Abundant Life Church

The Abundant Life Church is a large church based in Bradford, England. It is led by the senior pastor, Paul Scanlon, who has written a number of books on the Christian lifestyle. Services each Sunday regularly draw 2,500 attendees.

The church also has a second location in Belfast, as well as a plant in Leeds city centre under the title of "one church, three locations". The Belfast church has been operating since August 2005 and the Leeds church since July 2008.

History

Abundant Life Church had 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. In its early days it met in the Anglican Church House and so has often been known locally as Church House. In 1988, the church spent almost £1 million to renovate a former textile mill on Wapping Road.

The church was formerly a part of Covenant Ministries, but it withdrew from the organisation in 1997. Although the church greatly grew in numbers following the move, the period immediately following the move saw many former core members withdraw their support. In January 2000, the church opened a new 2,500-seater auditorium, freeing up the former building to be used as its dedicated youth centre. In 2008 an extension to the main building called The Champions Centre was opened, which includes a number of classrooms, a larger retail space, improved creche facilities and a branch of Starbucks.

Ministries

The church has an active social outreach programme called Love Your City, which works with under-privileged families, the homeless, prisoners and prostitutes in Bradford.

The church also runs a leadership academy led by an associate pastor, Steve Matthew, where students can choose from one of two electives - worship, music and creative arts or pastoral leadership. Students can take either a one year certificate programme or a two year diploma programme. Many of these want to train as pastors, although other Christians take the course for leadership skills.

Rocknations is the church's youth ministry, founded in 1999 by the youth pastor, Steve Gambill (originally "Rock the Nations"). The ministry has a band named RPM, who play at all youth events as well as some special church events. In early 2005 they released their first album,

RPM: Live. A second album, I Surrender All, was recorded in late 2005 and was released in the church shop and website in March 2006, before a general release in July 2006.

Television Coverage

The church received much attention in late 2001, when former singer Gareth Gates was a contestant on Pop Idol. It was setting for two editions of My Favourite Hymns. It also featured in the BBC1 documentary Jesus Who..?, which aired in April 2004.

It has a regular programme on God Channel.

Music

The church has its own record label, Abundant Life Music, which has a distribution deal with Authentic Media. Through the label, the church has produced several live praise and worship albums, as well a studio-recorded album. The youth band have also released two albums.

The worship pastors are Mark Stevens, Matt Hooper and Jock James. Lara Martin was also the worship pastor for a number of years and is still part of the church.

Live praise and worship

• Higher (2000)
• Divine Exchange (2002)
• God Is Here (2003)
• How Loved (2004)
• Let the World See Jesus (2005)
• Send Me (2007)

Studio-recorded

• Sing (2004)

Youth

• RPM: Live (2005)
• I Surrender All (2006)
• Give My All (2007)

Sources

• The Times, 28 March 1988, "Spectrum: The feeding of the five thousand"
• The Times, 9 February 2002, "Christians urged to worship pop idol"
• Jesus Who..?, BBC1, 6 April 2004. BBC catalogue

References