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
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.
Rui Cadima
Youth Worker
Get to know Rui
Rui is originally from Portugal. He is married to Raquel and they have two daughters, Miriam and Ester.
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!
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 works Mondays - Thursdays.
Kenneth Kaumbuthu
Ministry Trainee
Get to know Kenneth
"A sinner saved by grace," Kenneth has recently joined Emmanuel as a Ministry Trainee. He hails from Kenya, and a family of 10. He finds much joy in gathering around God's Word with passion in local church and missions. Ken was brought up going to church but only came to saving faith whilst at university. He likes adventuring with a bit of athletic activities too.
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 and a newborn baby called Evelyn. She enjoys travelling, walking, singing and cooking. Emily will be on Maternity leave until June 2025.
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.