Who we are.
Here at Emmanuel, we are part of the Regions Beyond church network, which is led by an amazing global team who we share great relationship with.
Vision
We are a growing, charismatic, family church, with a world vision.
We desire to grow in both numbers and depth of maturity.
We seek to build the church by being open to the spiritual gifts that God has given us and to express our joy in many ways.
As a family church, we are open to all and provide a warm welcome into a family atmosphere.
We look to serve both Durham and the nations through building relationships.
Prophecies
Promises we are carrying
As a community of believers, we want to be faithful to the promises God has spoken over us, and pursue them wholeheartedly.
“You will be a Kingdom resource centre”
A few years back our friend and regular visitor Marc Dupont delivered this word, and we have seen it become a reality through our buildings, our children’s and youth work, and other ministry areas.
“Lengthen your cords; strengthen your stakes”
This prophetic word was brought to us by Ginny Burgin, a trusted friend based in Sheffield, and has influenced much of our planning and ministry since.
“Go to the nations and I will give you Durham”
This was spoken over us many years ago now, and we have seen God move in incredible ways; both in sending people from Durham to the nations, and in bringing people from across the world to join us here. At the same time, we are seeing God increase our impact and reach in our local communities in the North East.
“You are to be a vat for the feeding of the nations”
This word was brought to us by Adam Finn, who was at the time part of Emmanuel and is now with Redeemer Church, Chester-le-Street, which was planted out from Emmanuel. We have been able to bless other believers and communities, through our experiences; and in doing so be blessed in return.
Our Beliefs
As a church we are members of the Evangelical Alliance, which is a group of churches, organisations and individuals that are joined together for the sake of the gospel across the UK.
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The one true God who lives eternally in three persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The love, grace and sovereignty of God in creating, sustaining, ruling, redeeming and judging the world.
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The incarnation of God’s eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ – born of the virgin Mary; truly divine and truly human, yet without sin.
The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross: dying in our place, paying the price of sin and defeating evil, so reconciling us with God.
The bodily resurrection of Christ, the first fruits of our resurrection; his ascension to the Father, and his reign and mediation as the only Saviour of the world.
The justification of sinners solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ.
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The ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who leads us to repentance, unites us with Christ through new birth, empowers our discipleship and enables our witness.
The Holy Spirit is at work today and the spiritual gifts seen throughout the scriptures are for the whole church today.
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The divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which are the written Word of God – fully trustworthy for faith and conduct.
God’s written and spoken word will never contradict one other and the bible is used for all weighing of prophecy.
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The dignity of all people, made male and female in God’s image to love, be holy and care for creation, yet corrupted by sin, which incurs divine wrath and judgement.
The justification of sinners solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ.
The church, the body of Christ both local and universal, the priesthood of all believers — given life by the Spirit and endowed with the Spirit’s gifts to worship God and proclaim the gospel, promoting justice and love.
The personal and visible return of Jesus Christ to fulfil the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgement, bring eternal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost, and establish a new heaven and new earth.
Our story.
Present - 2000s
Growth continued and after years of prayer for a permanent home, we stepped out in faith to buy a factory on Belmont Industrial Estate — before planning permission even came through! God provided miraculously, and we moved into The Durham Centre at Easter 2009.
In 2023 we expanded again into The Emmanuel Centre, a 500-seat space across the road. We’re trusting God to build a worshipping community of 400 and beyond.
We joined the Regions Beyond family of churches in 2014 and planted Emmanuel Church Chester-le-Street in 2016 — now Redeemer Church.
90’s
Alan Bell became senior elder in 1994, and God spoke prophetically: “Go to the nations and I will give you Durham.” That call led to mission work in Romania and Albania, sending aid and student teams overseas. Later, involvement in India, Europe and Mexico developed. Meanwhile, in Durham we moved to the Sixth Form Centre in 1996, growing so much that we added a second Sunday meeting.
80’s
Emmanuel Church began in 1980, during a season of charismatic renewal when the Holy Spirit was stirring the Church with new life. In Durham, a group of students started praying together, and as numbers grew, God spoke to David Campbell (pictured) to begin a new church — Emmanuel.
From the start, Emmanuel was marked by life in the Spirit, generous giving, and strong relationships through small groups. Many students stayed in Durham after graduating, alongside others drawn in from the wider community, and the church steadily grew. For several years, Emmanuel met in the Old Carpet Factory where the Gala Theatre now stands.
