__NOTOC__ Whitefield's sometimes Whitfield's Tabernacle is a former

Calvinistic Methodist Calvinistic Methodists were born out of the 18th-century Welsh Methodist revival and survive as a body of Christians now forming the Presbyterian Church of Wales. Calvinistic Methodism became a major denomination in Wales, growing rapidly in the 1 ...

and

Congregational Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

(now

United Reformed The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Protestant Christian church in the United Kingdom. As of 2022 it has approximately 40,000 members in 1,284 congregations with 334 stipendiary ministers. Origins and history The United Reformed Church resulte ...

) church in Kingswood, a town on the eastern edge of Bristol where

George Whitefield George Whitefield (; 30 September 1770), also known as George Whitfield, was an Anglican cleric and evangelist who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement. Born in Gloucester, he matriculated at Pembroke College at th ...

preached in the open air to coal miners. The name refers to two buildings in which the congregation met. The congregation originally met in the New Society Room which was built in 1741 for

and

John Cennick John Cennick (12 December 1718 – 4 July 1755) was an English Methodist and Moravian evangelist and hymnwriter. He was born in Reading, Berkshire, England to an Anglican family and raised in the Church of England. According to Moravian Bisho ...

after a separation occurred between them and

John Wesley John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English people, English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The soci ...

. The former Society Room building was expanded to a large size in 1802, and is a

Grade I listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. It is now roofless and derelict after an arson attack. In 1851 a very large Gothic building, designed by Henry Masters, was constructed just west of the original tabernacle. Masters Church is Grade II listed. In 1983 this building was closed and the

United Reformed Church The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Protestant Christian church in the United Kingdom. As of 2022 it has approximately 40,000 members in 1,284 congregations with 334 stipendiary ministers. Origins and history The United Reformed Church resulte ...

congregation moved back into the original 18th-century building for a few years, before leaving both buildings to join together for worship with another congregation associated with the 18th-century revival, the

Moravian Church The Moravian Church ( cs, Moravská církev), or the Moravian Brethren, formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination, denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohem ...

, in the Moravian building on the other side of the High Street. The new unified congregation was named United Church Kingswood and continued to worship until it closed in January 2023. In 2003 the Tabernacle featured in the first series of BBC's ''

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

'' programme. As of 2007, there were plans for the redevelopment of the three listed buildings on the Tabernacle site, namely the two churches and the 18th century Chapel House. Besides various proposed memorial facilities, the plan included flats in the Chapel House and the 19th century building. The Tabernacle is owned by the Whitfield Tabernacle Trust, who acquired the building in January 2019. After years of disuse and dereliction following a fire in 2000, restoration work began on the tabernacle in 2021 with a view to turning it into a community arts centre following a £682,000 grant from Metro Mayor

Dan Norris Dan Norris (born 28 January 1960) is a British Labour Party politician serving as the Mayor of the West of England since May 2021. He previously served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wansdyke from 1997 to 2010. Norris served in governm ...

References

External links

* Ordnance Survey
Whitfield Tabernacle Trust

* * ttps://web.archive.org/web/20090906185926/http://www.southglos.gov.uk/NR/exeres/91ddbc91-4b76-4511-a846-4b07a2c71940 Whitfield Tabernacle Conservation Area
Restoration - Whitfield Tabernacle at South Gloucestershire Council site

The PG Group future project placeholder page with aerial artist's impression
{{Culture in Bristol 18th-century churches in the United Kingdom Churches in South Gloucestershire District Grade I listed churches in Gloucestershire Kingswood, South Gloucestershire Religious buildings and structures in the United Kingdom destroyed by arson Churches completed in 1741

See also

References

External links