New Wine Church
A non-denominational Christian megachurch in Woolwich, southeast London, operating from the former Coronet cinema complex, now known as Gateway House.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
New Wine Church is a non-denominational Christian megachurch based in Woolwich, southeast London. It is associated with a congregation reported at approximately 3,000 members and is particularly identified with its large worship and community facility, Gateway House, overlooking the Woolwich Ferry. The church occupies a former cinema complex whose history predates the congregation by several decades and gives the organization an unusually distinctive architectural setting. The building began life as the Odeon Theatre, opened on 25 October 1937 for the Oscar Deutsch Odeon cinema chain. Architect George Coles designed it in a streamlined Art Deco style, with concealed lighting troughs and decorative plasterwork. The original auditorium provided 1,178 seats in the stalls and 650 in the balcony. After an internal modernization in 1964 under the Rank Organisation, the venue continued as an Odeon until 17 October 1981. It later reopened as the Coronet Cinema under independent exhibitor Panton Films on 14 July 1983, showing Return of the Jedi. A conversion to twin-screen operation followed in 1990. The Coronet closed on 6 June 1999. New Wine Church took over the site in 2001 and subsequently renamed it Gateway House. The church has altered and renovated the former cinema to support worship, administration, community activity, and public events. The building is Grade II listed, and its facilities are also used or made available for weddings, music concerts, conferences, exercise classes, and business meetings. This adaptive reuse connects the church's contemporary religious role with an important piece of Woolwich's entertainment and architectural history. The church's work extends beyond weekly congregational activity. Through assistance from New Wine Covenant Partners and related ministry relationships, it has participated in missionary and community initiatives in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. Reported projects include a housing estate in Chennai, India, for more than 100 people affected by leprosy. The development comprises 55 homes and is supported by a full-time nurse, electricity, clean water, food, and chaplaincy. In Zambia, the church has supported a water program providing boreholes for ten villages. It has also participated in Operation Christmas Child, distributing gift-filled shoeboxes to children in Eastern Europe. New Wine Church has had a succession of senior pastors. Tayo Adeyemi served from 1993 to 2013, followed by Michael Olawore from 2013 to 2018. The supplied reference material does not identify the current senior pastor. The church has also been connected with civic and ecumenical representation in London. Olu Ajanaku, formerly a New Wine minister, served as one of the Ecumenical Borough Deans representing black-majority churches in Greenwich. David Chick assumed that particular representation for black-led churches in January 2015. Overall, New Wine Church combines a substantial local congregation, a landmark repurposed building, public-facing venue functions, and international charitable and missionary activity.
History
New Wine Church's present identity is inseparable from the Woolwich building in which it operates. The site opened as the Odeon Theatre on 25 October 1937, when the venue presented Ralph Reader in The Gang Show. It was commissioned for Oscar Deutsch's Odeon Cinemas and designed by George Coles in a streamlined Art Deco style. The auditorium originally contained 1,178 stalls seats and 650 balcony seats. Architectural details included concealed lighting troughs and moulded plaster decoration, including a floral frieze on the splay walls with backlighting. The cinema underwent an internal modernization in May 1964, described in the historical record as the Rank Organisation's “zing” treatment. It remained an Odeon until 17 October 1981. After a period outside the Odeon operation, independent exhibitor Panton Films took over the property. The venue reopened as the Coronet Cinema on 14 July 1983 with Return of the Jedi as its opening attraction. On 6 July 1990 it was converted into a twin cinema, with 678 seats in the former balcony and 360 seats in the rear stalls. The Coronet closed on 6 June 1999. New Wine Church took control of the building in 2001. Under church use, the former cinema became known as Gateway House. The congregation renovated and adapted the structure for worship and wider community use while retaining the building's importance as a Grade II listed property. Its location overlooking the Woolwich Ferry contributes to the church's visibility within southeast London. In addition to church services, the premises can support weddings, concerts, conferences, exercise classes, and business meetings. The church developed from a local congregation into a large non-denominational Christian organization. The supplied reference material associates it with a membership of around 3,000 people. Tayo Adeyemi served as senior pastor between 1993 and 2013, and Michael Olawore succeeded him from 2013 to 2018. No reliable current senior-pastor information is provided in the source material. New Wine Church has also pursued international ministry through assistance from New Wine Covenant Partners and affiliated relationships. Its reported activities span countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. One of the most substantial cited projects is a 55-home housing estate in Chennai, India, serving more than 100 people affected by leprosy. The project includes medical, water, electricity, food, and chaplaincy support. The church has additionally supported boreholes for ten villages in Zambia and participated in Operation Christmas Child, helping provide gift-filled shoeboxes to children in Eastern Europe. The church's civic connections include the role of Olu Ajanaku, a former New Wine minister who served as an Ecumenical Borough Dean representing black-majority churches in Greenwich. David Chick took over that particular representative role for black-led churches in January 2015. These activities illustrate the organization's links not only to congregational worship but also to local government representation, community service, international development, and public use of its historic premises.
- 2018
Michael Olawore's senior-pastor tenure ends
[1]The recorded tenure of Michael Olawore as senior pastor ends.
- 2015
Civic representation changes
[1]David Chick takes over the Ecumenical Borough Dean role representing black-led churches in Greenwich in January.
- 2013
Senior-pastor succession
[1]Michael Olawore succeeds Tayo Adeyemi as senior pastor.
- 2001
New Wine Church takes over the building
[1]New Wine Church takes over the former cinema complex and begins adapting it for church and community use under the name Gateway House.
- 1999
Coronet Cinema closes
[1]The cinema closes on 6 June.
- 1990
Coronet becomes a twin cinema
[1]The former single-screen cinema is converted into a two-screen venue on 6 July.
- 1983
Venue reopens as Coronet Cinema
[1]Panton Films reopens the building as the Coronet Cinema on 14 July, with Return of the Jedi.
- 1981
Odeon operation ends
[1]The venue closes as an Odeon on 17 October.
- 1964
Internal cinema modernization
[1]The auditorium receives an internal modernization associated with the Rank Organisation.
- 1937
Odeon Theatre opens in Woolwich
[1]The building that later became New Wine Church's Gateway House opens as the Odeon Theatre on 25 October, designed by George Coles for the Odeon Cinemas chain.
Products and positioning
A large, non-denominational, black-led Christian church with a strong southeast London presence, an adaptable landmark venue, and an international charitable and missionary outlook.
Religious services
Worship services
New Wine Church's core offering is congregational Christian worship at Gateway House in Woolwich. The church functions as a large non-denominational congregation, with services and related ministry activities organized around collective worship, preaching, prayer, and pastoral participation.
Religious ministry
Pastoral and Christian teaching ministry
The church provides pastoral care, prayer, Christian instruction, and ministry support for its congregation. The source material identifies successive senior pastors but does not provide a complete description of the ministry's programs or organizational departments.
Venue and community services · 2001
Gateway House venue
The former cinema complex has been renovated and adapted as a multipurpose facility. In addition to church use, the building is used or made available for weddings, music concerts, conferences, exercise classes, and business meetings.
Charitable and missionary programs
International community projects
Through New Wine Covenant Partners and associated ministry relationships, New Wine Church supports or participates in overseas missionary and development projects. Cited examples include housing and support services for people affected by leprosy in Chennai, India, and boreholes supplying water to villages in Zambia.
Marketing campaigns
- Chennai leprosy-community housing project
India
New Wine Church, with assistance from New Wine Covenant Partners, is reported to have helped build a 55-home housing estate in Chennai for more than 100 people affected by leprosy. The project also includes access to electricity, clean water, food, a full-time nurse, and chaplaincy.
Outcome. The project provided permanent housing and associated social, medical, spiritual, and basic-infrastructure support.
- Zambia water project
Zambia
The church has supported a water initiative in Zambia involving boreholes intended to improve water access for ten villages.
Outcome. The cited project supplied or supported borehole infrastructure for ten villages; further operational details are not provided.
- Operation Christmas Child
Eastern Europe
New Wine Church participates in Operation Christmas Child by helping provide shoeboxes filled with gifts for children in Eastern Europe.
Outcome. The campaign distributes gift packages to children; the source does not state the church's specific annual contribution.
Brand decisions
2001
Adaptive reuse of the former Coronet CinemaStrategyBackground
After the Coronet Cinema closed in 1999, New Wine Church took over the Woolwich building in 2001.
Action taken
The church renovated and adapted the former cinema complex for worship, administration, community activity, and event use, giving it the name Gateway House.
Aftermath
The Grade II listed building became the church's principal facility and continued to host both religious and wider community events.
Sources2 sources
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