Our History
St Stephen’s was built in 1871 as a ‘daughter’ church of St Mary’s, Selly Oak. St Wulstan’s was originally a mission church from St Mary’s, created in 1893 and located on Exeter Road, Bournbrook.
St Wulstan’s was a separate parish until it was combined with St Stephen’s in 1980. At the same time, the original St Wulstan’s building in Exeter Road was given to Selly Oak Elim Church and their 1960s building in Alton Road became the present St Wulstan’s.
In 2004, Christ Church, Selly Park became a separate parish, having previously been known as St Stephen’s Church Centre. In 2015 we completed a major building project at St Stephen’s, and you can read more about that Building for the Future project here.
Who was St Stephen?
The Bible tells us that Stephen was “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit”, chosen to help with practical ministry in the early church in Jerusalem, around AD35.
Stephen was the first Christian martyr, stoned to death for his bold witness to Jesus. The account of his ministry and death can be found in the Bible in the book of Acts, chapters six and seven.
Stephen’s example gives us a great reputation to live up to as a church!
Who was St Wulstan?
Born around the year 1008, Wulstan spent the first twenty-five years after his ordination in the monastery at Worcester. Against his will he was elected Bishop of Worcester in 1062, but went on to prove an able administrator and pastor.
Wulstan was involved in nurturing both church and state through the transition from Saxon to Norman rule. He was noted for his strong commitment to the monastic life and to the pastoral needs of his people; he also campaigned against the slave trade which existed in his time between England and Ireland. He died in Worcester on 19th January 1095.