HEN’S CH
EP 1861
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LAMB 2011
Happy birthday...
the newly built St
Stephen’s church held its first ever service, and
the parish of St Stephen, South Lambeth came
into being. Ever since, St Stephen’s has been
home to a group of people committed bringing
the love of Jesus Christ to our corner of London.
It didn’t come out of the blue. For some time
500 people had been attending services in a
public hall on Dorset Road. But the new 1200-
seat church, soon filled twice each Sunday, al-
lowed most of the population of the parish to
meet and worship Jesus.
And with 21 district visitors (the fore-runners of
today's social workers), the church also started
a life-long mission to make a difference in the
lives of those who were struggling with practical
and health needs.
Inside this issue of Encounter, you can read the
full story. There were ups and downs along the
way, but for 150 years St Stephen’s continued
to work, here in the midst of the community.
If you join us on Easter Sunday, you’ll be part of
history!
150
years
A day that changed
everything
a man came back to life from the
dead. On Friday he'd been executed, died and
put in the grave. On Sunday morning the grave
was empty and he was alive again, talking,
walking and eating with his astonished friends.
He was no ordinary man. His birth was marked
by events that are still celebrated 2000 years
later. As a young man, he spoke with such au-
news from your parish church
...to you!
thority and did such amazing things that he
was soon surrounded by crowds of followers.
Soon he was on his way to a gruesome death.
He'd committed no crime. His enemies had
him arrested, tried and found guilty on false
charges. He didn't even object. He seemed to
know that he'd come in order to die.
He’d made extraordinary claims and promises.
He claimed to be the Son of God. He offered a
completely new life – even for the outcasts of
society. For one long weekend it seemed that
they’d been empty words. But when he rose
from the dead, he proved the sceptics wrong,
and started a movement that has lasted to this
day.
If you join us on Easter Sunday, you might find
how that history can become part of you.
The empty tomb...
...what does it mean?
 The church in your community - 150 years
St Michael’s Church, Stock-
well, founded a National
St Stephen's and Infant School on Dorset
church held its first Road, and established a
service on 23rd ‘worship centre’ there.
April 1861. Built on
'a waste piece of The church built the New
ground at the back Dispensary (now 44
of Albert Square', Wilkinson St) to provide
the 1200-seat subsidised medical care
church had been for those who couldn't
paid for by the vicar afford it.
of Stockwell.
As well as taking The Fegan’s Society (now
over the running Fegan’s Child and Family
and funding of the Care) was founded.
school, St
Stephen’s had 21
volunteer District
Visitors (the fore- Parliament began to provide
runners of social some funding to church schools.
workers).

The State began to take over responsibility for deal-

Rev J Grundy became vicar. He found a difficult
situation caused by the 'outward drift' of better-
off people to the suburbs, which decreased the
church's income while increasing the needs. He
became very hard up and his health suffered.
ing with the problems of society, and the Church was
relegated to the ‘spiritual’ aspects of life. People
were becoming sceptical about traditional Christian
beliefs and looking for secular answers.

St Stephen’s School was the only local school to con-

After 36 years as vicar, Rev Grundy died in the tinue throughout the war, despite suffering two direct
church while preparing for a service. Electric lighting hits from bombs. The children had to walk in a croco-
was installed in his memory. dile to Spurgeon’s Orphanage for lunch.
 The typical congregation was only 7 people! 12 vicars turned
The first black children came to
down the job before Rev Corbett agreed to take it on for 3 years.
St Stephen’s School
But in 1961 nineteen people turned it down and St Stephen’s
was nearly closed. Rev Carroll had the ‘courage and imagination’
they were looking for. By 1965, the typical congregation was
40-50 adults and 150 children
When it came time
to demolish the
spire, it took 5 hours
The building was a massive problem - much too big and coming to just to get a safe
the end of its natural life. A building firm was contracted to demol- set-up ready. A
ish and rebuild the church and vicarage, in exchange for a 99-year crowd gathered to
lease on the rest of the land, to build flats. say goodbye... but a
Mervyn Stockwood, Bishop of Southwark, consecrated the new bonfire had been
building. Not everyone liked the functional and fortress-like design, built where it was
but it was celebrated as a sign of new life - a striking contrast to supposed to land, so
the fading grandeur and decay that it replaced. they had to delay
until next morning.

There were so many children

that the teachers finally
couldn’t cope. Sunday School
for children over 7 was closed
down, and the children were
welcomed to the main service,
so that the church could con-
centrate on building up the
adult congregation. It took 7
years before those groups
could be restarted.
The "church without
walls" project brought us St Stephen’s ran its first
the building we know community barbecue on
today. New large win- the Dorset Road Estate.
dows replaced the 1969
"slits". The annexe provid-
ed a clear entrance, a
place to sit, an accessi-
ble toilet and kitchen St Stephen’s held a
area. A new floor, ceiling Community Advice Day,
and lighting transformed ran the CAP Money
the dark and gloomy wor- course on managing
ship area into a bright, finance, and held a
inviting space. week of events entitled
‘Hope in Hard Times’.
Children’s corner
Looking to the
Count The Eggs
future...
We at St Stephen's have given church family and
ourselves a mission statement - others were available in church
‘To make disciples of Christ and to offer practical support, from
to serve our community in form filling to bike maintenance
Christ’. At the heart of all that to blood pressure checking. We
we do is our desire to see more are planning one later this year -
people in our community come we’ll let you know when it is.
to understand and experience We also offer courses in money
the love of Jesus for themselves. management and budgeting -
Jesus showed us that a life serv- the next one is in May. To book
ing others is a life that pleases a place please ring and leave a
Him. So we want to find ways, message on the answerphone,
within our resources, to bless or email us (see below).
the residents of our parish. Every blessing and joy to you
In January, we held a this Easter-time.
‘Community Advice Day’ when Bill Wilson

How many How many

ROAD
DO
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pink? green?

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TRADESCANT
LAMBET

LN
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How many How many WI
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IN

SOUTH
SO
blue? orange? N
ST

ALDEBERT TERR

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Published by St Stephen’s Church, St Stephen’s Terrace, London SW8 1DH
Church office: ( 020 7735 8461 8 admin@stschurch.org.uk