St Michael's Church, Romford Road facts for kids

St Michael's Church is a special Church of England church. You can find it on Romford Road in Manor Park, which is in east London. This church has an interesting history. It started out helping the local community.

St Michael's Church: Its Beginnings

St Michael's Church began in 1894. It started as a small "mission hall" on Romford Road. A mission hall is a place where a church reaches out to help people in a new area. This hall was opened by another church called St Mary's Church, Little Ilford.

At first, the church building was quite simple. It was an "iron church." This means it was a temporary building made partly of iron. It was a quick way to set up a place for people to gather and worship.

Building the Permanent Church

Later, St Michael's got a more permanent home. A famous architect named Charles Spooner designed a new building. This new church was made of red bricks.

The main part of the church, called the nave, was finished in 1898. The side areas, known as aisles, were also completed then. A few years later, in 1906, the chancel was added. The chancel is the part of the church near the altar.

Becoming a Parish Church

For a while, St Michael's was a "mission district." This meant it was a special area looked after by a priest. This priest reported to a bishop. In 1928, it officially became its own mission district.

Then, in 1939, St Michael's became the main "parish church" for the area. A parish church serves a specific local community. The older St Mary's Church became a "chapel of ease." This is a smaller church that helps the main parish church.

The Church Today

The beautiful Victorian-era church building was eventually closed. It was later taken down. A smaller, newer church was built in its place. This new church is part of a community center called the Froud Centre. It continues to serve the people of Manor Park.