CGN Special (Ireland) : Would You Be Willing To Hold the Door Open?

Pastor Gavin and Pastor Wendy from Cornerstone Slieve Bloom tell us more about the church’s beginnings and what God is doing today.

“Would you be willing to hold the door open for a fresh move of my Spirit?” – these were the words that the Lord spoke to Pastor Gavin and Pastor Wendy when they sensed His leading to start a Cornerstone church in Tullamore, a town in Offaly County, Ireland. Eight years on, Cornerstone Slieve Bloom Church has grown from just three families to a vibrant and growing community of about 280 members.

One of the scripture passages the Lord pointed them to was from Matthew 21:12-14, when Jesus entered the temple, turned the tables, and declared this would be a House of Prayer. “People were buying and selling in the temple, blocking others from coming into the temple to experience God’s goodness,” Pastor Wendy shared. “Similarly, there are barriers here in Ireland, of religious tradition, fear of the unknown, unbelief, lack of resources, and they keep people from encountering God.”

“God wanted to touch the people of Ireland, particularly in the Midlands, and He was just asking if we would be willing vessels – to simply hold the door open,” Pastor Gavin shared. They said yes to the Lord in faith, embarking on an adventure with Him.

The Call of God

In 2003, the South African couple was posted to Ireland for their work in healthcare. Coming from vibrant and spirit-filled church backgrounds in South Africa, they found the climate in the Irish Midlands to be spiritually dry. It was rare to find born-again Christians in the area, and they had to drive some distance to find a suitable church. Pastor Gavin and Wendy always knew they would be involved in planting a church, although they envisioned taking a supporting role, coming alongside a couple who would spearhead the work. While waiting for the Lord to open a door, they decided to plant themselves in a local church to serve faithfully, serving on the leadership team and leading the Sunday school ministry.

Eventually, in 2017, the Lord stirred their hearts again, and they knew it was time to start a church. They began to pray and seek God’s heart for the Midlands region and were convinced they needed to build a church that would take ground for the expansion of God’s kingdom. “Something needed to break, and something needed to change, and we know that when that happens it would be a blessing to the traditional churches and Christians around us as well,” Pastor Wendy shared. During that season, both of them had been listening to Cornerstone Singapore’s sermons online, and they felt that a church like Cornerstone would really make a difference in Ireland.

“We saw that God was moving in the nations of the world, and there was almost this godly jealousy. I said to God, ‘If You can do wonderful things in Asia, wouldn’t You do the same in Ireland as well?’” Pastor Gavin said.

Taking a step of faith, they reached out to Cornerstone, connected with Pastor Yang, and shared the vision and

burden the Lord had placed on their hearts for Ireland. There was such a synergy and connection spiritually, and the Lord spoke to Pastor Gavin to confirm that they needed to “take hold of this (opportunity), don’t let go, run with them.” Receiving the blessing to come under the covering of Cornerstone – a new chapter unfolded.

Jehovah Jireh - Experiencing His Provision

It was a challenge finding the church’s first official building because in Ireland, the typical idea of the church was traditionally Catholic and Protestant. People didn’t know what a charismatic spirit-filled church was, and they were sceptical about renting a space to Pastor Gavin and Pastor Wendy, even though there were many empty places. “We had people roll their eyes at us, telling us there was no place for us. It took a miracle for someone to help us, but God came through and we managed to find a small empty hairdressing salon of 100 square metres,” Pastor Wendy said. “Because of its location along the main street, we were able to get the

word out and we soon needed more room!”

God also provided the resources and the people. When the church started, there was no musical equipment. Neither Pastor Gavin nor Pastor Wendy were musicians, and they started with a little speaker playing a YouTube video. However, three months in, they decided to trust God for providence and took the step of buying instruments and sound equipment in faith. In the weeks that followed, God truly drew in musicians and singers who joined the church and formed their worship ministry.

Transformation in the Community

Pastor Wendy shared that at the start, the spiritual atmosphere often felt dry and barren, but the Lord gave a promise from Isaiah 43:18-19, “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old, behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Today, the spiritual atmosphere has softened and there is a growing openness towards Christianity. Believers have become more receptive to the move of the Holy Spirit even among churches with traditional backgrounds. In fact, there are locals who have been watching their services online even though they have not started attending services physically. God has also granted the church favour with the local governing authority in the County who now recognises Cornerstone Slieve Bloom Church as one of the main influential churches in the region. Praise the Lord!

“Our heart is just to hold the door open for God to move afresh in Ireland, and we know that Cornerstone has an anointing, values, and the call of God to take ground for the Kingdom and that’s what we want to do,” Pastor Gavin emphasised.

“Despite the challenges, God has added more people with the same vision and heart to build with us. He has blessed us tremendously and He continues to supply us with the grace we need!”