Christ Church, Warminster
Encyclopedia
Christ Church is an Anglican
church serving a parish
on the southern side of Warminster
, Wiltshire
.
with the addition of the chancel
and vestry
. In 1881 the ceiling of the worship area, which was becoming unstable, was replaced with the wooden beams and pillars that are still present in the building.
During the late 1960s an attempt was made to modernise the worship in the church, and a nave altar was built. This was a very controversial move and led, eventually, to a consistory court. The vicar, acting with the best intentions wanted to symbolically bring the worship of the church to a more central place in the church. However this move divided the church and a number of the congregation and those outside the congregation complained that there had been no consultation. Eventually a parishioner appealed to an ecclesiastical consistory court
. The case was lost by the vicar and church wardens as the court found that insufficient consultation about the change had occurred. Although the altar was not removed, the affair caused a rift in the church and a number of people felt strongly enough to move to worship elsewhere.
In 2004 a major redevelopment of Christ Church began with the complete reordering on the worship space, the addition of a raised dais, the removal of the controversial nave altar and pews, this has created a modern and functional welcome / fellowship area in the lobby of the church building. The result is a crisp, attractive and very functional church building, with modern audio visual system as an aid to worship.
The second phase of the development project includes the utilisation of the mezzanine floor area above the welcome area of the church. Creating meeting rooms, and more functional space, this second part of the work was due to begin in 2011.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
church serving a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
on the southern side of Warminster
Warminster
Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. It has a population of about 17,000. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
Services and style
The church is evangelical in tradition and the 9.30 family service on Sundays is lively, although the church welcomes people of all traditions, the 11am Sunday morning worship service is more reflective in style and spirituality.History
The church was built in 1830 to serve what was then Warminster Common. Originally part of the Parish of St Denys (The Minster) Christ Church was opened in 1831. In 1871 the church was expandedVictorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
with the addition of the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
. In 1881 the ceiling of the worship area, which was becoming unstable, was replaced with the wooden beams and pillars that are still present in the building.
During the late 1960s an attempt was made to modernise the worship in the church, and a nave altar was built. This was a very controversial move and led, eventually, to a consistory court. The vicar, acting with the best intentions wanted to symbolically bring the worship of the church to a more central place in the church. However this move divided the church and a number of the congregation and those outside the congregation complained that there had been no consultation. Eventually a parishioner appealed to an ecclesiastical consistory court
Consistory court
The consistory court is a type of ecclesiastical court, especially within the Church of England. They were established by a charter of King William I of England, and still exist today, although since about the middle of the 19th century consistory courts have lost much of their subject-matter...
. The case was lost by the vicar and church wardens as the court found that insufficient consultation about the change had occurred. Although the altar was not removed, the affair caused a rift in the church and a number of people felt strongly enough to move to worship elsewhere.
In 2004 a major redevelopment of Christ Church began with the complete reordering on the worship space, the addition of a raised dais, the removal of the controversial nave altar and pews, this has created a modern and functional welcome / fellowship area in the lobby of the church building. The result is a crisp, attractive and very functional church building, with modern audio visual system as an aid to worship.
The second phase of the development project includes the utilisation of the mezzanine floor area above the welcome area of the church. Creating meeting rooms, and more functional space, this second part of the work was due to begin in 2011.
List of vicars
| Vicar's name | From |
|---|---|
| J. H. A. Walsh | 1831 |
| R. R. Hutton | 1860 |
| W. Hickman | 1867 |
| J. S. Stuart | 1899 |
| H. Lloyd-Jones | 1941 |
| H. G. Green | 1943 |
| R. A. Ford | 1965 |
| B. I. Abbott | 1971 |
| John C. Day | 1977 |
| Fred Woods | 1981 |
| Peter W. Hunter | 1997 |