Who’s who

Emmanuel is a Church of England church which, having passed the resolution, comes under the episcopal oversight of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet.

Our staff team are responsible for many areas of church life. These include helping our activities and governance run well, and supporting, teaching and leading us as we learn more about Jesus and prayerfully seek to live for him.

If you would like to get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.

Pastoral Team

Nick Wooldridge
Associate Minister

Get to know Nick

Nick is married to Mary and together they have Phoebe and Harvey. Nick started out as a primary school teacher but ended up offering for ordained ministry. He began serving Emmanuel early in 2021 having finished his curacy at St Mark’s Battersea Rise.

Originally from Australia, Nick was voted off the island in 2008 for not showing enough interest in sport. He’s much happier reading a book, watching a film, or going to the theatre.

Rui Cadima
Youth Worker

Get to know Rui

Rui is originally from Portugal. He is married to Raquel and they have a daughter called Miriam.

Rui came to Christ when he was 23 and was helped by one of Emmanuel’s mission partners when he began his journey with Jesus.

He is deeply passionate about God’s word, books and the local church. If there’s food to share and walks to walk with fellow Christians, that’s where you will find him!

 
 

Luke Ijaz
Senior Minister

Get to know Luke

Luke is married to Smaragda, and they are delighted to have three daughters.

Luke began serving at Emmanuel in January 2024, having vacated Central London where he was a Senior Minister at All Souls Langham Place.

He especially enjoys long books, long chats, and long walks.

Andrea Mukhtar
Women’s Ministry Team Leader

Get to know Andrea

Andrea is married to Chris and has 3 young adult children. She is originally from Belfast and has worked in the NHS as an Occupational Therapist. She met Chris (originally from Pakistan) at Bible college and both have an interest in mission and the local church. They have worshiped in different styles of church, but for the past 17 years Emmanuel has been their church family. Andrea is working part time with the new Women’s Ministry Team.

Church Wardens

Claire Stansfield

Get to know Claire

Claire has attended Emmanuel for over twenty years and also serves as Chair of our Trustees. She has a legal background and previously worked as a libel lawyer. Claire is married to Piers and has three children. She is a keen cook and loves to spend time with family and friends around her kitchen table.

Ian Buchan

Get to know Ian

Ian is married to Anna and they have a daughter Emily. He has been following Christ for a number of years, with university being a turning point. He loves spending time with his family, good coffee and chocolate. He understands nearly all things technical and can often be found somewhere near the church PA desk.

Operations & Music Team

Robert Frazer
Operations Manager

Get to know Robert

Robert has been coming to Emmanuel since 1993 and has been active in several different ministries - Explorers, Sunday School, Holiday Club, leading a home group and serving on the Church Council. After a 35 year career spent mainly in financial services, he started as Operations Manager in early 2021. Having been born and brought up in Thailand, Wimbledon has been home for him and his wife Linda for over thirty years.

Lara Cronje
Admin Assistant

Get to know Lara

Lara joined Emmanuel in 2014 when she and her husband, Roché, moved to London and were invited by a friend to attend the Emmanuel Christmas service. She is a mum of two - Emma and Noah - who keep her on her toes! Lara loves good coffee, music, reading, travelling and experiencing the local sights and flavours. She joined the staff team in April 2022 and is in the vestry on Thursdays and Fridays.

Emily Blows
Admin Manager

Get to know Emily

Emily has been a member of the Emmanuel church family since 2015 and joined the staff team in September 2018. She is married to Dan and they have a little boy called Alexander. She enjoys travelling, walking, singing and cooking. Emily's work days are Monday to Thursday, and she can usually be found in the vestry on Monday afternoons and Thursdays.

Clare Green
Director of Music Production

Get to know Claire

Having always enjoyed music, Clare is grateful to serve one day a week co-ordinating the music at Emmanuel.

After studying music at university, where Clare made a conscious decision to follow Christ, she became a music teacher. The focus of Clare's second degree was piano accompaniment, which has helpfully prepared the way for accompanying congregational singing. She continues to teach music and enjoys spending time at her allotment, taking photos and meeting with friends.

Pastoral Assistant

Pedro Fonseca

Get to know Pedro

Pedro grew up in Porto, Portugal. He moved to London with his wife Ana in 2021 to study at a Bible school and serve at Emmanuel. He has been a follower of Jesus since youth and still thinks it’s well worth it! Pedro is a football enthusiast, but he’s yet to be won over by cricket. He also plays the trumpet…without a trumpet! Ask him for a demo when you see him.