Emmaus Church Centre is a modern, purpose built building set in lovely grounds with its own car park. It was opened in 1993 but the history of the church goes back to the 1930's.
In the 1930's, 40's and 50's, some Christians in Severn Beach met for worship and prayer in Nissen huts in Shaft Road. Christian missions were held in marquees for the people from Bristol who came to camp at Salthouse Farm. An organ would be taken on to the riverbank and hymns sung in the open air. Children's activities were organised in a cottage at Salthouse Farm with magic lantern slide shows and the children were collected in an old van. This grew into an afternoon Sunday School. A 'breaking of bread' service and an evening outreach were added and so began a church with support from friends living in the surrounding villages.
In the 1950's
and 60's more houses were built and Severn
Beach became a thriving
country village. A Chapel called Emmaus was built in Green Lane. As numbers and activities grew, a
second hand wooden mission hall building from Oldown was added for the Youth
and Children's work.
In the late
1980's, the Government decided to build the Second Severn Crossing and Emmaus
Chapel was in the way of the new road layout. The Government paid for the
reinstatement of a church building