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In 1948,
Pastor Howell Harris, an evangelist, held
a small crusade in Newtown and a series of meetings were
arranged. These took place in the ‘Pavilion’, a large
building now extinct. However, this campaign was not a great
success, but a small group of people were contacted and
these formed the nucleus of a church. No building was
available, so a small tent was erected off Park Lane, and
there the meetings continued until late in the Autumn when a
sectional building was obtained. This became the first home
of the church in November 1951.
The Church was now formed and officially joined to the
A.O.G.
movement. After 6 years Mr Cyril Pugh resigned the Pastorate to
emigrate to Canada and Mr Elwyn Pugh moved to Newtown to
assist the work. For a time there was no recognised Pastor,
meetings were convened alternately by Mr John Morris and Mr
Elwyn Pugh. Membership at this time
was about twenty adults.
Over the years, NPC saw the hard
work and ministry of many faithful people, we cannot write
in detail about them all but their names include: Pastor
Bryn Barrett, Pastor John Redley,
and Mr & Mrs Harold Horn.
In 1975 Pastor Brian Downward returned to
Newtown as Minister. For a period Sunday services were held
in the Memorial Gallery in the Newtown Park. At that time
the present site off the Dolfor Road was made available by
the Development Corporation. Upon this ground our present
church building has been erected and was opened in 1977.
In 1985 Pastor Alan Hewitt and his wife
Jeni, took over pastoring at NPC. The church continued to
grow and in 1989 the buildings were extended by the addition
of new offices, sports hall, youth lounge, conference room
and playschool facilities.
Further staff have been added along the way, an Associate Pastor, Youth
Pastor, Children's Pastor and an Administrator are currently working,
alongside a dedicated and committed team of volunteers
without whom much of Hope's Ministry would not take place.
See our
Departments
page for more details.
We built
BETHSHAN,
Newtown's only Nursing Home in 2001, it has been full ever
since and now employs over 90 people.
In 2003 we improved our entrance foyer and toilets and
included an information desk in the reception for visitors
and church family alike, this is a hub of activity each
week. Now, we
are known as Hope Community Church, having renamed
ourselves in May 2006,
we intend to be an example of the kind of church God wants
us to be: bring the real meaning of Hope to our town; and
being very much a church IN the Community.
We are
very grateful to God for all the favour and blessings shown
to us over our history.
We recognise however, that our greatest days are yet to come! |
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