The Pentecostal church in Debden came into being after a group of Christians from Wimbledon came for a holiday in the village back in the hot summer of 1949. It all started with a Sunday evening meeting held in the old chapel which is now a private house.

Something was happening that was out of the ordinary as God was making His presence felt and the people came back for another service on the Monday evening, and so it continued throughout the remainder of the week. Finally at the end of the week the new believers were baptised in water in the swimming baths at Saffron Walden.

Mr Boone, the leader from Wimbledon, made regular visits to Debden as the group of believers continued to seek God together. They soon saw the need for a building and in timescales unheard of today, a plot of land was purchased and a building erected with the official opening in January 1950.

The photograph above shows the opening with the combined gathering from Wimbledon, the Pentecostal Church in Saffron Walden and the Debden group. The photograph below shows mainly the Debden people with Mr Boone (4th from left).

When the church was opened the main door faced in the Thaxted direction, several years later the then pastor, Mr Pavitt, blocked up the original dooorway and added a porch entrance facing the road. The building was finally replaced with the current structure in 1996.

In the following years the church benefited from the ministry of some good pastors, the first being a lady by the name of Miss Clark. There were also many visits from excellent teachers including frequent visits from John Carter and C.L. Parker of the Hampstead Bible School.

The photo to the right shows the congregation as it was back in 1953.

Throughout the years, barring a few, Debden Pentecostal Church has had a Sunday school recognising the young people as the church of tomorrow. It has been a joy to see children and their children coming to learn about Jesus.

Being in a rural location the church has very close ties with farming and as a result the harvest thanksgiving is something that we always make an important event, remembering God's faithfullness in giving rain and harvest. The harvest supper and thanksgiving continues to be an important time at Debden.