St Michael and All Angels' Church, Bartley Green facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Michael and All Angels' Church, Bartley Green |
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Michael and All Angels |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Bartley Green |
| Diocese | Birmingham |
| Province | Canterbury |
St. Michael and All Angels' Church in Bartley Green, Birmingham, is a special place of worship. It is a parish church that belongs to the Church of England. This church has a long and interesting history, with two different buildings serving the community over the years.
Contents
The Story of St. Michael's Church
The First Church Building
The very first St. Michael and All Angels' Church was built in Bartley Green. It started as a "chapel of ease." This means it was a smaller church built to help a larger, main church (St. Laurence, Northfield) serve people who lived further away.
Building work began in 1838. The church was officially opened and made sacred, or "consecrated," in 1840. An architect named Isaac Newry designed it. The building was small and L-shaped, built in the Gothic style. Gothic buildings often have pointed arches and tall windows.
Over time, the church grew. In 1878, more parts were added, including a "sanctuary" (the area around the altar) and a "chancel" (the part of the church where the clergy and choir sit). Later, in 1933, it became a chapel of ease for another church, St. Gabriel's Church, Weoley Castle.
In 1950, the area around St. Michael's became a "Conventional district." This was a step towards becoming its own independent church area, which happened in 1966 when it officially became a "parish." Sadly, the first church building was left empty and uncared for, or "derelict," for about two years. It was then taken down in 1968.
A New Beginning: The Current Church
Even before the old church was demolished, plans for a new one were already underway. Construction of the current church building started in 1964. It was officially opened and made sacred on July 12, 1966. This new church was designed by H Norman Haines of London and is located on Romsley Road.
The land for the new church was given by the Birmingham Corporation in 1964. It was built right across from the new Bartley Green Shopping Centre, making it easy for people to visit. In 1977, another church center, St Francis Church Centre, was built in the Glenside area of Bartley Green. Both St. Michael and All Angels' Church and St Francis Church Centre are part of the Diocese of Birmingham.
Church Newsletters
St. Michael and All Angels' Church used to publish its own newsletters to keep everyone updated on church activities.
- The Parish Messenger was published twice a month from 1947 until October 1951. After that, it came out once a month until publishing stopped in 1956.
- The Bartley Green Pictorial started in September 1967 and continued until 1975.
- It was then followed by the Bartley Angel from 1976 to 1981.
- Finally, One Voice was published from 1981 to 1988.
These newsletters helped the church community stay connected and informed about events and news.
