St John's Church, Bridgetown facts for kids
St John's Church, Bridgetown is a special church in Bridgetown, Devon, England. It belongs to the Church of England, which is the main Christian church in England. This church was first built a long time ago in 1832. A powerful person named Edward St Maur, 11th Duke of Somerset had it built for the people who lived and worked on his land.
Sadly, the first church building was badly damaged by a fire on July 9, 1976. The fire was started on purpose, which is called arson. But the community worked hard to rebuild it! The new church was finished and officially opened again in 1980 by Eric Mercer, who was the Bishop of Exeter at that time. Today, St John's Church is recognized as a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.
How the Church Started
When Edward St Maur first built the church, he wanted it to be officially approved for worship. He talked to Henry Philpotts, who was also a Bishop of Exeter. After some discussions and letters between the Duke's lawyer and the Bishop's assistant, they decided that St John's Church would be a "chapel of ease." This means it was a smaller church that helped people attend services more easily if they lived far from the main church, which was St Mary's Church, Berry Pomeroy.
A Change in Direction
For a period between 1843 and 1869, St John's Church was connected to a different group called the Free Church of England. This was a time when some churches had different ideas about how to practice their faith. However, it later returned to being part of the main Church of England.
