Church of the Saviour, Birmingham facts for kids
The Church of the Saviour was a special church in Birmingham, England. It was started in 1845 by a preacher named George Dawson. This church was important because it helped start a big plan to make the city better, called the Civic Gospel. It also played a key role in the start of Joseph Chamberlain's political life.
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How the Church of the Saviour Started
George Dawson was first a pastor for a Baptist church in Birmingham. He moved there in 1844. Birmingham was a busy industrial town growing very fast. Dawson was a great speaker, and many people liked his ideas.
However, Dawson's ideas were different from the usual Baptist beliefs. So, in 1845, he left the Baptist church. Many people from his church followed him. They helped build a new church just for him, called the Church of the Saviour. This new church was a "Free Christian" church. It meant that people did not have to promise to believe certain things. Everyone was welcome to work together to do good things. The new church building officially opened on August 8, 1847. Inside, it looked like a lecture hall. It had benches instead of traditional church seats and a platform instead of a high pulpit.
A very important rule for the church was written on a marble sign above the entrance. It said: "There is but one law – thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself." This meant that love for God and for others was the most important thing.
The Civic Gospel and Helping the City
At the Church of the Saviour, George Dawson created an idea called the Civic Gospel. He asked everyone in his church to help make Birmingham a better place. He wanted to improve the town and the lives of its citizens. His sermons were very different from what people usually heard. People said Dawson spoke "as a living man to living men." He made the people of Birmingham excited to help.
Many important members of his church took on his ideas. They played big roles in local government. Some of these people included Joseph Chamberlain, who helped with Sunday School and managed money. Other key figures were Jesse Collings, George Dixon, J. T. Bunce, J. A. Langford, Robert Martineau, Samuel Timmins, William Harris, and the Kenrick family. Between 1847 and 1867, 17 people from the church were chosen to be on the Town Council. Six of them even became the mayor. Dawson encouraged Christians, especially business people, to become councillors and help change the city. Joseph Chamberlain followed this advice. He became a councillor and then a mayor who brought many new ideas to improve the city.
Church Organ
The church had an organ installed in 1847. It was built by a company called Gray and Davison. This organ had been used before at a music festival. It had two keyboards and pedals. In 1861, a new, bigger organ was put in. It was built by John Banfield of Birmingham. This new organ had three keyboards and pedals.
Organists
- Andrew Deakin (1847–1878)
- Stephen Samuel Stratton (1878–1882)
Church Closure
George Dawson passed away in 1876. After him, other Unitarian ministers led the Church of the Saviour. One of Dawson's helpers, George St Clair, became the main minister. However, in 1896, the church building was sold to a Methodist church. The money from the sale was given to another Unitarian church nearby.
Notable People
- Sarah Crompton (1802–1881), a writer of children's books.
