Church of England parish church
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A parish church in the Church of England, is the place of Christian worship which acts as the religious centre for the people of the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative unit, known as a parish.
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[edit] Position in the Church of England
In England, there are parish churches for both the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church. However, references to a 'parish church' without mention of a denomination, will almost certainly be to those of the state religion.
The Church of England's structure is made up of parishes, each one forming part of a diocese which together cover all of England. Each parish has its own personal representative of the authority of the church in the form of a parish priest, usually called a vicar or a rector, but more rarely known as a 'perpetual curate' or (in one case only) as 'arch-priest'. Each parish has one (or rarely and historically more than one) active parish church and may also be served by a number of chapels of ease. Larger towns and cities, even those with cathedrals, still have ecclesiastical parishes and parish churches. Unused 'redundant' parish churches may exist in parishes formed by the merging of two or more parishes. Sometimes, old parish churches were replaced by new ones and the old may survive as a ruin or, occasionally, converted into a private house.
[edit] Character
Church of England parish churches are the oldest churches to be found in England (though, until the English Reformation, they were Roman Catholic churches). A number are substantially of Anglo-Saxon date and all subsequent periods of architecture are represented in the country. Most parishes have churches that date back to the Middle Ages, though often with many later additions and/or alterations. The parish churches of the City of London are particularly famous for their Baroque architecture. Each building reflects its status and there is considerable variety in the size and style of parish churches. Some very large former monastic or collegiate churches are now parish churches, not always in their complete original form. As well as their architecture, Church of England parish churches are known for their many interesting and beautiful church fittings which are often remarkable survivals. These may include monuments, hatchments, wall paintings, stained glass, floor tiles, carved pews, choir stalls (perhaps with misericords), lecterns and fonts, sometimes even shrines or vestments.
The Church of England parish church has always been fundamental to the life of every parish community, especially in rural areas. However, by the late 20th and early 21st century, with the decline in the number of worshippers and the shortage of vicars and rectors, there has been a trend towards team/shared ministry and many parish churches no longer have a service every Sunday.
[edit] Notable Church of England parish churches
Churches can be notable for their architecture,history, liturgy, local significance or any other reason. Notable Church of England parish churches include:
- St Peter's Church, Barton-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire: Good Saxon tower
- St Botolph's Church, Boston, Lincolnshire: "Giant among English parish churches"
- St Mary Redcliffe Church, Bristol: "Goodliest, fairest and most famous parish church in England"
- Holy Trinity, Brompton ("HTB"), Kensington, London: Evangelical Anglican church where the Alpha course was first developed.
- St Martin's Church, Canterbury, Kent: Oldest surviving CofE parish church of English origin
- St Culbone's Church, Culbone, Somerset: Smallest parish church in England
- St George's Minster, Doncaster: "South Yorkshire's most majestic building"
- All Saints' Church, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire: Finest Saxon tower in England
- St Mary's Church, Fairford, Gloucestershire: England's only complete set of medieval narrative glass
- St Wulfram's Church, Grantham, Lincolnshire: Tallest building in England when built in 1300
- Holy Trinity Church, Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire: Claims to be the largest parish church in the country
- Our Lady and St Nicholas, Liverpool: Liverpool's 'sailors' church', traditional emigrant's landmark on leaving for the New World
- Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford, Suffolk: Finest late Perpendicular wool church in England
- St Laurence's Church, Ludlow, Shropshire: Said to be the finest medieval church in England
- St Patrick’s Church, Patrington, East Riding of Yorkshire: Finest late decorated church in England
- Pershore Abbey, Worcestershire: former abbey restored by George Gilbert Scott
- St Andrew's Church, Plymouth, Devon: rebuilt after World War II
- St Mary's Church, Warwick, Warwickshire: with its magnificent medieval 'Beauchamp Chapel' and gilt-bronze effigy of the Earl of Warwick
- All Saints, Margaret Street, Westminster, London: Anglo-Catholic shrine.
- St Margaret's, Westminster: the parish church of the British Houses of Parliament
[edit] References
- Pevsner, N.; et al. (1951-74). The Buildings of England, 46 vols., London: Penguin Books.
- Jenkins, Simon (1999). England's Thousand Best Churches, photog. Paul Barker, London: Allen Lane. ISBN 0-7139-9281-6.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Church of England website
- Find a Church in the Church of England ("A Church Near You")
- Historical resources on the Church of England
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