St Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church is a church in

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, located at the south-west corner of the intersection of Allen Street and Scarsdale Villas. It is dedicated to the founder of the

Church of Alexandria The Church of Alexandria in Egypt is the Christian Church headed by the Patriarch of Alexandria. It is one of the original Apostolic Sees of Christianity, alongside Rome, Antioch, Constantinople and Jerusalem. Tradition holds that the Church of ...

Mark the Evangelist Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Acco ...

. It should not be confused with an Anglican church of the same name in Kennington, also in London. The building was previously St John's Presbyterian Church and was opened in 1863. Purchased from the

Scottish Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

church in 1975, St Mark's was the first

Coptic Orthodox church The Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ϯⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ, translit=Ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos, lit=the Egyptian Orthodox Church; ar, الكنيسة القبطي� ...

in Europe. It was the seed church of the

Coptic Orthodox Church in Britain and Ireland The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria has several churches in Great Britain and Ireland under the jurisdiction of four diocesan bishops. The first liturgical service prayed in the British Isles took place in London on 10 August 1954, officiat ...

, first served by three

hieromonk A hieromonk ( el, Ἱερομόναχος, Ieromonachos; ka, მღვდელმონაზონი, tr; Slavonic: ''Ieromonakh'', ro, Ieromonah), also called a priestmonk, is a monk who is also a priest in the Eastern Orthodox Church and E ...

s who later became members of the

Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the highest Orthodox authority in the Coptic Orthodox Church. It formulates the rules and regulations regarding matters of the Church's organisation and faith. The synod is chaired by ...

. Services are conducted in both English and Arabic. The exterior of the church has remained almost unchanged since its construction in 1862–1863 in the

Victorian Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style. However, the interior has changed significantly since then: in the 19th century to address aesthetic and practical issues apparent after the initial construction, involving several architects in the changes, and in the 20th century with its conversion to a Coptic Orthodox church. As part of the conversion, it was the first church outside Egypt to display Neo-Coptic iconography.

History

Construction (1862–1863)

The construction of the church building originated in a suggestion made by the minister of the Regent Square church to the Reverend Gavin Carlyle, a nephew of

Edward Irving Edward Irving (4 August 17927 December 1834) was a Scottish clergyman, generally regarded as the main figure behind the foundation of the Catholic Apostolic Church. Early life Edward Irving was born at Annan, Annandale the second son of Ga ...

, that Carlyle should travel from Edinburgh to preach in London. Tenders for the construction were accepted in July 1862, and in December the trustees accepted a 99-year lease at the site. The architect, J. M. McCulloch, and the builders, R. and A. M. Greig, quoted a price of £3,368, but costs eventually rose to £6,000 as the church was opened in May 1863.

As a Scottish Presbyterian church (1863–1975)

After the initial construction was completed, there were practical problems and aesthetic discontent with the interior of the church. A visitor to the church remarked: To attempt to address these issues, alterations were soon begun. In 1866–1867, advice was sought from

J. J. Stevenson John James Stevenson FRSE FSA FRIBA (24 August 1831 – 5 May 1908), usually referred to as J. J. Stevenson, was a British architect of the late-Victorian era. Born in Glasgow, he worked in Glasgow, Edinburgh and London. He is particularly asso ...

about acoustical matters, and in particular the design of the pulpit. An architect, J. Theodore Barker, made large charges between 1876–1880 and 1882. A

chancel arch In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Over ...

was inserted, galleries inserted at either end of the

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...

to increase the seating from 500 to 750. A missing organ was supplied and the pulpit replaced. The heating apparatus and stained glass were also replaced in the work. The last service of the Presbyterian church was held in October 1975. The congregation joined the former Congregational Kensington Chapel further up Allen Street, within the Kensington United Reformed Church.

As a Coptic Orthodox church (1975–present)

St Mark's Coptic Church Interior, London, UK - Diliff

In 1975 St John's was sold to the Coptic Orthodox Church and has been home to the congregation of St Mark's ever since. The church was consecrated by

Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria Pope Shenouda III (; cop, Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ Ⲁⲃⲃⲁ Ϣⲉⲛⲟⲩϯ ⲅ̅ '; ar, بابا الإسكندرية شنودة الثالث '; 3 August 1923 – 17 March 2012) was the List of Coptic Orthodox Popes of Alexandria, 117th ...

in 1979, as the first Coptic church in Europe.

Ministry and functions

A single holy liturgy is held each morning from Tuesday to Saturday, with two Sunday liturgies, one in Arabic and one in English.

Description

The church is built in the

style.

Exterior

Externally the church stands about the same as when it was first constructed in 1863.

Interior

Iconography

St Mark's was the first church outside of Egypt to display Neo-Coptic iconography. There are two stained glass windows, and a cycle of narrative icons, including a very large icon depicting the martyrdom of

Saint Mark Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Accor ...

References

External links

*
St Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church – Official website
{{Churches in Kensington and Chelsea Coptic Orthodox churches in the United Kingdom Oriental Orthodox congregations established in the 20th century Churches in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Church buildings converted to a different denomination Kensington 20th-century churches in the United Kingdom 20th-century Oriental Orthodox church buildings