGUST 1928 — FOURTEEN LIVES RESPOND
From its earliest days, the church prayed with confidence that God still heals.
In March 1929, the Yorkshire Observer reported the remarkable recovery of a man who had been left unable to walk following a mining accident. Members of the church visited and prayed for him, and the church’s testimony was that he rose and walked.
News spread through the community. People reportedly gathered outside his home into the early hours, looking through the window to see for themselves that the man who had been immobile was walking again.
1929 — AMAZED BY HEALING
Four years after the church began, an Anglican church building became available for £250, a considerable sum for them.
The church prayed and agreed to proceed only if the money was pledged. The congregation promised £230, leaving them £20 short. Pastor Dearnley prepared to announce that the purchase could not go ahead.
Before he could do so, one member explained that he had made a mistake and increased his pledge by exactly £20. The full amount had been provided, and the church secured a permanent home.
1932 — GOD PROVIDES THE FINAL £20
Across the decades, the church has continued to witness people coming to faith, prayers being answered, lives being restored and believers discovering God’s call upon them.
Some have served faithfully in Wakefield for many years. Others have been released into ministries that have reached far beyond the city. Through changing seasons, buildings and generations, God has remained faithful.
GRACE UPON GRACE
Much has changed since people sat on orange boxes and worshipped by candlelight, but the heart of the church remains the same.
We are still committed to proclaiming Jesus, depending upon the power of the Holy Spirit and making room for people to encounter God. The story is not finished. We believe the God who saved, healed and provided in previous generations is still at work today.
TODAY — THE SAME GOSPEL
AN ELIM PENTECOSTAL CHURCH
The Well Church is part of the Elim Pentecostal Church, a movement of churches committed to proclaiming Jesus, making disciples and depending upon the power of the Holy Spirit.
Elim began in 1915 through the ministry of George Jeffreys and the Elim Evangelistic Band. From its earliest days, the movement was marked by Gospel preaching, church planting, people coming to faith and a confidence that God still heals and works powerfully today.
Elim’s Foursquare Gospel declares that Jesus Christ is:
THE SAVIOUR
THE HEALER
THE BAPTISER IN
THE HOLY SPIRIT
As an Elim church, we share this historic Pentecostal conviction. We believe the promises of God remain relevant, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for the Church today, and Jesus continues to save, heal and transform lives.
THE COMING KING