Jesmond Parish Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clayton Memorial Church, Jesmond |
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Conservative Evangelical |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Jesmond, Clayton Memorial |
| Deanery | Newcastle Central |
| Archdeaconry | Archdeaconry of Northumberland |
| Diocese | Diocese of Newcastle |
| Province | Province of York |
Jesmond Parish Church is a special church in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It's part of the Church of England. You can find it in a part of Newcastle called Jesmond. This church is also known as the Clayton Memorial Church. It's a bit different because it's not named after a saint, but after a person who was important to its history. The church is a very old building, listed as Grade II, which means it's historically important.
History of the Church
The church had an interesting start. In 1856, a respected church leader named Rev Richard Clayton passed away. He was the Master of St Thomas' Church nearby. Many people in his church liked his teachings, which were about a certain type of Christian belief called Evangelicalism.
However, the church leaders wanted to appoint a new person, Clement Moody, who had different ideas. Many people from St Thomas's Church were unhappy about this. So, they decided to start a new church. Their goal was to create a place that would continue to share the "sound scriptural and evangelical truth."
At that time, the area where the church now stands was mostly open fields. The famous architect John Dobson designed the building. The church was officially opened in 1861. A small room called a vestry was added in 1874.
The church was first called "The Clayton Memorial." Above the vestry door, there's a message that says the church was built to remember Rev. Richard Clayton. He was a faithful minister for 30 years and died in 1856. Some people who didn't agree with the new church jokingly called it "St Spite's."
The Church Today
Today, Jesmond Parish Church is a large Anglican church with about 1,100 people attending. It follows a "conservative evangelical" style of Christianity. The main leaders of the church include David Holloway, who has been the vicar since 1973, along with Jonathan Pryke, Jonathan Redfearn, Ian Garrett, and Alan Munden.
The church is well-known for its sermons. These talks aim to explain the Bible clearly and share the Christian message. The church uses traditional ways of worship. They sing hymns from a book called Hymns for Today's Church.
Jesmond Parish Church works closely with the Christian Institute, which has its main office in Newcastle. David Holloway is an important member of this group. The church is also part of Reform, which is a group of evangelical churches within the Church of England. Some other large churches in the UK that share similar beliefs include:
- St Andrew The Great, Cambridge
- St Ebbe's, Oxford
- St Helen's Bishopsgate
- Christ Church, Fulwood, Sheffield
In 2017, Jonathan Pryke, one of the ministers at Jesmond Parish Church, became a bishop. This was done by Glenn Lyons, a bishop from a church group in South Africa called the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH-SA). This was unusual because REACH-SA is not part of the main Anglican Communion, and the local bishop in Newcastle was not fully aware of the plans.
Church Leaders (Vicars)
- 1861-1882 Canon Berkeley Addison
- 1882-1888 Canon Somerset Pennefather
- 1889-1894 Theodore Charles Chapman
- 1894-1897 Edwin Savage
- 1898-1907 Canon Thomas Brocas Waters
- 1907-1916 Canon James Inskip
- 1916-1927 Canon George Oakley
- 1927-1947 Canon George Goddard
- 1947-1959 Harry Bates
- 1960-1972 Roger Frith
- 1973–present David Holloway
The Church Organ
The church has a large pipe organ built in 1913 by a famous builder named James Jepson Binns. This organ is very old and sadly, it is no longer working. It contains parts from an even older organ from 1895. You can find more details about this organ in the National Pipe Organ Register.
