Clive and Ann had for more than 6 years supported the ministry of Pastor Leslie Lyons and the Costa Blanca Evangelical Community churches in Jávea, Calpe, Benidorm and Torrevieja, where Clive was regarded as the ‘warm-up-man’ to create a desire for worship; and a hunger to hear Pastor Leslie’s exposition of the Word of God. Pastor Leslie and the Holy Spirit were the ‘main act’.
When Clive and Ann first joined the Jávea CBECC, it had ceased meeting in Jávea (at what was the ‘Star Bar’ but is now ‘Bombers’) and met in the Jesus Pobre home of Boyce and Christine Winter.
After 6 years and travelling thousands of miles between the churches, with responsibility for Tuesday Morning Bible Study, and Friday evening Prayer Meeting in Jávea, Clive was listening to Pastor Leslie preach in Jávea, when the words leapt of the Bible Clive had open on his lap, from I Peter Chapter 5, verse 2.
“Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind.”
Clive spoke to Pastor Leslie afterwards saying Clive felt God had called him to full-time ministry in Jávea (Leslie was only in Jávea for 60 minutes on a Sunday), and the need of the community needed local support and for counselling, but Pastor Leslie replied “Not in my church you won’t!” and told Clive he would no longer be welcome in any of Leslie’s services
Clive and Ann Read, had relocated to Jávea from the UK in November 1985 and their excommunication from CBECC posed the question of how God would fulfil His calling. Clive first applied to Elim in the UK for Ministerial Credentials, but was told Elim was only a single church in Spain, in Figueras near the French Border. Clive applied to AoG but at that time they would only bring into membership churches which had been ‘planted’ by existing AoG churches.
In a surprise change of policy, Elim Incorporated in the UK announced that their Figueras church would change its registration to become a denomination and Clive and Ann were granted Ministerial Credentials from Elim Church Incorporated in the UK, and church meetings began in an apartment in on 17th May 1992, like most other ‘house-churches’ or ‘cell-groups’ – moving to the Lady Elizabeth School premises, and then establishing the OASIS CENTRE in Jávea Port.
This was the first 24/7 building operated by a Protestant Church in Jávea, and where they stayed for 16 years.
Feeling it was time to move on, and sow seed in an untouched area of Jávea, they found premises (a former Pizzeria) at Arquitecto Urteaga 25 where they worshipped for a little over 3 years.
Three local suicides in 10 days caused the church to open a ‘Help Centre’ – 6 days a week from 10am till 2pm, “where the people are” and they decided to offer more than 30,000 greeting cards at 1€ each, to avoid any ‘stigma’ there might be to entering a ‘Help Centre’, together with a range of printing services from photocopies to huge canvas prints. Contact with the community is maintained each month with Jávea Jeard http://issuu.com/cliveinspain/docs a 4-colour magazine they publish (and print in-house) of news and views about Jávea.
It was decided to relocate the Sunday and midweek meeting to the ‘Help Centre’ after 6 months and the church has grown in numbers and influence.
It publishes the Spanish-language version of The Word For Today www.ucbspain.org
Clive is Primate Archbishop of The Anglican Independent Communion – Worldwide www.aicwonline.com
We extend a WARM WELCOME when you visit (or come to live in) Jávea. If you are undecided about relocation, you can obtain unbiased advice from clive@cliveread.com