This historic church is under new ownership.
York Elim Pentecostal Church has bought the old Trinity Methodist building in Monkgate.
It will be used for the church’s services on Sundays, and over time additional space will be made available to a range of local charities and community groups.
There are also plans for a drop-in community café further down the line, once extensive redevelopment work has been carried out.
Rev Paul Meiklejohn, pastor at York Elim, said: “We’re thrilled to have acquired this fantastic building to continue its history as a church.
“It’s exciting news for York Elim, but also for the wider community. We are looking forward to meeting our new neighbours in The Groves and the business community around Monkgate.
“We are keen to engage with the community groups and charities that are already doing a fantastic job.”
York Elim already has church members linked to York Foodbank, St Sampson’s Centre, and local charities focused on care for elderly people, counselling and mental health, among others.
Elim is also liaising with St Thomas’s church in The Groves to build local links, meet the neighbourhood’s needs, and serve the students from the nearby York St John University.
The building is in generally good condition, but work to redevelop it will take a few years. A new hall will be created upstairs, the kitchen will be refitted, and the various rooms downstairs will be upgraded.
York Elim will continue to meet at the Novotel for the next few months until essential repairs are completed.
York Elim Pentecostal was founded in 1934 and was based in the city centre for many years until the demands of being in the very heart of the city became too costly with increasingly limited access.
The church has spent the past two decades hosting its services in other buildings, including St Lawrence’s CE Primary School, the Barbican Centre briefly, Archbishop Holgate School, and most recently the Novotel hotel in Fishergate and the Riverside Centre in Huntington Road.
Trinity Methodist Church dates back to 1903. It was able to be sold after the Yorkshire North & East Methodist District granted permission to cease worship there.
York Elim Pentecostal was founded in 1934 and was based in the city centre for many years.
The church has spent the past two decades hosting its services in other buildings, including St Lawrence’s CE Primary School, the Barbican Centre briefly, Archbishop Holgate’s School, and most recently the Novotel hotel in Fishergate and the Riverside Centre in Huntington Road.