Emmanuel Church, Woodley facts for kids

Emmanuel Church, Woodley is a special kind of Christian church called an Anglican church. It is located in Woodley, a town near Reading in England. This church is part of the larger Church of England family.

The Start of Emmanuel Church

Emmanuel Church began in May 1991. It was started by a group of people from two other local churches, St John's and St James'. They were led by Richard and Mandy Priestley, who were evangelists from an organization called the Church Army. At that time, Ian Watson was the main priest, known as the Vicar, for Woodley.

How the Church Grew and Changed

Over the years, Emmanuel Church grew and became more independent.

Gaining More Independence

In 2010, a new system was put in place. Both St John's Church and Emmanuel Church got their own special groups called District Church Councils. These councils helped each church make more of its own decisions. They were still part of a bigger council called the Parochial Church Council, which looked after all the churches in the area.

Changes to Parish Boundaries

In April 2012, the church areas, known as parishes, in Woodley were changed. Emmanuel Church became part of a larger parish called Southlake St James. Even with these changes, the churches in Woodley still worked closely together as the Woodley Group Ministry.

This change also meant Emmanuel Church became a "Conventional District." This gave it even more freedom, and it got its own Parochial Church Council to manage its affairs.

Becoming Its Own Parish

On September 1, 2018, Emmanuel Church reached another big milestone. It received official approval to become its very own parish, known as Woodley Emmanuel. This meant it now had its own independent Parochial Church Council, giving it full control over its own church life and activities.