who we are

Growing Contagious Followers of Jesus and Paving Ways for the Church of the Future

Our Senior Leadership Team

Where We Come From

Emmanuel Community was born in 1975 as part of a world-wide spiritual awakening known as ‘charismatic renewal’, which blossomed in the decades after the Second Vatican Council. Our origins came from a small handful of lay people responding to a radical call to commit themselves deeply to Jesus Christ and to one another. They were invigorated by an experience known as baptism in the Holy Spirit and wanted to share this experience of God’s love and power with everyone they met. This rapidly growing community was soon named ‘Emmanuel’ which means God with us (Matthew 1:24). This is the heart of the good news we continue to share with the world.

From ecumenical beginnings, Emmanuel followed a call to embrace our Catholic identity, and have been gratefully acknowledged and supported as a lay-led community in the Church both locally and internationally.

“40 years ago the Second Vatican Council was still hot news and the charismatic renewal seemed seriously exotic… From then till now, the Emmanuel Community has stood as witness to the fact that the Council has borne rich fruit and that it’s reception is far from being a thing of the past… Communities like Emmanuel have shown the whole Church the way into the future.”

Archbishop Mark Coleridge

Emmanuel underpins some amazing ministries that are making a significant impact in the Church: Ignite Youth, Emmanuel City Mission, Emmanuel Worship and Impact Uganda to name a few. We are also proud to partner with ministries such as NET Australia and Men Alive who share our heart for a ‘new evangelisation’ in the Church. All of our activity and mission however is underpinned by a rhythm of personal prayer, community life and support - the domestic church lived out week-by-week in our relationships, homes and families. That’s where the gospel is lived.

A New Evangelisation needs a New Pentecost

All around the world, thousands of renewal communities like Emmanuel have emerged in the Church like ‘new wine-skins for new wine’ (Luke 5:38). This renewal is not a movement God wants operating by itself in a corner, but a current of grace in the Church and for the Church. As Pope Francis said in 2014: