St. Barnabas' Church, Erdington
Encyclopedia
St. Barnabas' Church is the parish church
of Erdington
, in the north of Birmingham
, England
.
between 1822-23 to a design by Thomas Rickman
. The church was famous for its sixteen stained glass windows depicting scenes of the life of Jesus and stories from the scriptures, including the Raising of Lazarus
, The Resurrection
, The Good Samaritan
and St Paul and St Barnabas
, which were also designed by Thomas Rickman. It was consecrated on July 23, 1824. The church was built by the Commissioners at a cost of £5,000, (£ as of ), £1,000 of which was collected through public donations. In 1858, a district chapelry
was assigned to the church.
were called to a fire at the church at 6am. Approximately 75 firefighters and 15 engines attended the fire. The roof and all but one of the stained glass windows were completely destroyed, though the clock and bell tower and walls remain intact. The Rt Revd. David Urquhart, Bishop of Birmingham
, stated he was determined to rebuild the church. It is believed that the fire was caused by arson
ists.
The clocks hourly chimes will also be reinstated.
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of Erdington
Erdington
Erdington is a suburb northeast of Birmingham city centre, England and bordering Sutton Coldfield. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee...
, in the north of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Background
It is located on the High Street, in the main shopping centre area of Erdington, and is a Grade II listed building. The vicar is the Reverend Freda Evans, inducted on June 19, 2008.History
The church was built as a chapel of easeChapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
between 1822-23 to a design by Thomas Rickman
Thomas Rickman
Thomas Rickman , was an English architect who was a major figure in the Gothic Revival.He was born at Maidenhead, Berkshire, into a large Quaker family, and avoided the medical career envisaged for him by his father, a grocer and druggist; he went into business for himself and married his first...
. The church was famous for its sixteen stained glass windows depicting scenes of the life of Jesus and stories from the scriptures, including the Raising of Lazarus
Lazarus of Bethany
Lazarus of Bethany, also known as Saint Lazarus or Lazarus of the Four Days, is the subject of a prominent miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death...
, The Resurrection
Resurrection appearances of Jesus
The major Resurrection appearances of Jesus in the Canonical gospels are reported to have occurred after his death, burial and resurrection, but prior to his Ascension. Among these primary sources, most scholars believe First Corinthians was written first, authored by Paul of Tarsus along with...
, The Good Samaritan
Parable of the Good Samaritan
The parable of the Good Samaritan is a parable told by Jesus and is mentioned in only one of the Canonical gospels. According to the Gospel of Luke a traveller is beaten, robbed, and left half dead along the road. First a priest and then a Levite come by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a...
and St Paul and St Barnabas
Barnabas
Barnabas , born Joseph, was an Early Christian, one of the earliest Christian disciples in Jerusalem. In terms of culture and background, he was a Hellenised Jew, specifically a Levite. Named an apostle in , he and Saint Paul undertook missionary journeys together and defended Gentile converts...
, which were also designed by Thomas Rickman. It was consecrated on July 23, 1824. The church was built by the Commissioners at a cost of £5,000, (£ as of ), £1,000 of which was collected through public donations. In 1858, a district chapelry
Chapelry
A chapelry was a subdivision of an ecclesiastical parish in England, and parts of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th century. It had a similar status to a township but was so named as it had a chapel which acted as a subsidiary place of worship to the main parish church...
was assigned to the church.
Fire
On the morning of 4 October 2007, the building was severely damaged by fire. West Midlands Fire ServiceWest Midlands Fire Service
West Midlands Fire Service is the statutory fire and rescue service responsible for fire protection, prevention, intervention and emergency rescue in the county of the West Midlands in England....
were called to a fire at the church at 6am. Approximately 75 firefighters and 15 engines attended the fire. The roof and all but one of the stained glass windows were completely destroyed, though the clock and bell tower and walls remain intact. The Rt Revd. David Urquhart, Bishop of Birmingham
Bishop of Birmingham
The Bishop of Birmingham heads the Church of England diocese of Birmingham, in the Province of Canterbury, in England.The diocese covers the North West of the historical county of Warwickshire and has its see in the City of Birmingham, West Midlands, where the seat of the diocese is located at the...
, stated he was determined to rebuild the church. It is believed that the fire was caused by arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
ists.
Temporary accommodation
St Barnabas Church is currently operating from other venues in Erdington - St. Barnabas Primary School, Sunday mornings at 10.00am with an 8.30am twice a month at 26 Church Road and Wednesday mornings, 10.30am at Six Ways Baptist Church.Tower Bells
St Barnabas has a ring of eight bells. They are currently silent during the rebuilding phase, but ringing will resume on completion.The clocks hourly chimes will also be reinstated.