Oakwood Chapel

How we began! 

Oakwood  Chapel  was  formally  founded in  1962, when a small  group of people saw the need  for a church  in the  newly-developing  area of Little Parndon. The work that became Oakwood Chapel actually began a few years earlier, when a Sunday School class was started in the Colt Hatch "common room", in 1957. We celebrated the 50th anniversary of the start of that in September 2007. 

Who we are

Oakwood  is an  independent  Evangelical church.  That means that we  don't  "belong" to  any denomination  (although we have  joined a group called the Fellowship of Independent  Evangelical  Churches  and   we  are happy  to  work with  other  Bible-centred  churches, whether  in  Harlow  or  further  afield,  to  promote   God's  work, wherever  it is  being done.

We are Christians from all over the town, although many live in  the streets around the church, meeting at Oakwood regularly each Sunday and during the week. There's a good spread of ages, backgrounds and cultures represented.

We try to be friendly and welcoming,  most people  are on first-name terms. You probably won't  notice any special "dress-code". We're delighted if families  want to join with us, and we do our best to make sure that  feels welcome.

What we believe

We believe the Bible is the Word of God, and that it should determine all that we do. We  believe that everyone has fallen  short of God's perfect standards, and that the only way for us to be saved is by God's grace. "Through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection".

Church Leadership

Oakwood Chapel is  currently led by two elders,  Martin Biddiscombe  and  Sam Pakala .  

Martin Biddiscombe   Elder
Email:  martin@oakwoodchapel.co.uk

Sam Pakala     Elder
Email: sampakala@oakwoodchapel.co.uk 

 Martin  and Sam are supported by a leadership team who share the responsibility  among other things Prayer, Outreach, Youth work, Finance and Maintenance, actical support for those in need, Social events.

Our friends and partners 

Here's a selection of links to sites belonging to other organisations with which we are in some way associated...

The FIEC (Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches)

Missionary Supports

Oakwood  supports  a number of  missionaries in different places round the world who are working in different ways to both help the communities they're living among in practical ways and bring the Gospel to them. 

• The Fellowship Afloat Charitable Trust provides exciting outdoor adventure activities for young people at Tollesbury, on the UK Essex coast.
• Gavin & Elaine Charlton: Gavin & Elaine run an orphanage in South Africa, providing for the needs of children who have been  left without parents because of HIV.
• Kirs & Lois Mediconda  : Kris  & Lois  are working  in India .
• Trevor Charlton:  Trevor  works   in Peru,  and is also   involved  in translating Christian  literature  into  Spanish for publication and  affordable distribution  to local church leaders.
•  We also support missionaries working  Asia ,Africa and Europe .