Who was Onesimus

Onesimus appears in the New Testament as the central figure in the Apostle Paul's letter to Philemon. The back story seems to be that Onesimus was a slave who had run away after some act of wrongdoing. Onesimus had become had subsequently become Christian Believers, and been a particular support to Paul during his own imprisonment. It was because of this that Paul wrote to Philemon, seeking to reconcile the two and to please for Onesimus to be released from slavery, probably that he might continue to be of service to Paul (albeit as a free agent.)

What's in a name?

The name Onesimus means useful something which is particularly highlighted in the New Testament epistle as the writer develops quite a play on words because of it.

It is the combination of the two key themes in Paul's letter that led us to choose the name Onesimus for our own community. Firstly we want to be useful - coming together not simply for mutual support and fellowship, but so that we might be useful to others as we seek to engage in God's mission together. We also recognise that sometimes the necessary responsibilities of contemporary church life can become something of a burden, perhaps to the point where some feel 'enslaved' by these obligations. We want to share that load with other local christians and so release them from those things that have become a burden.