St Philip and St James' Church, Plaistow facts for kids

St Philip and St James’ Church is a Church of England church located in Plaistow, east London. This church has an interesting history! It actually started out as two separate churches: St Philip's and St James'. These two churches joined together in 1955 to form the single parish of St Philip and St James.

Today, this parish is part of a larger group called the Parish of the Divine Compassion. This group also includes three other churches in Plaistow and Canning Town: St Mary's, St Matthias', and St Martin's.

The Story of St Philip's Church

St Philip's Church began as a small mission church in 1860. A mission church is a place of worship built to serve a local community, often a new or growing one. It was built on Whitwell Road by St Mary's Church.

In 1894, a group called the Society of Divine Compassion took over the church. Sadly, the original building was destroyed in 1941 during the London Blitz. The Blitz was a time during World War II when German planes bombed London. A new building for St Philip's Church began construction in 1954.

The Story of St James' Church

St James' Church started in Forest Gate around 1870. It was first built as an iron church, which means it was made from iron sheets. It was set up to serve a specific area, known as a conventional district.

In 1881, St James' became its own official parish. Its area was created from parts of three other parishes: Emmanuel Church, St John's, and All Saints.