St John the Baptist's Church, Longbridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John the Baptist’s Church, Longbridge |
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St John the Baptist’s Church, Longbridge
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| 52°23′41.59″N 1°58′30.96″W / 52.3948861°N 1.9752667°W | |
| Location | Longbridge |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | Longbridge Parish Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St John the Baptist |
| Consecrated | 1957 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | G H While |
| Groundbreaking | 1956 |
| Completed | 1957 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Longbridge |
| Deanery | Kings Norton |
| Archdeaconry | Birmingham |
| Diocese | Anglican Diocese of Birmingham |
St John the Baptist's Church in Longbridge, Birmingham, is a parish church that belongs to the Church of England. It serves the local community in this part of England.
Contents
History of the Church
Building the Church
The church was designed by an architect named G H While. He worked for a company called Bromilow, While and Smeaton. The building was finished and officially opened in 1957. At the same time, a new church area, called a parish, was created. This new parish was formed from the nearby St Nicolas' Church, Kings Norton.
The church was built because the area around the Longbridge plant was growing fast. Many people worked at the car factory there. They needed a local church to serve the expanding community.
Special Statues and Design
The church has five special oak statues. You can find them on the mullions of the west window. Mullions are the vertical strips of stone or wood that divide a window into sections. G H While designed these statues. A sculptor named Robert Pancheri from Bromsgrove carved them.
The main statue shows St John the Baptist. He is holding a cross, and a lamb is resting on a Bible. Around him are statues of other important figures:
The architect, G H While, liked this church's design so much. He used it as a guide for another church. This was St Boniface's Church in Quinton, built just two years later.
The Church Organ
About the Organ
St John the Baptist's Church has a special organ. It has two keyboards, called manuals. This organ was moved here in 1958. It came from St Thomas in the Moors, Balsall Heath church.
The company that installed the organ was Nicholson and Co from Worcester. You can find detailed information about this organ. It is listed on the National Pipe Organ Register.
