2 Gibson Road, Handsworth

From the book

The property at 2 Gibson Road was purchased in 1959 for £3,000 following a miraculous intervention from the Barclays bank manager, who the Lord moved to deposit a £1,500 loan into the church account without ever meeting Bishop Dunn, or any prior signature or security (for context a week's wage was around £5-6). This took the church's funds to £2,800 before additional fundraising and pledges. Thankfully, the mortgage was paid in full in nine months and only £900 of the loan used. The church rapidly grew.

To be accountable and under authority Bishop Dunn sought affiliation with Bishop Randolph A Carr, Presiding Bishop of the Rehoboth Church of God in Christ Jesus Apostolic (Baltimore, USA). This was in part because Bishop and Mother Walsh did not wish to extend the Shiloh Apostolic Church of Jamaica into the United Kingdom. So, in 1956, one year after formation, ‘Bethel’ 2 Gibson Road was affiliated with the Rehoboth organisation. In the decades that followed (1960s and 1970s) the church experienced explosive growth, spreading to many towns and cities.

At the dedication of the Bethel Convention Centre, 21st July 2001, Bishop looked back and shared how the Lord brought him to England and called him to ‘Go up to Gibson Road’. The Lord used Bishop Dunn in the 1950s to secure a little hall on Gibson Road, which was later purchased for £3,000, so that the saints could have a place to worship. As the decades rolled on and the flock of God grew, the same Jesus used his servant again to lead the efforts of His people to complete a £3,500,000 project with a seating capacity of 3,500 seats.