Christ Church Free Church Of England, Willesborough , Kent

Christ Church Free Church Of England, Willesborough Church

Image Source: Rob Baker

Christ Church was built in 1874 as an independent Anglican Proprietary Chapel in Willesborough, in the parish of St. Mary's. It is built from Kentish ragstone with a distinctive bell turret added to its (liturgical) western end, above the entrance. It doesn't conform to the traditional liturgical alignment; instead being positioned on a north-south axis. The separate schoolroom behind the sanctuary was added at the same time. Today this is used as the Church Hall. Its founder, Joseph Foster, was a Evangelical philanthropist who disagreed with the Oxford Movement, which saw a number of Church of England parishes moving back to a style of Anglo-Catholic worship. At the same time, a number of Church of England parishes resisted this. In large urban areas it was possible for one parish to be devoutly Anglo-Catholic and the neighbouring one Evangelical. Being independent from the Church of England parish system enabled Christ Church to employ its own Anglican clergymen. The first Minister, Reverend Frederick Newman, was a Bishop in the Free Church of England, a denomination which had separated from the Established Church in the 1840s. The church has capacity for 200 people - which was needed in this rapidly expanding Victorian suburb lying immediately to the east of Ashford. In 1884 a large organ was installed, which is still used today. The reredos and wall stencilling around the sanctuary arch also date from the late 19th century. The wall stencilling has been restored over the course of its history. Around the time of the Second World War a closer relationship was forged between Christ Church and the parish church of St. Mary's. For over forty years the curate at St. Mary's would have oversight at Christ Church, while maintaining an Evangelical / Low Church style of churchmanship. This arrangement was officially cemented by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1956, but came to an end in 1985, when declining attendances necessitated a review of the clergy. In 1986, Christ Church ceased to be an Independent Anglican church and officially became part of the Free Church of England, in which it remains today. Text by Rob Baker

1851 Census Details

Seating Capacity: Not built

Morning Attendance: Not built

Afternoon Attendance: Not built

Evening Attendance: Not built

Architecture Details

Original Build Date/Architect: 1874

Restoration:

Second Restoration:

Notes

Website

http://

Queries Relating to this Church

To contact this church, please try: A Church Near You

This Kent Churches website is provided to you for free, running at a loss in order to remain advert-free. If you are enjoying using the site and would like to make a small contribution towards our expenses, it would be most gratefully received. You can donate via Paypal.