In 1885, five Christian men started an open air meeting in Beeston. People were converted to faith in Jesus, as their personal Saviour.
A small room in Church Street was rented for one shilling a year. There were no seats for the congregation to sit on, they prayed and the next day they heard that a nearby school was clearing out old chairs, the newly formed church were given them.
As the congregation continued to grow it became necessary to have a larger place in which to worship, a recent convert gave the princely sum of six pounds, commencing a building fund, others caught the vision and gave.
Local land owner, Mr Foster was successfully approached, and the old malt house in Union Street, was purchased for £230 in 1888. The five Christian tradesmen quickly went to work renovating the premises with the help of the congregation. A stonemason from Nottingham walked to Beeston each night to build the stone steps at the front of the building, he said that The Lord had sent him, no one ever knew his name, when he finished his work, he simply left.
The hall called the “Gospel Mission” opened in 1888, founded on prayer, evangelism and sacrificial giving. In 1912 the larger new hall in Willoughby Street was erected. On Thursday 30th January 1913, the members marched from the old hall in Union Street to the new hall in Willoughby Street.
By the end of the 1970s however, the church, without a regular Pastor found itself in decline, and decided to come under the care of the Elim Pentecostal Churches in 1981. Since that time the church has seen many changes, but with the blessing of God has gone from strength to strength.
In 1981 the refurbishment of Willoughby Street building began, the balcony, internal toilets and crèche being built. In 1985, having demolished the original Gospel Mission in Union Street, the new hall was erected and re-named “The Oasis Christian Centre”.
In May 1996 we officially opened an extension, and refurbished the main building. This expanded the seating capacity of the main church and added numerous facilities.
In October 2000 we purchased Number One, Willoughby Street where we handle Pastoral Care and Administration.
In 2004 we completed the Upper Rooms. Praise The Lord that these developments were achieved debt free!
In 2013 we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Gospel Mission Hall!
100 years of being a safe place in the community for the community!
