Metropolitan Tabernacle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Metropolitan Tabernacle
Metropolitan Tabernacle Baptist Church
Location	Elephant and Castle, London
Country	England
Denomination	Independent Reformed Baptist
History
Founded	1650
Founder(s)	William Rider

The Metropolitan Tabernacle is a famous church located in the Elephant and Castle area of London, England. It is an Independent Reformed Baptist church. In 1861, it was the largest non-conformist church of its time. Non-conformist churches were Christian groups that did not follow the official Church of England.

This church has been a place of worship since 1650. Its first leader was William Rider. Many important pastors have served here, including Benjamin Keach, John Gill, John Rippon, and C. H. Spurgeon. The current pastor is Peter Masters.

A Look at the Church's History

The Metropolitan Tabernacle Baptist Church began in 1650. This was a time when the Parliament of England made it difficult for non-conformist churches, like the Puritans, to hold their services. William Rider, a Puritan leader, was the first minister. Later, under Benjamin Keach, the church changed its specific Baptist beliefs.

The church faced tough times and was even persecuted. This means people were treated badly for their beliefs. But in 1688, Baptists were finally allowed to worship freely. That's when they built their first chapel in Horsleydown, Southwark, an area of London.

Growth and Challenges Over the Years

In 1720, John Gill became the pastor and served for 51 years. After him, John Rippon became pastor in 1771 and served for 63 years. During these long periods, the church grew a lot. It became one of the biggest congregations in the country. However, after these times of growth, the church became much smaller by 1850.

The Spurgeon Era: A Time of Great Change

In 1854, a young man named Charles Haddon Spurgeon started leading the church. He was only 20 years old. At first, the church was at New Park Street. It was known as New Park Street Chapel. Soon, so many people came that services had to be held in bigger rented places. One of these was the Surrey Gardens Music Hall.

Metropolitan Tabernacle in 1890

During Spurgeon's time, the church decided to move to a much larger building. They chose a spot at Elephant and Castle. This was a well-known area near the River Thames in South London. It was also thought to be where some people, called the Southwark Martyrs, were burned for their beliefs. The new building was designed by William Willmer Pocock. It could hold 6,000 people! It was finished in 1861 and opened on March 18. By 1881, the church had 5,500 members.

Spurgeon did more than just preach. He also started a college to train preachers and church workers. Today, this is known as Spurgeon's College. He also created orphanages for girls and boys. He wrote many Christian books that are still read today.

Interior of the original Metropolitan Tabernacle

In 1887, the church decided to leave the Baptist Union. This was because Spurgeon felt that other churches were changing their beliefs too much. He believed they were "downgrading" the faith. He wanted the Metropolitan Tabernacle to stick to its traditional beliefs.

By the end of 1891, the church had 5,311 members. Spurgeon served the church for 38 years. He passed away in 1892.

Rebuilding After Disasters

The original church building was destroyed by fire in 1898. Only the front entrance and the basement were left. Then, in 1941, during World War II, the rebuilt church was bombed by Germany. Again, only the front entrance and basement survived. In 1957, the Tabernacle was rebuilt once more. This new building was smaller but used some of the original parts that survived.

After the war, fewer members could return to central London. The church rejoined the Baptist Union of Great Britain in 1955. By 1970, the church had become very small. It left the Baptist Union again on February 22, 1971. This happened just after Peter Masters became the new pastor. The reason was similar to why Spurgeon left in 1887.

Since then, the number of people attending has grown a lot. Today, the church is full, with many people joining. It holds an annual school for studying theology. It also runs a part-time seminary to train pastors. The church has five Sunday schools and offers free videos and audio of its services online. You can also watch services live. By 2009, about 500 people attended its main service.

Church Beliefs and Practices

The Metropolitan Tabernacle is an independent Reformed Baptist church. This means it is not part of a larger church group and follows specific Baptist beliefs. Here are some of the main ideas and practices they follow, which were set by earlier leaders like C. H. Spurgeon:

• Doctrines of Grace: These are beliefs often called 'Calvinistic'. They focus on God's grace and plan.
• Free Offer of the Gospel: They believe the good news of Christianity should be offered to everyone.
• Traditional Worship: They use older, classic ways of worshiping.
• Working Church: They believe everyone in the church should be involved and active.
• Biblical Separation: They believe in staying separate from things they see as going against the Bible.
• The Prayer Meeting: Prayer meetings are a very important part of their church life.
• Wider Ministries: They work to spread their message and help others beyond their local church.

Pastors of the Metropolitan Tabernacle

Many pastors have led the Metropolitan Tabernacle throughout its long history. Here are some of them:

• William Rider, around 1653–1665 (12 years)
• Benjamin Keach, 1668–1704 (36 years)
• Benjamin Stinton, 1704–1718 (14 years)
• John Gill, 1720–1771 (51 years)
• John Rippon, 1773–1836 (63 years)
• Joseph Angus, 1837–1839 (2 years)
• James Smith, 1841–1850 (8 ½ years)
• William Walters, 1851–1853 (2 years)
• Charles Spurgeon, 1854–1892 (38 years)
• Arthur Tappan Pierson, 1891–1893 (filled in, not a full pastor – 2 years)
• Thomas Spurgeon, 1893–1908 (15 years)
• Archibald G. Brown, 1908–1911 (3 years)
• Amzi Dixon, 1911–1919 (8 years)
• Harry Tydeman Chilvers, 1919–1935 (15 ½ years)
• W Graham Scroggie, 1938–1943 (5 years)
• W G Channon, 1944–1949 (5 years)
• Gerald B Griffiths, 1951–1954 (3 years)
• Eric W Hayden, 1956–1962 (6 years)
• Dennis Pascoe, 1963–1969 (6 years)
• Peter Masters, 1970–present.

See also

In Spanish: Tabernáculo Metropolitano para niños

• List of the largest evangelical churches
• List of the largest evangelical church auditoriums
• Worship service (evangelicalism)