East Church

What East Church does

East Church is a Church of England benefice operating under the Diocese of Norwich and the HTB Network of churches, registered with the UK Charity Commission as Charity No. 1161746. The organisation runs three church locations within the city of Norwich — St Thomas (founded 2013), St Albans (joined 2015), and St Barnabas (joined 2017) — collectively gathering 300-400 attendees each Sunday, of which 120 are young people. In 2024 the Mitre Benefice rebranded to 'East Church' to unify its identity across the three sites.

The organisation's ministry portfolio centres on weekly Sunday worship, supplemented by small group programmes (Tables), the Alpha evangelism course, and dedicated ministries for children, youth, young adults, and sports outreach (Sports Factory). Life-event services — baptisms, weddings, and funerals — are provided pastorally across the three locations. Supporting operations include Mitre House, a former public house converted into a coffee shop and co-working space that also houses the church's central office, and ChurchSuite, a third-party church management platform used for events, rotas, and member communications. A WhatsApp Communities channel supports member messaging within GDPR-compliant centralised announcements.

East Church operates as a non-profit charity funded by voluntary donations and tithes from congregation members, with no commercial pricing for spiritual services. Mitre Coffee provides a modest earned-income stream through hospitality operations. The seven-person staff is led by Senior Pastor Tom Eagles, supported by location pastors at each site, a curate, a licensed lay minister, ministry leads, and operations personnel. The organisation has no proprietary technology, no disclosed revenue, and no external investment structure.

Name

East Church

Legal name

East Church

Website

https://weareeast.church

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

East Church is a Church of England charity (No. 1161746) operating three Norwich locations (St Thomas, St Albans, St Barnabas) that serve 300-400 weekly attendees with worship, youth and children's ministries, small groups, and life-event services, funded by donations and supported by the HTB Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (813110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAA

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAJAG

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAJAE

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

Keywords

• Religious services
• Worship gatherings
• Pastoral care
• Youth ministry
• Community outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

East Church is a Church of England benefice operating three worship locations (St Thomas, St Albans, St Barnabas) in Norwich, delivering weekly Sunday gatherings, pastoral life-event services (baptisms, weddings, funerals), evangelism courses (Alpha), small groups (Tables), and age-segmented ministries for children, youth, and young adults. The organization runs community engagement programs such as Sports Factory and operates Mitre House as a community coffee house and co-working space bridging church and locality.

Product overview

East Church (formerly the Mitre Benefice) is a Church of England church in Norwich with three locations (St Thomas, St Albans, St Barnabas). The church offers a portfolio of ministry programs including weekly Sunday gatherings, small groups (Tables), the Alpha course, and specialized ministries for Kids, Youth, Young Adults, and Sports (Sports Factory). Supporting operations include Mitre House/Mitre Coffee (community hospitality venue), ChurchSuite (church management software), and WhatsApp Communities (communication platform). Life event services for baptisms, weddings, and funerals are also provided. The church is part of the HTB Network and registered as Charity No. 1161746.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mitre House: A former public house turned popular coffee house and co-working space owned and run by the church. Located next to St Thomas Church, it serves as the main staff office and community space.
• Mitre Coffee
• Sports Factory

Products and services

• Sunday Gatherings Weekly church services held across the three Norwich locations (St Thomas, St Albans, St Barnabas), gathering an average of 300-400 people each Sunday including 120 young people. These form the central worship offering of East Church.
• Teaching / Podcast Sermons and teaching content distributed as podcasts, accessible to congregation members, seekers, and the wider community online.
• Tables (Small Groups) Community small groups meeting across Norfolk for connection, mutual support, and faith growth, organized around shared interests, life stages, or geographies.
• Alpha Evangelistic course series for exploring Christianity, run through small groups, one-on-one conversations, and Alpha events, designed as an accessible entry point for seekers.
• Kids Ministry Children's programmes run during Sunday services across the three East Church locations, with the vision to see children find faith and be equipped by the Holy Spirit.
• Youth Ministry (Friday Night Youth) Youth work across the East Church locations, including Friday Night Youth (FNY) gatherings at St Albans, attracting young people both inside and outside the church and supporting faith and baptism journeys.
• Young Adults Ministry for young adults aged 18–30 providing community, faith formation, and mission opportunities across university and college links in Norwich.
• Sports Factory A sports-based community ministry using football, after-school clubs, and Open Goal sessions to engage children, families, and the wider Norwich community with the Christian gospel.
• Mitre House / Mitre Coffee A former public house repurposed as a community coffee house and co-working space, also housing the East Church office; functions as a hospitality venue and bridge between the church and the local Norwich community.
• Life Events (Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals) Pastoral services for life-event ceremonies including believer's baptisms, infant baptisms, weddings, and funeral or memorial services held at East Church locations.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• HTB Network of ChurchescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with HTB (Holy Trinity Brompton) began in 2013 when the Bishop of Norwich invited HTB to partner with the Diocese to plant a church in Norwich. HTB has been instrumental in the church's growth and development through leadership, training, and network support.
• Diocese of NorwichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEast Church is part of The Church of England, under the Diocese of Norwich. The Diocese invited HTB to partner in church planting and revitalization in Norwich.
• Revitalise TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEast Church is part of the Revitalise Trust network of churches, which supports and connects churches within the HTB network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• St Mary's Ealing: Another HTB Network church plant in London operating with a similar contemporary worship style, Alpha-centric evangelism, and multi-site growth ambition. Comparable as a recent HTB-style plant.
• Alpha International: The evangelistic course series that East Church explicitly runs; Alpha is the same offering originally developed at HTB and propagated across the network, making it a natural program-level peer.
• Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB): The originating church of the HTB Network; East Church is explicitly a plant/partner of HTB, sharing the same worship style, leadership pipeline, Alpha course, and church-planting model.
• Christ Church London (Bethnal Green / HTB Plant): HTB Network church plant focused on younger demographics in East London. Shares the HTB planting playbook, contemporary services, and Alpha-driven model used by East Church.
• St Thomas Croydon (HTB Connects): An HTB Network-affiliated plant in South London, sharing the church-planting model and partnership with the HTB/Revitalise Trust network that supports East Church.

Others

• Diocese of Norwich: The Church of England diocesan body that oversees East Church and originally invited HTB to plant in Norwich in 2013. Not a competitor; upstream oversight and partnership context.

Regional players

• City Church Norwich: Another contemporary evangelical church operating in the Norwich area, drawing from some of the same unchurched demographic that East Church targets through Alpha and Sunday services.

Emerging players

• New Wine / Newground: An evangelical UK church network and summer conference movement that supports church planting and renewal in a similar demographic to the HTB Network, though with a distinct charismatic flavour.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/weareastchurch
• Instagraminstagram.com/weareeastchurch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eastchurch

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about East Church