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Good memories with people from all over the world—families and individuals of all ages and backgrounds.
1987-8 and 2004-present
Barney Skrentny
I’d become a Christian in my teens; had gone to church at various large congregations in London, but had never been part of a church where people knew my name. Shirley - my girlfriend at the time (now wife) - invited me and I was impressed with the vitality, community and the presence of God. City Gates represented a new stream of what God was doing in the 70s and 80s, and after finding City Gates, I never left that stream.
Roughly: 1989-90, 96-2006, 2009-2022
Dawn Pointing
I came to CGC as part of a team planting a church in Islington. From 1990-94, 3 congregations supported each other with regular all night prayer meetings, weekends of prayer and fasting and worship celebrations. A time full of life and community. I spoke at CGC on the first morning at the Comedy Store and the venue management gave me feedback on my comedic prowess! They liked the banter, which has always been part of the CGC community. A memory - once I was leading a service and lamely said to Matt Norridge ‘Play something while the collection is passed round’. The kids were delighted when he played Postman Pat. I left CGC when I got married but then came back with my husband Martin and we ended up being at CGC for another 13 years. There’s something about the freedom, welcome and passion that means CGC will always have a fond place in our hearts.
Barbara
The first 6 months in London I felt dramatically lonely, only work and college, no family nor friends, it was an extremely alienating period. One day at the Living Room Soho I met a wonderful person, Marci, who after asking me how I was feeling, looked at my eyes and hugged me as we were dear friends.
In that moment, all my distress vanished and my heart instantly warmed up and I felt it was beating again.
Joyfully. Another amazing person was Graham, my first LR English teacher, very patient and helpful. He’s a person of big value. Since then, I made many friends from around the world, attended and enjoyed Bible readings and English classes. Despite not living in London anymore, every time I go back there, it’s like I’ve never left. City Gates is a pleasant never-ending story for me.
Alison Allen (nee Clarke)
I joined City Gates on my 2nd Sunday as a student in London back in 1994. I’d asked an older Christian student to recommend a church where I wouldn’t get away with sitting at the back and slipping away without talking to anyone. I was welcomed then invited to lunch that day and a cell group during the week. In fact, I’m not sure I ever had lunch alone on a Sunday again. In that first year I encountered the Holy Spirit like never before and developed a deep passion for prayer.
I met people who didn’t just talk about Jesus - they were radically transformed by Him. City Gates supported me through preparation for mission and throughout my 14 years serving God in Romania. I learned so much about leadership and have drawn on it constantly in my own ministry. I think it’s mostly about being real - that leaders don’t pretend they have everything sorted but instead ask you to pray for them and that everyone is expected to minister to one another.
Catharine Kopecky
1993-2001
The 8 years Ed and I were at City Gates have kept us going through less easy years because we learned to keep our eyes on Jesus and to cultivate our personal relationship with Him. It has kept our expectation high of what God can do in any life or situation. We will be forever grateful. It was messy and authentic!! Lugging sound equipment etc from Green Court to wherever we were meeting on a Sunday, late night street evangelism, making sure our toddlers didn't find a rogue beer bottle left behind in the comedy cafe while running a crèche were all good fun!! Loved Friday night intercession nights, they taught us to pray, to contest in the Spirit for people and situations and God's presence was powerful. We also made a bunch of incredible friends who we still see regularly now, encouraging each other and just feel so blessed.
2000-2014
Ruth FitzHarris
I have so many great memories from our 14 years at City Gates. I loved everything about it! One of the things that made a big difference in my prayer-life was a session on hearing from God that Ben did at our flat. Finally being able to hear clearly from God “all of the time”, rather than at frustrating intervals made a huge difference. I now have journals with pages and pages of what God has said to me, rather than just occasional lines. One of the things that I still miss the most is the freedom of worship and of having people hearing from God and being able to share it at the front. I’m so thankful for City Gates and, even 11 years on,
I still think of City Gates as home.
Tomi Ajayi Ward
2001-2018
I joined City Gates as a first-year student. What initially drew me to CG? The charismatic worship; the dynamic student work; the commitment to love God, others and the world; the idea of ‘every member in ministry’; its heart for people on the margins; the funny but Spirit-filled preaching; and (if I’m being very honest), the incredibly cool Comedy Store location. Finally a church I could invite friends to!
But what kept me at City Gates for many years was the community - it was and is a genuine and diverse family. There’s no place quite like it.
Sharon Coleman
I arrived at City Gates in Oct 2001. At a UCL BBQ I was invited to a student cell group by Ali Maughan who I thought was hilarious & so went along. I met Tomi and Dan at the cell group, came to church on the Sunday...the talk was on forgiveness with ministry afterwards. I'd got baptised about 6 months before & I loved that people from all different backgrounds (including me) were meeting with God and being restored. The student groups and estate kids club I got involved in at the time drew me in even more. It's a beautiful thing that those threads of family and restoration run so deeply through City Gates. Long may it continue.
Rachel
Around 2011/12
- Speaking to people on the streets of Soho about Jesus. Asking God to speak to them through a Bible verse - this nearly always spoke to people in a personal way and opened the way for prayer.
- Being given the opportunity to lead international ministry, befriend people from all over the world and baptise Ayako with Cleverson.
- Being encouraged in my gift of prophecy during services, as well as preaching in evening services. I love the openness there is to the gifts of the spirit.
James Thambyrajah
I first came to City Gates in 2001 October after one of my friends Tim McDowall invited me to church. I had been a Christian for about five years at this point but I was overwhelmed by uni and London life & vividly remember being on my knees during Freshers week asking God for guidance & protection! I’m incredibly thankful to Tim for asking me to come to church in the first place because I felt like I needed that anchor. I got stuck in to a homegroup & remember fondly worshipping on Sunday mornings! I just remember being excited about attending this church, doing outreach & meeting so many wonderful people!
Mim Harris
2002-2021
I came to London in 2002 from Cornwall, excited to be in the city with so many churches to choose from. I planned to visit a series of different churches then choose carefully. My first Sunday I came to City Gates. The honesty of people, a real desire to seek Jesus together and be changed, it really struck me, and the sense of God’s presence. I didn’t bother looking anywhere else! I received so much emotional, practical and spiritual support over the years from church members. Plus we had a lot of fun! I am left with lifelong friends and a lovely lifelong husband.
1993-2022
Steph (Turner) Phillips
- Ours was the first wedding Matt officiated as City Gates pastor!
- Ed’s baptism in the paddling pool in the dance studio in Soho - memorable not only because of the baptism but because it was the night after his stag party and they hid all his new set of clothes to change into and replaced them with some charity shop finds which he had to wear for the rest of the day.
- Africa adventure to Iris Ministries in 1996 - there would often be a phone call mid house group with a significant prayer request…main one was safety as they crossed the border into Mozambique as the previous day there had been shootings at the border point.
Ruth
1990s
- Gatehouse trips to Wonk Kei’s- ‘once known as the rudest restaurant in London’
- Collecting the homeless in Central London during the snow of February 1991 and taking them to a big house in Sydenham Hill for shelter each night. Fun evenings and amazing testimonies in the mornings, including the Holy Spirit speaking to one in dreams.
- Nights of prayer - City Gates, Pimlico and Kingswell.
- Having Ian McCormack come and speak one Sunday. (He was stung by jellyfish- had a vision of hell and heaven).
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