ExtractBethel Begins
‘I could not see myself living in England without the Church that I was born into’
Sydney Dunn sailed from Jamaica in December 1954 to earn enough for a house and a wedding. He stayed for the rest of his life, and the church he gathered became Bethel. In this extract from Bethel Begins, Nicholas Myers tells how the Apostolic faith came to Handsworth.
“Required reading for every member of our church.” Bishop Dexter E Edmund, Presiding Bishop
It must never be forgotten that Bishop Dunn did not come to England to start a church. As Deputy Bishop and Secretary within the Shiloh Apostolic Church, he seemed to be placed as a future presider for that organisation, but this was not the plan of God. Bishop Dunn came to England to earn enough money to pay down on a house back in Jamaica, so that he could marry his sweetheart, Chloe Effie Thomson, the future Mother Dunn.
In fact, it was Mother Walsh's no-nonsense retort, when he asked to marry Mother Dunn, that triggered Bishop to pray for a “whale, plane or ship” to get him off the island of Jamaica. Love for Chloe Thomson was the catalyst that led Sydney Dunn to England; it was love for Christ that would lead him to spend the rest of his life here.
As a teenager, I had the job of assisting the elderly Mother Dunn from home to Gibson Road on Sunday mornings. Mother Dunn lived close to heaven. She was constantly speaking in tongues; she was a loving soul.
‘Leave the preacher alone’
Bishop Dunn set sail for England, boarding the S.S. Arega on the 18th of December 1954. No sooner had he boarded than his assignment began. Seeing the immorality on board, he preached to the passengers.
While I was preaching, a man shouted at me saying: ‘leave the people alone’. I waited and the congregation stood. They all shouted: ‘leave the preacher alone, preacher, preach the word’.
Bishop Sydney Dunn, on the voyage to England
Bishop Dunn arrived in Folkestone on Saturday 9th January 1955 and headed for Birmingham, arriving at 2am on Sunday 10th January. He would spend the rest of his life there. In his own words: “No soon than I arrived I began to make enquiries where there was a Pentecostal Church where I could live and feel free, for I could not see myself living in England without the Church that I was born into.”
He gathered to worship with others who had come to England without an Apostolic church to call home. Many of these early saints hailed from the Apostolic Ark, the first Apostolic Church in Jamaica. Services moved from a dining room, to a school room in Chain Walk, Lozells, and then to a hall above a factory on Berner Street.
‘Go up to Gibson Road’
In August 1955, when the brother who owned the house where services began proved not fully persuaded of the Apostolic doctrine, Bishop Dunn withdrew for his soul's sake. This stand for truth cost Bishop and Mother Dunn their place of accommodation, but the Lord made room for them for honouring His Word.
House meetings restarted at the home of Brother and Sister Neil. As Bishop contemplated going back to Jamaica, the Lord said: “You are pregnant with the church, why don't you give birth!” Then, while Bishop was at work, the Lord called him just before his lunch break: “Go up to Gibson Road, go up to Gibson Road, go up to Gibson Road!”
Bishop Dunn heeded the call, cycling to Gibson Road with his lunch (salt-fish and cabbage sandwiches). This time two men stood outside the building, so he could get the caretaker's details. The request went to the committee meeting the next day, Tuesday 6th September 1955, and rental was approved for services on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday of each week. That schedule continues at Gibson Road today. The first service was held on Sunday 11th September 1955.
The property at 2 Gibson Road was purchased in 1959 for £3,000, following a miraculous intervention from the Barclays bank manager, who deposited a £1,500 loan into the church account without ever meeting Bishop Dunn, and without any prior signature or security. For context, a week's wage was around £5 to £6. The mortgage was paid in full in nine months.
This is an edited extract from Bethel Begins: The Beginnings of Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic by Nicholas Myers.
The story goes on into the 1960s and 70s, when the church spread to towns and cities across Britain. The book gives each founding bishop his own chapter, with a foreword by Bishop Dexter E Edmund.
For churches
Bring Bethel's history to the 70th Holy Convocation
Bethel UK gathers for its 70th Holy Convocation in 2027. Bishop Dunn went to his rest on the morning of the 60th, in 2017, and many of the saints who built Bethel are no longer with us. Make sure every young person in your assembly knows their names.
From Amazon UK, delivered to one address. You check out on Amazon as normal, and Amazon may limit how many copies one order can hold. For larger orders, signed copies or an invoice, get in touch.
Pulpit announcement
In 2027 Bethel UK holds its 70th Holy Convocation. To mark it, we are ordering copies of Bethel Begins by Elder Nick Myers, the story of how our church began, from the Azusa Street Revival to Gibson Road. Bishop Dexter Edmund calls it required reading for every member of our church. If your family would like a copy, please see [name] by [date].
Message for your church WhatsApp group
Have you read Bethel Begins? It tells how our church began, from Azusa Street to Gibson Road. Bishop Dexter Edmund calls it required reading for every member of our church. Read an extract here: https://bethelbegins.com
Key events
- The Azusa Street Revival, Los Angeles
- First fruit of revival in Jamaica, at Liberty Valley, Browns Town
- The Shiloh Apostolic Church of Jamaica begins
- Sydney Dunn sails for England on the S.S. Arega
- He reaches Birmingham at 2am, by way of Folkestone
- First service at Gibson Road
- Gibson Road affiliates with Rehoboth under Bishop R A Carr
- 2 Gibson Road bought for £3,000
- Bethel Convention Centre dedicated, with 3,500 seats
- The 60th Holy Convocation
- The 70th Holy Convocation
