ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND THROUGH THE USE OF ITS COMMUNITY BUILDINGS: NEWHAM 1945-2010 JOHN BROWN A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Anglia Ruskin University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Submitted: January 2014 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge those many people who have helped by providing information, and offering comment and advise about this study, including, invaluably, my supervisors: Jeremy Morris and Rohan McWilliam. The present and former clergy and laity of Newham parishes who have welcomed and provided me with information when I visited their churches in person or who responded to my telephone calls, e-mails, and letters requesting information: In the case-study parishes: I would like to thank Alan Bright, Madeline Clarke, Anne Cross, Jane Freeman, Doris Goodchild, Don Jones, Alec Kellaway, Ellen Kemp, Simon Law, Stephen Lowe, Helen Palmer, Martin Purdy, Linda Steward, Peter Stow, Martin Wallace, and John Whitwell. I would also like to thank the congregations of St Bartholomew’s, East Ham and the East Ham Team, St Mark’s Forest Gate, St Michael’s, Little Ilford and St Mark’s, Beckton. And elsewhere: I am grateful to the copyright owners of photographs and plans who kindly allowed permission to use their material in this study. I am also indebted to the staff of: the Essex County Records Office, Stratford Local Studies Archive, Lambeth Place Library, the British Library, Colindale Newspaper Library, Kings College Library, London, the Institute for Historical Research, The Royal Institute of British Architects Library, Portland Place, Birmingham University Library, Essex University Library, British Telecom Library, London, Senate House Library, Anglia Ruskin University Library, Chelmsford Cathedral Library. In addition for access to archive material, I wish to thank Michel Fox, Colin Marchant, Ann Easter and Newham Community Renewal Programme Archive, Brian Lewis, Peter Stow, i Brenda Januszewski, Jane Freeman, Felstead School, Terry Grey and the Diocese of Chelmsford. Thanks also to Colin Marchant, and Jane Freeman for reading through drafts of this thesis and offering much encouragement. I would like to record my gratitude to those responsible for administering the Continuing Ministerial Development grants for Diocese of Chelmsford and Venerable Elwin Cockett and London Over the Border Council for part funding this research. I am very grateful to my own parish of St Luke’s, Great Ilford for allowing me to take time to research this subject. Finally, I would like to thank June Bassenger and Richard Finch who have been an invaluable support in proof-reading the work. ii ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY ABSTRACT FACULTY OF HUMANITIES DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND THROUGH THE USE OF ITS COMMUNITY BUILDINGS: NEWHAM 1945-2010 JOHN BROWN January 2014 This thesis seeks to re-examine theories of religious decline in the inner-city. From Edward Wickham (Church and People in an Industrial City) to Callum Brown (The Death of Christian Britain), decline and death have defined inner-city Christianity. In the late twentieth century the Church of England in Newham began a process of renewal by creating combined churches and community centres in a number of its parishes. Examining the motivation behind these projects creates a more nuanced understanding of the present secularization debate. Four churches were chosen that underwent this process to reflect the diversity and complexity of this approach. This work draws on minutes, reports, newspapers, interviews and oral histories. This is a study of how one area of East London renewed itself, inspired by the theological approach of J. G. Davies and his followers. Far from discovering the Church in its death knell, evidence emerges of an energetic, highly motivated Christian community, able to draw funds and expertise into this process of renewal. The Church of England is still willing to reassert its mission to the inner-city and expand its sphere of influence to encompass communal activities in a process of reclaiming a role within Newham life. The Anglican Church has defied notions of decline and secularization, and this study reveals an inner-city part of London that has a thriving religious culture. The renewal of its buildings has enabled the church to carve a role out within the community that ensure it remains positive, financially stable and numerically more resilient that its suburban neighbours. This suggests that the predictions of the death of Christian Britain are premature in this instant and arguments about decline have to be further evaluated in the light of this study. Four key words: Secularization, Theology, Community, Church. iii The changing role of the Church of England through the use of its community buildings: Newham 1945-2010 Page No Acknowledgments: i Abstract: iii Table of Contents: iv List of Illustrations and Maps: vii List of Tables: ix List of Appendices: x Abbreviations: xi Copyright Declaration: xiv Introduction: 1 The complexity of class and religion 5 Callum Brown and the death of Christian Britain 9 The response by the Church 12 Further revision and a broader understanding of religion 13 Religion in Newham 17 The place of buildings in the debate 19 A theology of service 21 The present 23 Chapter 1: From County Borough to Urban Priority Area: Newham 1945-2010 33 Introduction 33 Winning the peace 34 Post-war reconstruction 38 Industry 40 Population 47 Immigration 49 Poverty of plant 56 The Church of England 59 Conclusion 68 Chapter 2: Early models of community development by Christians in Newham 69 Introduction 69 The origins 71 Surviving the peace 75 Personnel and management 80 iv Attitudes and assumptions 85 Finance 90 Christianity 94 What did these agencies do? 100 Connections 105 Conclusion 107 Chapter 3: St Bartholomew’s development 108 Introduction 108 Its origins 109 The crisis 111 Responding to the crisis, changing role 115 Stephen Lowe 116 Martin Purdy 122 The Laity 123 Chelmsford 131 Theology 134 Funding 145 Partners 153 Conclusion 158 Chapter 4: Developing community: three case studies 160 Introduction 160 St Mark’s, Forest Gate 164 St Michael’s, Little Ilford 180 St Mark’s, Beckton 200 Conclusion 209 Chapter 5: Survival and change: Newham churches 1990-2010 211 Introduction 211 Have their hopes and aspirations been fulfilled? 211 Have these projects been sustainable? 223 Have these centres succeeded? 229 Electoral rolls 231 Stipends 236 Identity 238 Icons 243 Outlook 247 What impact the developments have had on the wider Church? 248 Old Rivals 256 Conclusion 257 v Conclusion 259 Further areas of study 276 Appendices 282 Bibliography 287 vi List of Illustrations and Maps. Introduction J. G. Davies xv Fig. 1.1 Dorniers over West Ham, c. 1940 34 Fig. 1.2 Interior of St Bartholomew’s Church 35 Fig. 1.3 A couple marry in the bombed out ruins of St Bartholomew’s 37 Fig. 1.4 Pupils from Plaistow Grammar School 48 Fig. 1.5 St John’s, North Woolwich 62 Fig. 1.6 Front Cover of the Barking Urban Mission Project 66 Fig. 2.1 The Mayflower Family Centre 72 Fig. 2.2 Main entrance of Fairbairn Hall 75 Fig. 3.1 St Mary’s, East Ham 110 Fig. 3.2 Altar frontal 129 Fig. 3.3 St Bartholomew’s Church in the process of demolition 133 Fig. 3.4 Font at St Bartholomew’s Church, East Ham 144 Fig. 4.1 The old St Mark’s, Forest Gate 165 Fig. 4.2 The new St Mark’s, Forest Gate 169 Fig. 4.3 The design of the cross on the main entrance to St Mark’s, Forest Gate 173 Fig. 4. 4 St Mary’s, Little Ilford 181 Fig. 4.5 The Little Eye Club 183 Fig. 4.6 St John’s Institute, Manor Park 184 Fig. 4.7 Original design for St Michael’s, Little Ilford 188 Fig. 5.1 The cross outside St Bartholomew’s, East Ham 244 vii Fig. 5.2 Sculpture outside St Bartholomew’s, East Ham 246 Fig. 5.3 St Luke’s, Canning Town 252 Map 3.1 The parish of East Ham. 108 Map 4. 1. The parish of St Mark’s, Forest Gate 164 Map 4.2 The parish of Little Ilford 180 Map 4.3 The parish of Beckton 200 viii List of Tables. Table 5.1 ELECTORAL ROLL MEMBERSHIP OF THE PARISHES IN NEWHAM DEANERY BETWEEN 1975 & 2009 233 Table 5.2 ELECTORAL ROLL MEMBERSHIP OF THE PARISHES IN HAVERING DEANERY BETWEEN 1975 & 2009 235 Table 5.3 FIVE DEANERIES IN EAST LONDON LISTING THE NUMBER OF PARISHES AND THE NUMBER OF REDEVELOPED SITES WITH A PERCENTAGE OF WHOLE. 254 ix List of Appendices Appendix 1 List of actors born or who grew up in Newham 282 Appendix 2 List of missions and settlements in East and West Ham 283 Appendix 3 Diocese of Chelmsford. Parish Share. Newham Deanery 1997 284 Appendix 4 Diocese of Chelmsford. Parish Share. Havering Deanery 1997 285 Appendix 5 List of Anglican churches in Newham and level of development over the past fifty years 286 x Abbreviations. AA Alcoholics Anonymous APEC Architects, Planners, and Ecclesiastical Consultants ARCIC Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission BT British Telecom CMS Church Missionary Society CTWS Canning Town Women’s Settlement CUF Church Urban Fund DBF Diocesan Board of Finance DCC District Church Council ECRO Essex County Records Office Fig Figure GLC Greater London Council GP General Practitioner GPs General Practitioners HMQ Her Majesty the Queen ICI Imperial Chemical Industries LBC London Broadcasting Corporation LBN London Borough of Newham LCC London County Council LDDC London Dockland Development Corporation LEP Local Ecumenical Project LOB London Over the Border LWT London Weekend Television MA Master of Arts MP Member of Parliament NCRP Newham Community Renewal Programme NCRPA Newham Community Renewal Programme Archive NHS National Health Service No.