The origins of St John’s go back to the late 1960s when the people of St Mary’s Rodbourne Cheney decided to set up a new church to minister to the new communities of Haydon Wick, Greenmeadow and Haydonleigh.
The first prefabricated building was located in Churchfields, on the edge of the old village of Haydon Wick.
Some years later, St Mary’s decided both to rebuild and relocate the church so that it could be more visible to the communities it serves. The builder who built much of Greenmeadow, also built the current church building in a similar style, and it was opened in August 1981.
The new St John’s was designed for both worship and community use, having a number of rooms of various sizes all under one roof. Over the years we have developed the building four times to ensure it continues to meet the needs of both church and community.
The congregation of St John’s has seen steady growth over the years from around 30 people when the church opened to over 200 in 2016. Although originally part of St Mary’s benefice, St John’s is now an independent parish.
The character of the church has been influenced by the dedicated service of Revd Canon Raymond Adams who celebrated 25 years as vicar in November 2015 who retired in March 2023 after 32 and a half years’ service. There are also many lay leaders who have developed different areas in the life of St John’s over the years.