If you return to me and obey my commands, then, even if your exiled people are of the farthest horizons; I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my name. (Nehemiah 1:9-NIV)
And they came to ELIM, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees and they encamped there by the waters (Exodus 15:27)
ELIM Christian Fellowship was established on November 7, 1999 under the inspiration of God to the visionary and Senior Pastor T. Anthony Bronner. ELIM Christian Fellowship is a multi-cultural, bible based, spirit-filled ministry engaged in spirit-led worship that touches the heart of God and equips the Saints to do the work of Jesus Christ to evangelize the Nations.
The name ELIM conceptually means a place of refreshing, reviving, and renewing for weary travelers. ELIM has proven to be a fitting symbol of spiritual revitalization and restoration.
On the first day of worship at the Buffalo Christian Center over seven hundred people committed their head, heart and hand to God's vision for Elim Christian Fellowship . Many of those who joined were regular attendees of the Regional Morning Prayer, which assembled every morning from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. ELIM Christian Fellowship was birthed out of this Regional Morning Prayer Movement which has continued uninterrupted for the past ten years.
ELIM soon outgrew the facilities at the Buffalo Christian Center and relocated to Turner Carroll High School on February 7, 2000.
After only six months in existence, Elim's membership doubled. The current active membership is in excess of sixteen hundred members and progressively growing. Recent numbers indicate that on average approximately fifty persons per month choose to make ELIM Christian Fellowship their spiritual home. Thus, this steady stream of new members would suggest that ELIM has great potential for new growth and longevity.
In June 2000, Elim Christian Fellowship purchased property for the construction of the new Worship and Youth Center. The Groundbreaking Ceremony took place on August 26, 2000 with over seven hundred grateful members, community and political well-wishers present.
Members and visitors of ELIM had the opportunity to pray for wisdom and guidance on October 29, 2000, for First Lady of the United States, Hillary R. Clinton as she continued to pursue public service. We were inspired by her visit and her words of encouragement.
To further fulfill God's Great Commission, ELIM Christian Fellowship of Rochester, New York also under the leadership of Senior Pastor T. Anthony Bronner, was birthed on Sunday, November 17, 2002. The expansion of Elim Christian Fellowship into the Rochester community was an "evolution not a revolution." It was a natural progression for a dynamic, forward-thinking ministry that is only bound by its leadership's desire to win souls for Christ. The next few years produced an outpour and influx of what was coined as "permanent visitors" from other churches from all denominations due to the unconventional time of worship service beginning at 2:00 pm.
The congregation continued to expand over the next two years which led to the expansion, relocation and purchase of our current worship center. On September 13, 2004 ELIM Rochester officially acquired property on the east side of Rochester.
On Sunday, April 30, 2006 ELIM Buffalo opened the doors of the new Worship Center with a service of thanksgiving. On this day the leaders and congregational members of ELIM gathered in the Central Park Plaza were they prayed and released a thousand balloons into the community with the message that "God in Not an option." After the release the crowd of approximately one thousand marched over to the new edifice.
ELIM is known for its spirit-led praise & worship, and intercessory prayer. People from all races, religions, age groups and denominational affiliations gather weekly to seek God's face. A highlight of ELIM is its thriving youth ministry. ELIM's dedicated staff of youth pastors provides life-changing instruction for the youth of our neighboring communities.
ELIM Christian Fellowship is an instrument by which God uses His vessel, Senior Pastor T. Anthony Bronner, to bring to the communities of Buffalo and Rochester, the region of Western New York, and eventually the world, refreshing worship, passionate prayer, and the word of God preached with integrity.
"Oh God, remember ELIM with favor and allow your name to dwell there" Nehemiah 1:8B, 13:31