The Church of St James the Great is a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...

, County Durham. The church is a grade II listed building.

History

The parish was created in 1872 when it was taken out of the parish of

St John's Church, Darlington St John the Evangelist's Church, Darlington is a Grade II listed former Church of England church on Neasham Road, Darlington, County Durham. History The church was designed by John Middleton and built between 1847 and 1849. The foundation s ...

. The plans for the new church were drawn up in 1873 by the architects Ross and Lamb of Darlington and the foundation stone was laid by the Mayor of Darlington, H.F. Pease on 14 April 1875. Simpson and Cowling were the contractors responsible for the masonry. The joinery was undertaken by R.T. Smith. The slating was given to Pattison and Son and the plumbing and glazing to R. Smith. The clerk of works was Mr. Davison. All of the contractors were local employers. The church was built in a cruciform shape with an aisleless

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

. It was consecrated by the

Bishop of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...

Rt Revd Charles Baring on 30 August 1876. On 28 April 1952, the church was designated a grade II listed building.

Present day

In 2012, the parish priest and at least 50 members of the congregation left St James' and the Church of England to join the

Ordinariate In the organisation of the Catholic Church and of the Anglican CommunionSee, for example, thAnglican Military Ordinariate in Canada an ordinariate is a pre- or pseudo-diocesan ecclesiastical structure, of geographical or personal nature, headed by a ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. The parish stands in the

Traditional Catholic A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays o ...

tradition A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

of the

. As it rejects the

ordination of women The ordination of women to ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice among some contemporary major religious groups. It remains a controversial issue in certain Christian traditions and most denominations in which "ordina ...

, the church receives alternative episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Beverley (currently

Stephen Race Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

Organ

A pipe organ was installed in 1900 by Lewis and Co and dedicated on 28 June 1900 by the vicar of Darlington, Revd. F.W. Mortimer. The specification can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. This organ was later sold to St Andrew's Church, Ingleby, Greenhow in North Yorkshire and replaced by an electronic instrument.

References

External links

A Church Near You entry

Parish website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint James the Great, Darlington Church of England church buildings in County Durham Grade II listed churches in County Durham Anglo-Catholic churches in England receiving AEO Saint James the Great Churches completed in 1876