Elim Fellowship
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The Elim Fellowship is a Pentecostal/charismatic organization that emphasizes the spread of revival and renewal.
Ivan Q. and Minnie Spencer founded the Elim Bible Institute in 1924 at Hornell, New York. Spencer, a young minister, had a vision to train ministers to work in revival and renewal movements. Elim Fellowship began in 1933 as the Elim Ministerial Fellowship, an informal fellowship of graduates of Elim Bible Institute. In 1947 this loose fellowship incorporated as the Elim Missionary Assemblies and in 1972 adopted the name Elim Fellowship. Elim, describing itself as a "worldwide revival fellowship", serves pastors, churches, missionaries and other support ministries. The Elim Fellowship of Evangelical Churches and Ministers (Canada) was incorporated in 1982.
Headquarters of the fellowship and the campus of Elim Bible Institute are located in Lima, New York. In 1951 they purchased the 75 acre (304,000 m²) campus of the old Genesee Wesleyan Seminary to serve the expanding Bible institute. In 1997 the Elim Fellowship had 190 churches with an estimated membership of 21,000.
The fellowship describes itself as being "of Pentecostal conviction and Charismatic orientation". According to their Statement of Faith, the Elim Fellowship believes that the Bible is the inspired word of God; that God exists eternally as three persons; that man is lost and in need of a Savior; that salvation is through the atoning death of Jesus and the regeneration of the Holy Spirit; that divine healing is provided through the atonement; and that the personal bodily return of Jesus Christ is imminent. Church government is congregational. The decision making body of the fellowship is the Council of Elders. New elders are chosen by the existing elder body and affirmed in annual session.
The Elim Fellowship holds membership in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, the National Association of Evangelicals, Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America, and the International Pentecostal Association.
Elim Fellowship should not be confused with the Elim Pentecostal Church, which is a slightly older Pentecostal body established in the United Kingdom in 1915.
Mission statement
"The mission of Elim Fellowship is to glorify God and His Son Jesus Christ and to obey Christ's mandate to preach the Gospel and make disciples of all nations. To this end we are committed to serving and equipping our worldwide constituency in carrying out their respective missions."
External links
- Adherents.com (http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_259.html#1408)
- Elim Fellowship (http://www.elimfellowship.org/) - official Web Site
- Elim Fellowship Canada (http://www.elim.ca/) - official Web Site
- Elim Bible Institute (http://www.elim.edu/) - official Web Site
References
- Encyclopedia of American Religions, J. Gordon Melton, editor
- Handbook of Denominations in the United States, by Frank S. Mead, Samuel S. Hill, and Craig D. Atwood