Jubilee Souvenir Booklet - History of Watton, Norfolk

60 YEARS OF PENTECOSTALISM IN WATTON
1952: The Assemblies of God Church was meeting in the ‘Upper Room’
an attic room in Middle Street with low ceilings, lit by gas lamps and
heated with a tortoise stove, accessed only by a narrow twisty flight
of steps. The minister was Pastor J Quantril.
1974: Mr. Austin, a farmer from Threxton became Pastor.
1977: The Church moved into it’s current building in Dereham Road.
1986: In 1986 Mr. Austin retired as Pastor, and Mr. Les Bibby was
appointed in his place.
1988: On 9th April 1988 Mr. Chris Pye was inducted as Pastor, Chris, a
farmer from Ovington, was a relatively inexperienced pastor, but had a
strong call of God on his life to work in Watton.
1991: Watton Community Church held its first service in Watton as
Watton Christian Fellowship in May 1991; The services were as a result of
a prophetic word spoken by Paul Randerson, the pastor of Breckland
Christian Fellowship, Swaffham, and under his direction. Watton
Community Church eventually became completely independent under its
leader, Pastor Roger Pawsey.
1992: A portable Baptistry was put up in
the Assemblies of God Church building,
and a joint Baptism was held with Watton
Community Church, who had recently been
planted in the town and had subsequently
taken AoG status. 15 people from the two
Churches were baptised altogether,
including many young people. This was
the first baptism in the town in living
memory and also the first time that the two
Churches had worked together.
1996: Watton Community Church joined the Fellowship of Assemblies of
God, part of the world's second largest Christian movement. Also in 1996
pastor Roger Pawsey was inducted as a full status minister, with
world-wide recognition, at an ordination service during Britain's first joint
Pentecostal churches conference.
2000: On 1st January 2000, at the stroke of midnight, amidst great
celebration, the two Churches became one, a new Church for a new
Millennium! It was renamed Watton Pentecostal Church, a part of River
Ministries (Norfolk) and both memberships were invited to be part of the
new church. Pastor Chris Pye and Rev. Roger Pawsey, became the new
Pastors of Watton Pentecostal Church. The two Church Councils joined,
to make a strong ministry team, to enable the new vision to be worked out.
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