People
The church is the people, not the building! Many people, from different backgrounds and nationalities, belong to Immanuel and help to make it what it is. All its members are loved and valued, from the youngest child to the elderly. Being a Christian church is not easy and there is no perfect church; but we hope that God will enable us to help and encourage one another to be what we should be. Immanuel is led by a team of three elders (Peter Naylor, Terry Bees and Paul Corney) and four deacons (Lyndon, David, Rhodri and Brendan), who care for the members and for others who worship with us.
What we believe
We believe that the Bible is given to us by God and is true. Christian faith and practice are based on it. This is why our services include preaching and teaching.
The church’s beliefs are summarised in the Westminster Confession of Faith (1647). This confession is held by many churches throughout the world.
Links with others
Immanuel is a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales (EPCEW). The EPCEW is a member of the International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC) and the European Conference of Reformed Churches (EuCRC) and has formal links with reformed churches around the world.
In 2013, Immanuel (working with two other EPCEW congregations) had the once-in-a-lifetime privilege of hosting the 8th conference of the ICRC. It was a unique opportunity to welcome Christian brothers representing churches around the world.
Immanuel has a serious interest in the training of ministers. The church often offers internships to candidates under care of Presbytery. Our minister also serves on the faculty of Westminster Presbyterian Theological Seminary, in Gateshead. In February 2019, the first Hebrew Bible Week was held in which the class was taken through several chapters of the Hebrew text. We hope to repeat this next year.
Registered Charity: 1080182