Biography
Colin Dye is a British minister who has led Kensington Temple, a large church in the Notting Hill area of London, for many years. He came to faith in Christ as a young man and felt a call to full-time ministry. He took up the work of pastor in London in the 1980s, at a time when the English churches were in a period of decline, and he sought to see the gospel reach the city's many peoples. Kensington Temple was a church with a Pentecostal heritage, and under his leadership it grew into one of the largest churches in Britain, with congregations in many languages.
He is known for his work in teaching and training leaders. He started the International Bible Institute of London, a school that trained many students from different countries for ministry. He also helped to found a network of churches that spread across London and beyond. The vision was to reach the whole city with the gospel by planting churches among its many ethnic communities. People from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America joined the work, and the congregation became one of the most diverse in the country.
He has also been active in the wider church, where he has served as a leader among Pentecostal and charismatic bodies. He was involved in efforts to bring Christians together to pray for the city and for the nation, and he took part in civic and social initiatives. He was also a speaker at conferences and a writer on subjects of church growth and the life of the Spirit.
The detailed record of his life, including his birth date, early years and the later stages of his ministry, is not easy to find, and the details in this entry should be checked against a trustworthy source. What can be said with confidence is that he has been one of the leading figures among the urban churches of London, and that he has pressed the need to take the gospel to immigrant communities.
Like many who lead large and fast-growing churches, he has faced the difficulties of organization, funding and shifting membership. The work of reaching a city is slow, and his labors, like those of others, were carried out through years of steady effort. His life shows how a church can open its doors to the nations that come to a great city, and how patient leadership can build a community that spans cultures.
“Prayer is aligning with the sovereign will of God.”
“The Spirit prays in exactly the same way that Jesus prays.”