Picture, if you will, a church born from a change of heart St Barnabas. Originally built as the Baptist Union Church in 1865 it was designed by William Wigginton. Its Gothic Revival style featured yellow brick banded with red and black.
Now known as St Barnabas Bethnal Green it stands at the junction of Roman Road and Grove Road. It is in the Bow West ward of Tower Hamlets. The church wasn’t always Anglican. In 1868 it was sold to the Church of England. In 1870 Bishop John Jackson consecrated St Barnabas. It became part of the parishes of St James the Less and St Simon Zelotes.
Imagine the late 19th century. St Luke’s, an Anglican mission run by St Simon Zelotes, already existed in 1865. But St Barnabas rose from different beginnings. Think of the broad chancel and nave. Envision the west gallery and the octagonal southwest tower topped with a spire. The building was not oriented in the traditional way.
Consider George Barnes, vicar from 1870 to 1902. He lived in a large brick vicarage built south of Roman Road in 1876. Barnes was also President of Sion College and rural dean of Spitalfields.
But the story of St Barnabas takes a dramatic turn. During the Second World War bombing severely damaged the church. The steeple was later removed. The church was rebuilt retaining the tower and north and south walls.
J Anthony Lewis of Michael Tapper & Lewis oversaw the remodelling. Don Potter created The Four Evangelists sculpture for the outside of the building around 1957. Potter also crafted a font in Clipsham stone. A two-manual electric Jennings organ was installed in 1957. The restored St Barnabas was rededicated on June 18 1957 by the Bishop of London.
Before 1965 St Barnabas was in the Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green. Now it is part of the Bow Group of Anglican churches. This group includes Bow Church, St Paul’s Bow Common, St Paul’s Old Ford and All Hallows Bow.
Let’s go back to the school connected with St Barnabas. St Barnabas National School formerly St Luke’s was in a Gothic building at the junction of Roman Road and Lanfranc Road. Founded in 1866 it also served as a mission church. Sadly it closed in 1905 and became a church institute.
Since 2006 the PCC of St Barnabas Bethnal Green has been affiliated with the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement. From 2003 to 2012 St Barnabas played a key role in the St Barnabas Community Fete also known as Bowstock. The church’s vicar Father Brian Ralph directed the fete.
So next time you pass by St Barnabas remember its layered history. From Baptist beginnings to Anglican resilience it stands as a testament to community and faith. It is more than just a building. It is a landmark with stories etched in its walls.