The Vineyard is a worldwide association of churches with a common outlook on the way to “do church”. It started in the late ’70s amongst the surfers and hippies of California, when many young people from non-church backgrounds found healing, meaning and a new life through following Jesus.
It began in the UK in 1987, with the first Vineyard Church in South West London.
To this day, the Vineyard is pretty laid back: it’s informal, dislikes religiosity and avoids spiritual pretence. It likes to ‘do church’ out where ordinary people are and bring Jesus’s message of hope, healing and restoration for the world. There are now over 90 Vineyard churches in the UK, and more than 1,500 worldwide.
Take a look at this video to get an idea of what makes the Vineyard tick…
Vineyard USA History from Vineyard USA on Vimeo.
Vineyard Movement in the UK
Prior to 1987 there had been a number of very successful Vineyard conferences run in the UK. However, it was not until Sept 1987 that John Wimber released John & Ele Mumford to start the first Vineyard Church in the UK, the South West London Vineyard.
In March 1996 John Wimber released the UK as a national grouping of Vineyard Churhces – what is now known as Vineyard Churches UKI - in its own right and John & Ele were commissioned as National Directors of the Association of Vineyard Churches (UK). Vineyard Churches UKI continues to steadily grow; 2 in 1988; 12 in 1993; 31 in 1996;65 in 1999; 89 in 2005; 100 in 2009.
The Vineyard in Essex
Southend Vineyard was started in 1992 by Steve Barber (who later married and led with his wife Juliet). It began with a divine encounter with a busker under the bridge at Southend Central station and the church quickly grew from one house group to many. It currently meets in a secondary school and is run by Andy and Sam Vincett and has about 400 attendees. Southend Vineyard has planted churches in Rayleigh and Dartford.
For the history of Rayleigh Vineyard, please click here
