History

The journey begins...

• 1898 - A church fellowship begins meeting in rented premises (the fire brigade hall) in Eden Terrace.
• 1904 - The fellowship, now known as Eden Hall, relocates to the present premises at 74 View Road.

Growing times...

• 1928 - The fellowship numbers 135 people.
• 1934 - The congregation has increased to 180. Characteristic of the early Brethren movement, Eden Hall offers regular Sunday morning services, Sunday School, prayer meetings, Bible studies and youth activities hosted in conjunction with neighbouring fellowships.

Expanding...

• 1950s - Extensions made to the View Road building.
• 1958 - The Assembly Bible School established in a nearby home and brings a number of young people from around the country into the fellowship.
• 1964 - The Bible School moves into new premises in Kelston, and numbers are depleted for a time. The purchase of a nearby youth hostel sees another influx of young people into the fellowship. Eden Hall is renamed Eden Chapel and the neighbouring property (72 View Road) is purchased for Sunday School rooms and parking, reflecting the continued growth of the fellowship.

Wrestling with change...

• 1969 - Like many other churches Eden Chapel wrestles with the impact of the charismatic movement that sweeps through Auckland. To its credit the Chapel manages to avoid any painful spanision of its members.
• 1974 - Three part time pastoral workers are hired to assist with the day-to-day pastoral and operational needs of the fellowship.
• 1975 - Eden Chapel welcomes a group of Samoan brethren who meet in the Chapel on Sunday afternoons and join with the regular congregation on occasion.
• 1977 - The first full-time pastor is appointed.
• 1982 - The present auditorium is built to cope with the increasing size of the congregation.
• 1983 - After careful study, the decision is made to allow women to participate freely in the Sunday morning services.
• 1984 - A number of new attendees from Singapore and Malaysia boost attendance in excess of 400. A support group is set up to help the assimilation of various cultures at Eden Chapel.
• 1985 - The first secretary is hired to meet the growing demands of the fellowship at an operational level.

To the present...

• 1990s - Chapel members are involved in running school holiday camps for children at Moirs Point Camp. Alpha courses prove a useful evangelistic tool and Network courses help people determine their ministry gifts.
• 1998 - Eden Chapel celebrates its centenary and is renamed Eden Community Church to reflect its desire to increase links with the community in which it is located. ECC reviews its policy regarding the roles of men and women in the church and supports the expression of spiritual gifts irrespective of gender.
• ECC currently supports 17 overseas workers and 20 workers within New Zealand. Based on 1998 attendances this represents one in every seven adults serving in missions, a significant statistic for New Zealand missionary endeavour.

Looking ahead...

ECC has a rich heritage of:

• worship, evangelism and Bible teaching
• missions service - overseas and in New Zealand
• working through controversy and difficult issues within the life of the church
• successful building programmes
• developing the potential of its membership

For this heritage, we thank God and seek His will and direction to continue to be a faithful witness to Him in our neighbourhood and the wider world.
 

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