St George and St Ethelbert's Church, East Ham facts for kids
St George and St Ethelbert's Church is a special church in East Ham, a part of east London. It belongs to the Church of England. This church has an interesting story about how it came to be built.
How the Church Started
The story of St George and St Ethelbert's Church began with another church nearby, St Mary Magdalene's Church, East Ham. Around 1912, St Mary Magdalene's bought some land in an area called the Greatfield Estate. By 1914, they built a temporary building there. This building was a "mission hall" and was known as St George's. It was located at the corner of Boston Road and Masterman Road.
Becoming Its Own Parish
A "parish" is like a local area that a church serves. In 1923, the St George's mission hall became its very own parish. This meant it was now an independent church community. However, it took a while for a permanent church building to be constructed.
Building the Permanent Church
The main church building you see today was finally built between 1936 and 1937. More than half of the money needed to build it came from a place called the Diocese of Hereford. A "diocese" is a large area managed by a bishop in the church. Because of their generous help, the Diocese of Hereford asked for something special. They wanted the church to also be named after St Ethelbert. He is a very important saint to them, and he is one of the two saints honored at Hereford Cathedral. The other saint at Hereford Cathedral is the Virgin Mary. That's why the church is called St George and St Ethelbert's Church!
