Selly Oak Elim Church

The church stands on Exeter Road in Bournbrook, a district of Birmingham. It was built in 1906 as St Wulstan’s Church, designed by architects J. E. K. Cutts and John Priston Cutts to seat 713 worshippers. The red and blue brick building cost about £5,600 and was consecrated by the Bishop of Birmingham that same year. Countess Beauchamp laid the foundation stone in 1906 on St Wulstan’s Day. The church served as a mission to St Mary’s Church in Selly Oak before becoming an independent parish. In 1983 the parish merged with St Stephen’s Church, and the Exeter Road building was exchanged with the Elim congregation. The Elim group had begun in 1936, meeting first in homes and later at the Selly Oak Institute. After the exchange it became known as Selly Oak Elim Church, though it remained in Bournbrook. In 2018 the name changed again to Encounter Church. Visitors find a solid brick church with arched windows and a simple nave. The interior retains the original layout planned for 713 seats. The building’s exterior shows the red and blue brickwork chosen by the Cutts brothers. Inside, the space is uncluttered, with clear lines and a sense of openness. The name change reflects the church’s modern identity while the building itself remains a quiet witness to its past.