St Helen's Bishopsgate is an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

church in London. It is located in Great St Helen's, off

Bishopsgate Bishopsgate was one of the eastern gates in London's former defensive wall. The gate gave its name to the Bishopsgate Ward of the City of London. The ward is traditionally divided into ''Bishopsgate Within'', inside the line wall, and ''Bishop ...

. It is the largest surviving parish church in the City of London. Several notable figures are buried there, and it contains more monuments than any other church in

Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality *Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record *Greater (song), "Greate ...

except Westminster Abbey, hence it is sometimes referred to as the "Westminster Abbey of the City". It was the parish church of William Shakespeare when he lived in the area in the 1590s. It was one of only a few churches in the City of London to survive both the Great Fire of 1666 and the Blitz. Owing to parish consolidation over the years, the parish is now named "St Helen's Bishopsgate with St Andrew Undershaft and St Ethelburga Bishopsgate and St Martin Outwich and St Mary Axe". The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors are the patrons of the benefice. Today, it is home to a large congregation in the

conservative evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...

tradition with a ministry to city workers, families, students and young professionals. Three English-speaking (and one Mandarin-speaking) church services take place each Sunday, as well as a number of midweek talks and small group Bible studies. The nearby churches

St Andrew Undershaft St Andrew Undershaft is a Church of England church in the City of London, the historic nucleus and modern financial centre of London. It is located on St Mary Axe, within the Aldgate ward, and is a rare example of a City church that survived both ...

and St Peter upon Cornhill are also administered by St Helen's.

History

Although it is thought that a Roman or a Saxon building might have stood on the site, the first mentions of the parish church of St Helen date back to the mid-12th century. In 1210, the Dean and chapter of St. Paul's gave William, son of William Goldsmith, permission to establish a priory of Benedictine nuns; and a nunnery was built alongside the existing church. The new church was wider than the parish church, and longer too, so the parish church was lengthened to match. The masonry of the outer walls as it currently stands was in place by 1300. The church was divided in two by a partition running from east to west, the northern half serving the nuns and the southern the parishioners. In 1480, four great arches were installed between the nun's choir and the parishioner's nave, and a wooden screen was put in place to separate the two. An additional screen was placed in the parish church to separate the chancel in the east end of the church, where the altar was located, from the nave. A crypt extended north from the church under the hall. Next to the church, the priory had extensive monastic buildings; they were later acquired and used by the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers until their demolition in 1799. The church is the only surviving building from a nunnery in the City of London. St helens bishopsgate

When the priory was dissolved in 1538, the nunnery was incorporated in the parish church and the screen separating it from the rest of the church was removed. This gave the church its unusual construction consisting of two naves. In the following years, the building was rearranged according the principles of the Reformation, which put the emphasis on the preaching of the Word and on the full and active participation of the congregation. A Jacobean

pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...

was erected in 1615 in a central position on the south wall, accompanied by an ornamental tester in 1640.

Box pews A box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th centuries. History in England Before the rise of Protestantism, seating was not customary in chu ...

were installed and arranged around the pulpit. In the 17th century, extensive repairs were carried out, most notably resulting in the addition of two Classical wooden doorcases. By the end of the century, a bell turret was also erected. St Helen's was one of only a few City of London churches to survive the

Great Fire of London The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Thursday 6 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the ...

of 1666. A new

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

and organ loft were installed on the west end of the church in 1742, designed by Thomas Griffin. In 1874 the parish was united with that of

St Martin Outwich St Martin Outwich was a parish church in the City of London, on the corner of Threadneedle Street and Bishopsgate. Of medieval origin, it was rebuilt at the end of the 18th century and demolished in 1874. Early history A church of St Martin w ...

when the latter's church was demolished, and the first incumbent of the new parish was

John Bathurst Deane John Bathurst Deane (27 August 1797 – 12 July 1887) was a South African-born English clergyman, schoolmaster, antiquary, and author. Early life and education Born at the Cape of Good Hope in 1797, Deane was the second son of Captain Charles M ...

. During the Victorian era, two significant restorations were carried out. The first, in 1865, provided the two stone tracery windows on the east end of the church and stained glass throughout the building. The second, more significant, Victorian restoration was carried out from 1891 to 1893 by John Loughborough Pearson under supervision of the then rector, John Alfred Lumb Airey. This restoration was inspired by the

Oxford movement The Oxford Movement was a movement of high church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the University of O ...

, which advocated moving the centre of importance in the church from

preaching A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. El ...

to the

sacrament A sacrament is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments ...

of the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

. This new arrangement resulted in a new floor with levels gradually ascending from the west to a new high altar in the east, completed by an ornated

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...

and marble pavement, once again enclosed in a chancel by a neo-Gothic screen. The organ was expanded and moved to the south transept, where two additional altars were also placed in two side chapels, the Chapel of the Holy Ghost and the Chapel of our Lady. The church was reopened on St John the Baptist's Day in 1893 by the Bishop of London, Frederick Temple. St Helen, Great St Helens, London EC3 - Pulpit - geograph

St Helen, Great St Helens, London EC3 - Pulpit - geograph

As the church had been used as a burial ground for centuries, it is thought that over a 1000 bodies had been interred in vaults under the floor by this period. The excavation of the floor at the start of the 1891 restoration caused some of the burials to emerge from the vaults: all work had to stop for one year until all human remains were translated to Ilford Cemetery, and a concrete slab was put in place between the floor and the remains of the vault. The church was left undamaged by the Blitz during World War II and it was designated a Grade I- listed building on 4 January 1950. When Dick Lucas became rector in 1961, St Helen's grew from a small congregation of a few individuals to a large thriving church within the

tradition of the Church of England, with a reputation for strong Bible teaching and preaching. As the City of London had grown to become a major business and

Financial centre A financial centre ( BE), financial center ( AE), or financial hub, is a location with a concentration of participants in banking, asset management, insurance or financial markets with venues and supporting services for these activities to ta ...

, the church started providing an active midweek ministry to City workers. Next to the lunchtime midweek talks for workers, the three Sunday services are now attended by a diverse range of people including students, young workers, families and internationals. In

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

and

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

, the church was badly damaged by two IRA bombs that were set off nearby. A full restoration was carried out by architect

Quinlan Terry John Quinlan Terry Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 24 July 1937) is a British architect. He was educated at Bryanston School and the Architectural Association School of Architecture. He was a pupil of architect Raymond Erith, with whom ...

, an enthusiast of

Georgian architecture Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, Georg ...

, and designed along Reformation lines. The floor was evened out and returned to its original level, which allowed for the installation of underfloor heating, a sound reinforcement system and a baptistry in front of the pulpit. A new gallery was erected on the west end to provide additional seating and house the organ, now returned to its original position. All the windows were glazed in clear glass. The Victorian screen was rotated by 90 degrees across the south transept, opening up the former chancel. A new door was opened in the south transept. All altars were removed, giving space to a restored Georgian

communion table Communion table or Lord's table are terms used by many Protestant churches—particularly from Reformed, Baptist and low church Anglican and Methodist bodies—for the table used for preparation of Holy Communion (a sacrament also called the '' ...

. The principles of this restoration sought to arrange the building once again around the

of the Word and strip it down of the

ritualistic A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, ...

elements added in Victorian times, following the needs of the large Evangelical congregation. This new arrangement allowed the seating capacity to be increased from 500 to a 1000, all in a large open space with a clear view on the

and lectern.

Activities

The church holds three English-speaking services each Sunday, one at 10:30 am, another at 4:00 pm, and a 6:00 pm evening service. The Sunday afternoon and evening services are followed by an informal meal and opportunities to socialise. A

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

-speaking service takes place each Sunday at 2:00 pm. A number of lunchtime talks and meetings take place during the working week, providing an opportunity for people who work in the City of London to hear the Christian message and be encouraged to live as Christians at works. There are also numerous small groups which meet at the church during the week. These include the "Read, Mark, Learn" (RML) groups which either study the

Gospel of Mark The Gospel of Mark), or simply Mark (which is also its most common form of abbreviation). is the second of the four canonical gospels and of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells of the ministry of Jesus from his baptism by John the Baptist to h ...

, the Gospel of John, the

Epistle to the Romans The Epistle to the Romans is the sixth book in the New Testament, and the longest of the thirteen Pauline epistles. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by Paul the Apostle to explain that salvation is offered through the gospel of J ...

or a Bible overview over the course of a year, and the Central Focus group which studies a whole variety of topics and books from the Bible. The church also runs the

Christianity Explored Christianity Explored is an informal Christian evangelistic teaching course developed by Rico Tice and Barry Cooper at All Souls Church, Langham Place, a leading Anglican church, and published by The Good Book Company. The course is considered to ...

course regularly. Some activities take place in the nearby church of St Peter upon Cornhill and the church of

, which are also administered by St Helen's.

Building

The present building is the result of a substantial restoration in 1993-1995 by architect

, after consistent damages were incurred by two IRA bombs in 1992 and 1993. The restoration resulted in a bright, large, flexible open-space interior that can be used in different configurations. It is equipped with modern lighting, underfloor heating, and public address system. Although some of the monuments were lost due to the bombings, the majority of them survived and were preserved in the building. File:St Helen's Bishopsgate interior - 3.jpg File:St Helen's Bishopsgate interior - 4.jpg

Memorials

# North wall of the nuns' choir, near the west end, Alderman John Robinson, 1599. An Elizabethan group of kneeling figures; the deceased and his wife with nine sons and seven daughters. # In the north-east corner, at the east end of the nuns' choir, altar tomb of Sir Thomas Gresham, 1579. Founder of the Royal Exchange and the Gresham Lectures. Before 1995, this space was known as the Gresham Memorial Chapel # In the south transept, Sir Julius Caesar Adelmare, 1636. Judge of the Court of Admiralty. Altar tomb with Latin epitaph in the form of a deed to which is affixed the broad seal of the deceased. Before 1995, this was located side by side the Gresham memorial. # In the south-east corner of the Gresham Memorial Chapel, Sir Andrew Judd 1558. Lord Mayor, citizen and skinner. Founder of Tonbridge School. # Under the chancel arch, north of where the high altar once stood, Sir William Pickering, 1574. Ambassador in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Altar tomb with recumbent figure surmounted by a lofty canopy. # Under the chancel arch, south where the high altar once stood, Sir John Crosby 1476 founder of Crosby Hall, and Agnes his wife. Altar tomb with recumbent figures. # In the south transept, Sir John Oteswich and his wife. Formerly in the church of

. # Against the south wall of the church, sightly to the west of the south entrance, Sir John Spencer and his wife, 1609. Altar tomb under a canopy with recumbent figures, and a third kneeling figure. File:St Helen, Great St Helens, London EC3 - Tomb chest - geograph.org.uk - 1089608.jpg , Sir Thomas Gresham memorial. File:St Helen's Bishopsgate interior - 2.jpg , Sir Julius Caesar Adelmare memorial. File:Figures on the John Spencer Memorial.jpg , Sir John Spencer memorial File:St Helen's Bishopsgate interior - 5.jpg , Victorian

Reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...

Organ

The organ dates from 1742 when an annuity organ by Thomas Griffin was installed. It has undergone several restorations since by builders such as

George Pike England George Pike England (ca.1765 – February 1815) was an English organ builder who was among the most prominent in England during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Life He was the son of organ builder George England and Mary Blasdale. He ...

in 1810, J. C. Bishop and Son in 1910 and 1923,

Hill, Norman and Beard William Hill & Son & Norman & Beard Limited (commonly known as Hill, Norman and Beard) were a major pipe organ manufacturer originally based in Norfolk. History They were founded in 1916 by the merger of Norman and Beard and William Hill & Sons ...

in 1929 and 1957 and Martin Goetze & Dominic Gwynn in 1996. A specification of the organ can be found on th
National Pipe Organ Register
St Helen, Great St Helens, London EC3 - West end - geograph

St Helen, Great St Helens, London EC3 - West end - geograph

The organ is of historic significance and has been awarded a Grade II* listing by the British Institute of Organ Studies.

Organists

*Thomas Griffin 1744–1771 *George Griffin 1771–1809 *William Henry Cutler 1809–1819 * George Warne 1819–1820 *Joseph Nightingale 1820–1842/7? *

William Richard Bexfield William Richard Bexfield (27 April 1824 – 28 October 1853) was an English composer. He is known particularly for his oratorio ''Israel Restored'', first performed two years before his early death. Early career Bexfield was born in Norwich on 27 ...

1848–1853 *Mr Deane 1854 *Miss A. Barton 1867 *Richard Simpkin 1995–present

Burials

John Crosby (died 1476) Sir John Crosby (died 1476) was a London merchant and alderman, diplomat and Member of Parliament. A House of York, Yorkist during the Wars of the Roses, he was knighted for his service in resisting an attack on London in 1471 by House of Lanc ...

* Robert Knollys (courtier) * William Holles * Richard Williams (alias Cromwell) * Andrew Judde * Thomas Gresham *Sir Alberico Gentili *

Robert Hooke Robert Hooke FRS (; 18 July 16353 March 1703) was an English polymath active as a scientist, natural philosopher and architect, who is credited to be one of two scientists to discover microorganisms in 1665 using a compound microscope that ...

Notable ministers

Rectors

* 1541 John Weste * 1571 Thomas * 1575 John Olivar * 1586 ? Lewis * 1592 Nicholas Felton * 1600 Lewis Hughes * 1603 Richard Ball, S.T.B. * 1613 Thomas Downing * 1618 Thomas Evans * 1619 William Laurence * 1621 Joseph Browne, A.M. * 1635 Richard Maden, S.T.B. * 1639 Matthias Milward * 1642 Thomas Edwards * 1645 Samuel Willis * 1647 Arthur Barham * 1663 John Sybbald, A.M * 1666 Thomas Horton, S.T.P. * 1674 Edward Pelling, A.M * 1678 Henry Hesketh, A.M. (nominated Bishop of Killala, 1689). * 1695 Thomas Willis, A.M * 1701 Samson Estwicke. S.T.B * 1713 William Butler, LL.B. (Prebendary of St. Pauls). * 1773 John Naish * 1795 Robert Watts, M.A. * 1799 James Blenkarne, M.A. * 1835 Charles Mackenzie, M.A. * 1847 John Thomas How Le Mesurier, M.A. ( Archdeacon of Gibraltar). * 1849 John Edmund Cox, D.D. * 1873–1887:

* 1887–1909: John Alfred Lumb Airey * 1909 Silvanus Taylor Hingston Saunders, M.A. * 1951–1953: Ronald Goodchild * 1953–1961: John Miller * 1961–1998: Dick Lucas * 1998–present: William Taylor

Curates

* 1954-1958: Gordon Jones * 1958-1960: Peter Coleman * 1961-1967: David Macinnes * 1970-1973: Ian Barclay * 1973-1978: Robert Howarth * 1976-1981: Jonathan Fletcher * 1977-1978: Thomas Oates * 1978-1982: James Spence * 1982-1984: Simon Manchester * 1985-1995: Hugh Palmer * 1990-1995: Justin Mote * 1994-1996: Carrie Sandom * 1994-1998: Richard Coombs * 1995-1998: William Taylor, now Rector * 1995-1998: Jonathan Juckes * 1998-2007: Nigel Beynon * 2000-2005: Simon Dowdy * 2002-2005: James de Costobadie * 2003–present: Charlie Skrine * 2003-2007: Ben Cooper * 2004-2011: Mark O'Donoghue * 2004-2009: Lee Gatiss, now director of the

Church Society Church Society is a conservative, evangelical Anglican organisation and registered charity formed in 1950 by the merger of the Anglican Church Association (founded 1865) and National Church League (founded 1906 by amalgamation of two earlier bodie ...

* 2005–present: Matt Fuller * 2007-2017:

Andrew Sach Andrew Sach is a contemporary evangelical Christian pastor, speaker and author. He is an ordained Church of England minister and holds a doctorate in neuroscience. He has written several Christian books and is a regular speaker at Word Alive an ...

* 2007-2012: Chris Fishlock * 2007-2013: Paul Clarke * 2007-2010: Andrew Towner * 2009–present: Aneirin Glyn * 2009-2014: Thomas Nash * 2010-2017: Jamie Child * 2016–present: Mickey Mantle

Church plants

St Helen's has been involved in numerous church planting initiatives, some within the auspices of the Church of England, some outside of it.

Notes

References

External links

Official websiteTalk by architect Quinlan Terry about the history of the building and its most recent restorationSt Helen's iOS appSt Helen's Android app
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bishopsgate, Saint Helen 13th-century church buildings in England Church of England church buildings in the City of London Evangelicalism in the Church of England Diocese of London Grade I listed churches in the City of London Pre–Great Fire churches in the City of London Monasteries dissolved under the English Reformation