BORN IN REVIVAL.
BUILT FOR MORE.
95 YEARS OF FAITH.
Our story reaches back to 1931, when revival came to Preston through the ministry of Edward Jeffreys. From those early days to the church we are today, our heart remains the same: to encounter God, equip His people and live boldly for His Kingdom.
Contemporary reports from the time tell of thousands gathering, people responding to the Gospel, testimonies of healing and a powerful move of the Holy Spirit across the city.
Those early meetings became part of the foundation from which our church grew.
Across generations, names, leaders and seasons have changed, but the church has continued.
There have been seasons of growth, challenge, change and renewal, yet through it all God has remained faithful.
Today, we honour the story we have inherited while refusing to live only in the past. We believe heritage is something to carry forward, not simply look back on.
A NEW NAME. THE SAME CALL.
Across the years, our church has been known by several names, first Bethel Temple, then Bethel Evangelical Church, and more recently Bethel Prophetic Centre.
When our current Senior Pastor, Mark Bimson, first came to Bethel, God spoke clearly to him about the need to “re-dig the wells of revival.”
That call has become an important part of the journey we are on today not simply looking back at what God did in previous generations, but pursuing Him again with fresh hunger and expectation.
Now, as we step into a new season, we are becoming Acts UK.
The name Acts reflects the kind of church we want to be Spirit-led, Jesus-centred and active in carrying the Gospel beyond the walls of the church.
This is more than a change of name. It reflects where we believe God is leading us and the kind of church we are called to become.
We want to be a church marked by the life of the Holy Spirit, devotion to Jesus, the truth of Scripture and believers who are equipped to live out their faith wherever God sends them.
The name is changing, but the call remains.
OUR VISION.
We raise up bold, pure, Spirit-empowered believers who know their identity and live to advance the Kingdom.
That vision is expressed through three words:
ENCOUNTER
We believe everything begins with knowing God.
We want to create space for people to encounter Jesus, experience the presence and power of the Holy Spirit and be transformed by Him.
EQUIP
Encounter is not the end of the journey.
We want believers to grow in biblical truth, understand who they are in Christ, develop the gifts God has placed within them and become mature disciples of Jesus.
COMMISSION
We are not equipped simply to stay comfortable inside the church.
We believe every believer is called to carry Jesus into everyday life into homes, workplaces, communities and nations.
We want to see people sent out with courage, conviction and compassion to advance the Kingdom wherever God places them.
THE STORY CONTINUES.
We believe some of the greatest chapters are still ahead.
God is still calling people.
Still transforming lives.
Still pouring out His Spirit.
Still building His Church.
And we want to be found faithful in our generation.