St Silas' Church, Lozells facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Silas' Church, Lozells |
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St Silas' Church, Lozells
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| 52°30′5.97″N 1°54′46.42″W / 52.5016583°N 1.9128944°W | |
| Location | Birmingham |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Triumphant Church of God |
| Previous denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Silas |
| Consecrated | 10 January 1854 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
| Architect(s) | Frederick.W. Fiddian |
| Groundbreaking | 2 June 1852 |
| Completed | 1854 |
St Silas' Church, Lozells is a historic building in Birmingham, England. It used to be a Church of England parish church. Today, it is used by the Triumphant Church of God. This church is considered a special building. It is listed as a Grade II listed building. This means it is important and protected.
Contents
The Story of St Silas' Church
The first stone of the church was laid on June 2, 1852. A very important person, Lord Calthorpe, helped with this ceremony. A small vase with coins was placed under the stone. This was a common tradition at the time. It was a way to mark the beginning of the building.
The church was named after St Silas. It was designed to hold 1000 people. Many seats were free for anyone to use. The land for the church was given by Rev. W. Burbury. The total cost for building and setting up the church was about £3600. This was a lot of money back then.
Opening the Church
The church was officially opened on January 10, 1854. This special ceremony is called a consecration. It was led by Henry Pepys, who was the Bishop of Worcester. The church had special balconies, called galleries. These were located at the sides and back of the main hall.
The font, which is a basin for baptisms, was a gift from Peter Hollins. The gas lights in the church were made by a company in Birmingham.
Changes Over Time
In 1867, the large window at the front of the church was changed. It was given beautiful stained glass. This was done to remember Rev. D. N. Walton. He was the first priest, or incumbent, of the church.
More changes happened in 1881. The church was updated under the guidance of J. A. Chatwin. The organ, a large musical instrument, was moved. It was also made bigger with new sounds. One of the galleries was removed to make more space. New, larger windows were put in. These windows also had lovely stained glass. They were made by Camm Brothers.
Famous Connections
A famous composer named Albert Ketèlbey had a connection to St Silas' Church. When he was young, he was the main choir singer there. He later became very well-known for his music.
A New Chapter
In 1967, St Silas' Church joined with another church nearby. This happened when St Saviour's Church in Hockley closed down. The two church communities became one.
Later, in 1985, the Church of England sold the building. The Triumphant Church of God bought it. The original Church of England members then joined with St Paul's Church in Lozells. A new building was built for this combined church community. St Silas' Church continues to be a place of worship today.
