Five Oak Green Church
Badsell Road, Five Oak Green, Tonbridge, Kent TN12 6QY
Five Oak Green Church is located on the Badsell Road (B2017), on the eastern edge of Five Oak Green village, towards Paddock Wood.
The building first housed the Five Oak Green Congregational Church, which had outgrown its original premises (at what is now known as Bridge House, on Whetsted Road). This later became part of the United Reformed Church.
In 1985, a covenant was made with the local Church of England parish, in particular with the Anglican mission church of St Luke's in the centre of the village, which brought into being the Five Oak Green United Church.
St Luke's building was subsequently sold and converted into cottages (these can be seen opposite the Post Office and Village Stores), the money raised being used to refurbish - indeed, to transform - the United Church buildings.
These are now used by a united congregation: a Local Ecumenical Partnership which draws on the traditions of both the United Reformed Church and the Church of England. During 2004, this partnership was widened to include All Saints, Tudeley.
In April 2018, the overall title "Tudeley cum Capel with Five Oak Green LEP" of the churches in Five Oak Green and Tudeley was changed to "Capel United Church" to reflect the local community it serves and to be more friendly. As a result Five Oak Green United Church dropped the "United" to become Five Oak Green Church to avoid confusion between the two names.
Gym in the church!
At the beginning of 2024, Capel united Church, as an inter-denominational partnership between the United Reformed Church and the Church of England, conducted an exploration of the best use of all its buildings, given that as one congregation worship took place each Sunday at one of its buildings in rotation each month.
Through an online survey conducted with the community, a response was received from Capel Gym which had received notice to vacate its current premises in the village.
Bringing these two situations together, the church has reached an agreement, initially for a year, to move the Gym (now called HOPPERS GYM) into the Five Oak Green Church building. After redecoration and the installation of protective flooring, the Gym equipment now occupies the main central area of the building. The side hall (Studio) is a flexible space used by both the gym and the church and a Café Church service is held here on the first Sunday of the month.
The church office continues to be located upstairs on the west side, with a kitchen and coffee lounge area on the ground floor and the church is exploring plans for the development of this area.
This is part of an exciting process of outreach to and cooperation with our local community and fits in with the mission and vision of both parent denominations, the Church of England Diocese of Rochester and the United Reformed Church Southern Synod.