From the earliest years of the twentieth century a group of people who were eager to learn more about Pentecostal teaching had been meeting together. In 1917 the leader of this group, James Chapman Hill. invited E.C.W.Boulton to pastor this fellowship who were meeting in a building on the corner of May Street and Beverley Road, Hull. Seen below.
E.C.W.Boulton, or “Pa” Boulton, as he was affectionately known, had left the Salvation Army because of his Pentecostal experience and had been involved with two other early Pentecostal groups and was a well known preacher. Soon after his arrival in Hull he arranged large meetings in the Metropole Hall.
Pastor E.C.W.Boulton
The Jeffreys brothers had been holding a highly successful crusade in Grimsby. On May 9th, 1922 a crusade was commenced by George and Stephen Jeffreys at the Royal Institute in Hull.
Following the mission at the Royal Institute and Gaiety Theatre the church aligned itself with the growing Elim denomination founded by George Jeffreys. After meeting in various hired buildings, premises were secured in Mason Street which became the permanent home of the church up until 1933.
Pastor Cloke, who was the minister in 1933, purchased a disused Primitive Methodist Church on behalf of the growing Elim work at a cost of £2000. George Jeffreys had agreed to hold a major crusade on the Walton Street Fairground if the purchase was successful. The mission made a great impact. There were many conversions and a water baptismal service was held in the tent towards the end of the crusade.
Many other Christians who were disillusioned with liberal theology in their churches joined. A final service was held at Mason Street and the church moved into its new building. The building and congregation were renamed ‘The City Temple’.
The building was a landmark for many years on the Hessle Road at the heart of the fishing community. After about a year the Mason Street church was re-opened as a branch church under the leadership of the City Temple. This now continues in its own right as Bourne Street Elim Church.
The City Temple building and the fishing industry were both in decline together. The congregation had also reduced for many reasons. A good number of quality young men had gone into the full-time ministry, many achieving high position within the Elim Pentecostal Churches. Many had returned to the Mason Street church, Others moved away from the area with work and re-housing.
In 1983 alternative premises were purchased on Prince’s Avenue. A building, formerly with the Congregational Churches had become redundant and became the answer to prayer for the congregation of the City Temple. The same year was the culmination of 50 years of work on the Hessle Road. Our new minister, Phil Niblett, also arrived that year.
It was decided in 2000 that the time had come to change our name from the City Temple to Church on The Way. This was not an easy decision but one that needed to be taken. There was confusion brought by using the word “Temple” and also the leadership had a desire to acknowledge that we were not “The City” anything, but were part of the citywide witness of all of God’s people.
Our new name represents several truths, firstly that Jesus is “The Way” and that we aim to be a church on The Way, (i.e. on Christ). Secondly, as a church we do not see ourselves as having arrived but that we are at least on the journey. Thirdly we wanted to show that we are a church with a vision and that we are pressing on towards it.
More about the history of the Elim movement can be found at www.elim.org.uk