Holy Trinity Brompton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holy Trinity Brompton |
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Holy Trinity, Brompton Road
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| 51°29′52″N 0°10′12″W / 51.4978°N 0.1700°W | |
| Location | Knightsbridge |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Charismatic evangelical Anglican |
| History | |
| Dedicated | 1829 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Thomas Leverton Donaldson |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1826–1829 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Chelsea |
| Archdeaconry | Middlesex |
| Episcopal area | Kensington |
| Diocese | London |
Holy Trinity Brompton, often called HTB, is a large Anglican church in London, England. It is known for its many activities and for creating the Alpha Course.
HTB is not just one building. It has six different locations across London. These include HTB Brompton Road, HTB Onslow Square, and HTB Queen's Gate. The church also runs the St Paul's Theological Centre.
The church holds many events, conferences, and ten services every Sunday. HTB aims to help people learn about faith. They also want to help churches grow and improve society.
Nicky Gumbel was the vicar of HTB until September 2022. He was followed by Archie Coates. Katherine Chow is the current associate vicar.
Contents
History of HTB
Building the First Church
Before HTB was built, the area was part of a large parish. This parish was served by only one church, St Mary Abbots. In the 1820s, many people moved into the area. So, leaders decided to build a new church.
The church received money from the Church Building Commission. The total cost was about £10,407. The Commission paid £7,407 of this amount. The architect who designed the church was Thomas Leverton Donaldson.
The church took three years to build. It was officially opened on June 6, 1829. The same building is still used today. However, it has been changed quite a bit over time.
In 1852, some of HTB's land was sold. This land was used to build the Brompton Oratory. This is why HTB has a long driveway from Brompton Road.
Changes to the Building
The biggest changes happened in the 1980s. The church's crypt was rebuilt. This created new meeting rooms and a bookshop. Also, the old pews were removed. Chairs replaced them, making seating more flexible.
Vicars of Holy Trinity Brompton
- Joseph Holden Pott 1829–1840
- Percival Frye 1829–1835
- Robert Samuel Battiscombe 1835–1840
- William Josiah Irons 1840–1870
- Thomas Fraser Stooks 1870–1872
- Arthur Brook 1872–1877
- William Covington 1877–1899
- Alfred William Gough 1899–1931
- William Marshall Selwyn 1931–1938
- Bryan Stuart Westmacott Green 1938–1948
- Patrick Nevile Gilliat 1949–1969
- Raymond John Walton Morris 1969–1975
- Raymond Hilton Turvey 1975–1980
- John Theodore Cameron Bucke Collins 1980–1985
- John Alexander Kirkpatrick Millar 1985–2005
- Nicholas Glyn Paul Gumbel 2005–2022
- Archie Coates 2022–
St Paul's Onslow Square
St Paul's Church in Onslow Square opened in 1860. In the late 1970s, its parish joined with Holy Trinity Brompton. St Paul's Church was then closed for a while.
In the early 1980s, local people helped save the church. They stopped it from being sold for private homes. Later, in the late 1980s, services started again. Nicky Lee and his wife Sila helped restart the church.
By the 1990s, hundreds of people attended St Paul's. In 1997, the congregation split into three groups. Some went to start a new church in Fulham. Others returned to Holy Trinity.
In 2007, HTB decided to renovate St Paul's. Services restarted there in September 2007. More services were added in 2008 and 2009. The upstairs balcony was also reopened for worship.
St Augustine's Church
In 2010, St Augustine's, Queen's Gate began to be managed by HTB. This happened after an invitation from the Bishop of Kensington. In March 2011, St Augustine's officially became part of HTB.
Church Plants: Growing the Church
Since the 1980s, HTB has helped start many new churches. This is called "church planting." These new churches are either "daughter churches" (started directly by HTB) or "granddaughter churches" (started by daughter churches). All these churches form the HTB network.
HTB has also helped start churches in other countries:
- Holy Trinity Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Holy Trinity Kuching in Kuching, Malaysia
The Alpha Course and HTB
The Alpha Course was created by leaders at HTB. They worked on it for twenty years. In the early 1990s, Alpha became very popular worldwide. As Alpha grew, it became a main focus for HTB.
Today, HTB helps create materials for Alpha. These include videos, books, and training guides. Alpha is now run as a separate organization. However, it is still closely connected to HTB. Many Alpha staff work in HTB's offices. HTB clergy also help with Alpha conferences and training.
Since the mid-1990s, the Alpha course has stayed mostly the same. This allowed HTB to create other helpful courses. These include courses on marriage, parenting, and dealing with loss.
HTB itself runs Alpha courses three times a year. Each course attracts 300–400 people. This means they use all the available space in the church buildings.
Pastoral Care: Supporting People
HTB uses a "Pastorate" model to care for its large community. Pastorates are groups of 20–50 people. They meet regularly, usually every two weeks.
These groups help people form strong friendships. They support each other and help members use their talents. This model helps new people feel welcome.
Many people at HTB are students or visitors. They might only stay in London for a short time. The Alpha course also brings in many new people. Some of these people then move to other churches.
Sunday Services
HTB holds ten services every Sunday across its six locations. Some services are for families. These include activities for children. Other services are more traditional. They feature classic Church of England worship and a professional choir.
The informal services have modern music and a longer talk. They end with a quiet prayer time. Sometimes, different services use the same talk and songs.
Other Activities
HTB also hosts a yearly church camp called "Focus." This event lasts five days in July. About 7,000 people attend. They enjoy seminars, workshops, and fun activities. Famous speakers often come to talk about faith and society.
Since 1985, HTB has helped struggling churches. This is done by "church planting." Many people from HTB move to a new church for at least a year. HTB clergy also move to help lead worship and run Alpha courses. Many churches have been started this way. Some of these churches have even started their own new churches.
HTB has active ministries for children, youth, and students. They also hold special services twice a year with a large choir. These are for Easter and Christmas. HTB also offers free classical concerts. These concerts use the church's pipe organ, which was updated in 2004. They also feature talented musicians from nearby music schools.
Since September 2005, HTB has offered free downloads of Sunday talks. These are available on their website, iTunes, YouTube, and SoundCloud. These "HTB Podcasts" are very popular. They also offer talks that answer questions from listeners. Each month, there are over 40,000 downloads. Some talks are even in the top ten for "Religion and Spirituality" on iTunes.
In 2011, HTB created the William Wilberforce Trust. This trust brings together social projects linked to HTB. These projects help people in need. They work to help the homeless and those with addictions.
HTB is also home to:
- St Paul's Theological Centre
- The Alpha Course
See also
