Swaythling Methodist Church
Encyclopedia
Swaythling Methodist Church is a local church
and a grade II listed church building in Swaythling
, Southampton
. The building hosts, and is managed by, a partnership of three churches; Swaythling Methodist Church itself, City Life Church, and an offshoot of New Community Church called Flower of Justice.
and some workshops. Designed by Herbert Collins
in a neo-Georgian
style and built in 1932, the main auditorium is octagonal with a balcony over the entrance porch; the balcony is accessible via two stair towers on the north face. Attached to the south side is a wing containing other halls and rooms. Separate buildings on the west of the site contain some workshops and the manse. The roof of the main hall is shallowly domed and clad in copper, topped by a copper-clad cupola.
The whole site was grade II listed on 20 November 1997.
with full cinema facilities.. The projector room is still present.
City Life Church began in the 1970s as a youth group which broke away from nearby Swaythling Baptist Church. The fellowship has adopted several names during its history, changing from City Gate to City Life in 2000, and is part of the national Pioneer Network. The church occupies the main Swaythling Methodist Church auditorium on Sunday mornings.
New Community Church's origins are also in the 1970s; the church formed from a group of students at the University of Southampton
. The main body of the church meets at Central Hall in Southampton City Centre
, which the church owns, but a small group called Flower of Justice, which has a focus on the Flowers Estate in Swaythling and Bassett Green
, meets at Swaythling Methodist Church.
Local church
A local church is a Christian congregation of members and clergy.Local church may also refer to:* Local churches , a Christian group based on the teachings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, and associated with the Living Stream Ministry publishing house.* Parish church, a local church united with...
and a grade II listed church building in Swaythling
Swaythling
Swaythling was once a village but over the years it has gradually become a suburb and electoral ward of Southampton in Hampshire, England. The ward has a population of 13,394....
, Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
. The building hosts, and is managed by, a partnership of three churches; Swaythling Methodist Church itself, City Life Church, and an offshoot of New Community Church called Flower of Justice.
Building
The building is extensive and includes a number of halls and smaller rooms in addition to the main auditorium, as well as a manseManse
A manse is a house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of a Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist or United Church...
and some workshops. Designed by Herbert Collins
Herbert Collins
Herbert Collins was a British architect. He designed many of the suburban developments in the city of Southampton in the 1920s and 1930s.-Life:...
in a neo-Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
style and built in 1932, the main auditorium is octagonal with a balcony over the entrance porch; the balcony is accessible via two stair towers on the north face. Attached to the south side is a wing containing other halls and rooms. Separate buildings on the west of the site contain some workshops and the manse. The roof of the main hall is shallowly domed and clad in copper, topped by a copper-clad cupola.
The whole site was grade II listed on 20 November 1997.
Churches
Swaythling Methodist Church was established by architect Herbert Collins following his construction of many houses in the surrounding area, with the remit "I have built the houses, now build a place for the people to go". The buildings were constructed in partnership with J. Arthur RankJ. Arthur Rank
Joseph Arthur Rank, 1st Baron Rank was a British industrialist and film producer, and founder of the Rank Organisation, now known as The Rank Group Plc.- Family business :...
with full cinema facilities.. The projector room is still present.
City Life Church began in the 1970s as a youth group which broke away from nearby Swaythling Baptist Church. The fellowship has adopted several names during its history, changing from City Gate to City Life in 2000, and is part of the national Pioneer Network. The church occupies the main Swaythling Methodist Church auditorium on Sunday mornings.
New Community Church's origins are also in the 1970s; the church formed from a group of students at the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
. The main body of the church meets at Central Hall in Southampton City Centre
Southampton City Centre
Southampton City Centre is the commercial and organisational centre of the City of Southampton, and the transport hub of the city. Because Southampton is on the South Coast of England, the city centre is not at the geometric centre of the city, but at the southern extremity.The traditional heart...
, which the church owns, but a small group called Flower of Justice, which has a focus on the Flowers Estate in Swaythling and Bassett Green
Bassett Green
Bassett Green is a suburb of Southampton, which has grown from the original small village of Basset. It remains part of the electoral ward of Bassett. The area is mainly residential, with a mixture of Herbert Collins-designed houses and recent council built estates known as the Flowers Estate and...
, meets at Swaythling Methodist Church.