LIFE Church UK, formerly the Abundant Life Church, is a Christianmegachurch established and based in Bradford, England. The church has additional facilities in Belfast, Leeds and Warsaw and describes itself as "one church, four locations". It also regularly streams Sunday services online. In 2003 it had an attendance of over 2,000 people; by 2006, the figure had climbed to 2,800.
History
LIFE Church has its roots in the Charismatic Restoration movement of Arthur Wallis. It was founded in 1976 by Bryn Jones, one of the early Restoration/British New Church leaders, by an amalgamation of three small Bradford churches: a charismaticBrethren Assembly based at the Bolton Woods Gospel Hall; an independent charismatic church made up mostly of former Baptists who had been unable to continue in their church because of their charismatic beliefs; and the New Covenant Church, a fellowship originally under the apostolic leadership of G. W. North. In its early days it met in the Anglican Church House and so was known locally as Church House. Later known as Abundant Life Church for a number of years, in 2012 the name was shortened to LIFE Church, reflecting a move into a season of new leadership and direction. Since 2000, LIFE Church has become more widely known through its regular radio and television broadcasts. Programmes are broadcast on God TV, United Christian Broadcasters, Australian Christian Channel and several other stations around the world. The church also has a weekly half-hour slot on Cross Rhythms radio. Many of the programmes broadcast on TV and radio are also available as podcasts via the ITunes Store and on YouTube. The church organises annual conferences and events which are attended by Christians the UK and beyond. Their Women's Conference 'Cherish' has outgrown the Bradford campus and is now hosted at the Leeds First Direct Arena.
Facilities
The church's main location is in Bradford, West Yorkshire, but it also has campuses in Leeds, Belfast and Warsaw, Poland. The Bradford campus has a coffee shop, serving coffee from local roasters North Star Coffee, and connected to the youth building is a skatepark.
College
Life Church College is based in Bradford, England. Current principal of the college is Richard Martin.
Leadership
Paul Scanlon was, until 2012, the senior pastor of the church, having been part of the team alongside his wife Glenda since 1980. In 1997, he led the then Abundant Life Church during a period of transition that later became known as 'Crossing Over', during which it left Covenant Ministries. In 2012, husband and wife Steve and Charlotte Gambill were appointed as lead pastors of the church.
