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 special parish church that belongs to the Church of England. It is a place where people gather for worship and community events.
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 for Longbridge. This new parish was formed from the nearby St Nicolas' Church, Kings Norton.
The church was built to serve the many people who lived and worked in the growing car-making area. This area was close to the famous Longbridge plant, where cars were made for many years.
Special Statues and Design
One of the most interesting features of St John the Baptist's Church is its five oak statues. These statues are located on the mullions of the west window. Mullions are the vertical bars that divide the panes of a window.
G H While, the architect, designed these statues. They were carved by Robert Pancheri from Bromsgrove. The main statue in the middle shows St John the Baptist holding a cross. A lamb is also shown resting on a Bible. Around him, there are statues of other important figures:
- Elijah is shown with a raven.
- Isaiah is shown with a branch.
- Ezekiel is shown with a wheel.
- Jeremiah is shown with a scroll.
The design of this church was so good that the architect used it as a guide for another church. Just two years later, St Boniface's Church in Quinton was built using a similar design.
The Church Organ
About the Organ
St John the Baptist's Church has a large organ that was installed in 1958. This organ originally came from another church called St Thomas in the Moors, Balsall Heath. It was moved and set up by a company called Nicholson and Co from Worcester.
This organ is a "two manual" organ. This means it has two main keyboards, like a piano, that the organist plays with their hands. It also has pedals played with the feet. You can find more detailed information about this specific organ on the National Pipe Organ Register, which lists many organs across the country.
