Who We Are

Birmingham West and Oldbury Circuit was formed in 1993, drawing together 13 churches from several neighbouring circuits. However, Methodism began in this area in 1781 when John Wesley was invited to preach in Quinton by local landowner Ambrose Foley. This led to the building of a 'preaching house' within the next 5 years.

Of our ten present-day church buildings, several have replaced former chapels or 'tin tabernacles', while others grew up in new areas as a result of mission. Causeway Green is currently the oldest building in our circuit and dates from 1863; with the 1995 rebuilt Warley Woods' being the newest. The variety of styles and sizes of building throughout the circuit, reflect both their age and location.

The circuit extends over an area of 25 square miles, reaching from Birmingham city centre to Quinton in the west and Newbury Lane to the northwest. This includes parts of Halesowen, Birmingham City and Sandwell. The population of this area is now well over three hundred thousand.

Since uniting into a circuit, Birmingham West and Oldbury have maximised the opportunities in the local areas around each of the churches. We have celebrated and emphasised the diversity that we have between each local church. Our membership is diverse across ethnicity, social status and culture. We worship in a wide range of traditions and styles, both within each church and across our circuit. Our outreach reflects the communities surrounding our varied locations. Many of our buildings are also used by other churches whose congregations focus on reaching specific ethnic communities.

As we continue working, we are looking to see the growth of God's kingdom in the Birmingham West and Oldbury circuit.