Our Story.
A People of Faith.
Trusting God to do the impossible.
Today, All Nations Church is a diverse and vibrant community comprised of people of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities. And what we are today we owe to our rich heritage: a history of men and women living by faith.
Rees Howells: The Intercessor
Our history includes people like Rees Howells, who, radically changed by the Lord during the Welsh Revival, dedicated his life to the advancement of God's Kingdom. Howells went on to establish the Welsh Bible School in 1924, which became the training ground for some of the leaders of our movement.
Charismatic Renewal & The House Church Movement
Throughout the 60s and 70s a move of God, that has come to be known as the "Charismatic Renewal", swept across large parts of the world. During this time, people of all ages and nations were being baptised in the Holy Spirit. For many it was a time of individual renewal. But for others it became clear that the Lord was bringing a transformation to his Church, and found themselves having to leave their denominations to meet in homes. This has come to be known as the "House Church Movement.”
Penarth House Church
In the mid 70s, one such small group had started meeting in homes in Penarth, South Wales. The group grew as they shared what had happened to them with family and friends. People were being saved, baptised in water and the Holy Spirit. Still others joined them because they too had been baptised in the Holy Spirit and were asked to leave their established churches. As the group continued to grow and make sense of what they were experiencing, they sought the help of a man named Arthur Wallis, a well respected Christian leader in the UK.
Meeting Keri Jones
The house church "launched" and started meeting on Sunday mornings. Arthur Wallis then introduced the new church to a group of leaders he was part of in Bradford who were championing this move of God. One of those leaders, Keri Jones, agreed to provide apostolic oversight to that group and continues to do so for All Nations Church as it is today.
From Penarth to Cardiff
The church took a big step of faith and moved from Penarth to Cardiff, where they became known as City Church Cardiff.
A Growing Church
Groups from other parts of Cardiff and Newport, who had similarly experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit, joined the church. During this time, the church met in schools and university buildings across the city. But as the church grew, the need for a building of their own became more pressing.
The Building of a Home
In an incredible step of faith, land in the heart of Cardiff was purchased with the permission to build on it. With ever-increasing faith, the whole church rallied behind the project offering their skills, time, and finances in order to see a new home established.
The All Nations Centre
In 1991, the All Nations Centre was completed, giving the once house church a home that could hold them and give them a base for mission.
Covenant Life Church
In the same way that every family has distinct characteristics, so does a church family. In 1995, the name of the church was changed to "Covenant Life Church" to reflect its distinctive beliefs and characteristics.
Funding the Gospel
The church continued to grow in its new home, using it for various social projects and outreaches. Then, in 2004, Kairos Ventures, the church's conference ministry was incorporated. Kairos not only serves the city of Cardiff with a fantastic conferencing service, but also helps All Nations Church to fund the preaching of the Gospel both here in Cardiff and around the world.
All Nations Church
On 15th January 2003, the church gathered in response to a prophetic word from the Lord saying: "People from all nations will come to you and you will go to many nations." In this meeting there was a unanimous decision to change the name of the church to "All Nations". This decision still informs our mission to this day.
Reaching Caerphilly
In 2016, a small group from All Nations Church that had been meeting in homes in Caerphilly was commissioned to advance the Kingdom of God specifically in their community. This amazing group of people, now called "Love Caerphilly", are continuing their mission and have become an established church in the town.
Moving Forward
All Nations Church continues to thrive and reach out to the city of Cardiff from our main site and in Adamsdown. We believe that the best way for us to honour those who have gone before us is to live with the same faith and serve the purposes of God in our generation.
Keep Following Our Story.
We are thankful for our past and excited for what God will do in the future. Follow us online to see a little bit of what God is doing through His people.