Leaders pay tribute to Chris Cartwright

Chris Cartwright’s term as General Superintendent came to an end at the Elim Leaders Summit 2024. During his eight-year term of leading Elim, steering the movement through times of change and a global pandemic, he helped our leaders and churches refocus their priorities.

As these moments of transition don't happen very often, we took some time to acknowledge Chris and his wife Annie, thanking them for the leadership that they have given to Elim over the last eight years.

Regional leader David Campbell shared that Chris had helped to steer the Elim movement through times of change and a global pandemic while encouraging our leaders and churches to refocus their priorities and passion for God.

The role of General Superintendent is not just focused on leading the Elim movement but includes being an ambassador for our movement in several different important settings, not just in the UK but also globally.

Pastor Glen Barrett, National Leader of Assemblies of God in Great Britain, said, “I just want to thank you so much for all of your service to not only the Elim movement but to Great Britain and the world. It's been brilliant over the last few years of growing to know you more and of course admiring your gift, your heart for our nation, all of the pastors within the Elim church. And of course the wider Pentecostal movement in the nation and the nations of the world.”

Gavin Calver, Evangelical Alliance CEO, commented, “What a privilege it is to take this opportunity to say well done as you come to the end of your time as the GS of Elim.

“You've done a great job. You've been a great friend and a great encourager to so many. You've led change. You've brought about a clear strategy and it's been wonderful to see this from a distance and at times up close.

“I'm also so grateful to you for your friendship, for your warmth, for your encouragement, for all your support to us at the Evangelical Alliance. You have done a lot beyond the world of Elim as well - for UK evangelicalism.

“The great thing about the church is you never leave you just change seats. So you will still be involved with us at EA. You will still be involved with Elim. I look forward to continuing to pray for you and cheer you on in the years ahead.”

Mike Royal, General Secretary of Churches Together in England, paid tribute to Chris after serving two terms with distinction. “We give thanks to you for all your commitment to ecumenism, your commitment to Churches Together in England, your commitment to working for the unity of the church in the United Kingdom and further afield.”

On behalf of Elim New Zealand, Boyd Ratnaraja expressed his sincere gratitude for the exemplary service that Chris had given, not only to Elim UK but also to Elim Global.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your inclusive leadership. The way you've brought leaders from all over the world to come together and to form an Advisory Board. Also to be able to be so patient with people like me who have got very short attention spans. I want to honour you for your leadership.

“I also want to make a special mention of Annie. We thank you. We honour you for the way you have empowered Chris in this role. We honour you both. We celebrate you today.”

Apostle Samuel Gyau Obuobi (General Secretary, Church of Pentecost) said, “Brothers and sisters I present appreciation in honour of Reverend Chris Cartwright, General Superintendent of the Elim Pentecostal Churches by the Church of Pentecost.”

He read a message from Apostle Eric Nyamekye (Chairman, Church of Pentecost), saying, “It is my deepest pleasure to express my personal gratitude and that of the Church of Pentecost to God, for the life and ministry of Reverend Chris Cartwright, the General Superintendent of the Elim movement.

“In every season God sends his servants who have a relevant understanding of the times and gives them his vision for the times. We consider Reverend Chris as a servant of God, sent to the Elim movement as General Superintendent who understood the times, to steer the affairs of the movement in a very difficult time when the Christian faith is facing severe cultural hostility in the West.

“Chris defied against all odds and has kept the movement's momentum on evangelism, church planting and international missions. He has inspired new ways of thinking about church governance, management and Ministry in our times.

“As a strategist, Reverend Cartwright has not been complacent with historical achievements but focused on the future of what God wants to do with the Elim movement, now and in the future.

“Chris has also kept his focus on keeping the movement united and has inspired responsible leadership and Christian discipline. Moreover, we thank God for the opportunity to work with Chris to deepen the special relationship between our two Church families. Elim has been and will remain a special pattern for the Church of Pentecost in the evangelisation of the communities of the world and in strengthening Pentecostal Christianity around the world.

“On behalf of the Executive Council of the Church of Pentecost, I wish him well in the new direction of ministry that God is leading him to.”

While hosting the tributes, Stuart Blount (Director of Ministry), invited the audience to stand and show their appreciation. He commented, “We can't just let you sit there basking in the wonder and the glory of this. I'm going to ask everybody just to stand and would you welcome Chris and Annie as they join me on the platform. Please and show your appreciation to them your love for them as a movement. 

“I've worked with Chris and we've known each other a long time. I know this is a torturous moment, especially for Annie. But we wanted you to know the love and appreciation and there are many watching online, many thousands across our churches where you've ministered and we felt it was appropriate to share these moments with you.

“I'm going to invite two of our NLT members Michelle Nunn and Harold Afflu to the stage.”

NLT member, Michelle Nunn, commented, “It is a privilege for me to stand here as I served with you back on the National Training team, the Ministerial Selection board and now on the NLT. It really is a privilege that you made that possible and you put me on the ballot.

“So it's a privilege to stand here as a woman of God and the first woman to serve on the NT. I got that privilege, but I know that has impacted all of the women in the movement. It's impacted the women ministers and you made way for us in many ways. So I want to thank you on behalf of the women and also the men here.

“Serving with you on the NLT has been amazing. We have been through some really tough stuff. I have got to see your resilience and your character in the storm and the Refiner's Fire. It's inspiring and I hope the rest of us can continue to show that grace, love and humility in the storms that will come inevitably in the next season as well.”

Chris Cartwright replied, “Thank you so much. I can say honestly I feel almost lost for words. Almost. Our hearts are full."

“I always loved Summit. I always love coming. We worship together. We connect together. We get to be built up and fed together. I even occasionally loved the business sessions!

“I do thank you for your love and we thank you for the expression of your love tonight.”

Annie commented, “As Chris's wife, I am so grateful for the team that he has had around him, especially over the last four years. It's been unprecedented. You don't need me to stand here and tell you that. It is a buck-stops-here job, but actually, it's some massive team effort. So I'm incredibly grateful to the fantastic men of God that he's had alongside him and women.”

Chris continued, “We don't get to choose the season of leadership or ministry that comes our way. we just get to say yes to the Lord's prompts and opportunities. And yet whatever we find that movements have seasons too and I am so excited that the Lord is in charge of the seasons.

“From the moment that I made the decision to tell the NLT I wasn't going to seek another nomination had a tremendous sense of Peace but also that absolute conviction that the Lord was in the process. I can say here today there's no angst.

“There's a sense of enormous trust and peace that the Lord is going to lead Mark and Nita and the movement and the NLT and you guys forward. I'm going to stay a part of that as much as I can.

“Thank you everybody our hearts are really full and we bless you for all that you have given us in terms of your love and your support thank you.”

Following these tributes, Elim's National Leadership Team and representatives from other church streams prayed for Chris and Annie.

Watch the tributes in full in this video extract from the Wednesday evening of the Elim Leaders Summit 2024.