Christ Church Cambridge

Christ Church Cambridge is a Church of England parish church in central Cambridge, between Newmarket Road and the Grafton Centre. The church is within the conservative evangelical tradition and participates in the Reform movement.[1] The current vicar is Steve Midgley. Christ Church was a 'grafting' scheme from St Andrew the Great in 2004, when a group of around 100 adults and children moved with Steve Midgley.[2]

For the church of the same name in Massachusetts, see Christ Church (Cambridge, Massachusetts).
Christ Church Cambridge
CountryUnited Kingdom
DenominationChurch of England
ChurchmanshipConservative Evangelical
WebsiteChurch website
Administration
DioceseDiocese of Ely
Clergy
Bishop(s)The Rt Revd Rod Thomas (AEO)
Vicar(s)Steve Midgley

Activities

The church is open for public services every Sunday: 9:30am, 11.15am and 6:30pm. Every other week there is a more traditional service at 4pm. There are a number of Sunday school groups for children in the morning services. There are a number of group meetings during the week.[3]

History

Christ Church was consecrated by Joseph Allen, Bishop of Ely, on 27 June 1839. It had been built at a cost of £3,800. This amount included a donation of £200 from Charles Perry, a keen evangelist: he was later appointed the first Archbishop of Melbourne and was one of the founders of both Ridley Hall, Cambridge and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.

Christ Church stands in the parish of St Andrew the Less. St Andrew's Church, known today as the Abbey Church, was closed for public worship by the time Christ Church was built. For this reason Christ Church used as the parish church and in January 1846 the arrangement was formalized legally. The interior of Christ Church is 58 feet wide, 87 feet long, and at 44 feet high. Rather than the usual east–west orientation, Christ Church faces south. Stained glass was fitted in 1885. The font cover was given by the Sunday school children.

In 1973, Christ Church was renovated with a floor at gallery level added; creating a worship area upstairs as well as space on the ground floor for a hall, committee rooms, kitchen and toilets.

Present day

The church is within the Conservative Evangelical tradition of the Church of England.[4] It has passed resolutions to reject the ordination of women and/or leadership of women.[5]

The Abbey Church

The little Abbey Church, formerly known as St Andrew the Less, on Newmarket Road was once overshadowed by the magnificent Barnwell Priory which stood behind it, nearer the river. The only Priory building remaining today is the Cellarer's Chequer at the corner of Beche Road and Priory Road. The Abbey Church was probably built by the Augustinian Canons of the Priory in the early thirteenth century for use by the inhabitants of Barnwell. Only the church and six of the hamlet's 50 houses escaped destruction in a fire on 30 September 1731.

References
  1. "Local churches linked to Reform". Archived from the original on 2016-06-19. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
  2. Ash, Christopher, Davis, Mary and White, Bob (2012). "Persistently Preaching Christ", p. 123. Christian Focus Publications, Fearn. ISBN 9781845509828.
  3. Christ Church Cambridge website
  4. "Christ Church Cambridge (St Andrew the Less), Cambridge". A Church Near You. Archbishops' Council. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  5. "Christmas 2016 Newsletter" (pdf). bishopofmaidstone.org. December 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.

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