Here, looming before us, is St John the Divine in Kennington. It stands as a testament to Victorian Gothic architecture. This magnificent church has a story etched in its very stones.
St John the Divine emerged from a 19th-century London backdrop. Victorian Britain saw prosperity coupled with stark poverty. Kennington was an area marked by hardship. The church arose as a mission. It aimed to bring the Christian Gospel to South London’s poor.
The story of St John the Divine begins with Reverend Daniel Elsdale. In 1866 he opened a district mission in a school. By 1868 the mission relocated. It found a new home in a school building.
A permanent church site was secured in 1870. But the original architect was changed in 1871. Reverend Charles Edward Brooke supported a design by George Edmund Street.
Street specialized in the Gothic Revival style. He designed St John the Divine in stages. These stages were chancel, nave, tower, and spire.
Public appeals funded the building work. Reverend Daniel Elsdale became the first vicar in 1872. One anonymous donor gave generously to the church. It was later revealed that Reverend C. E. Brooke was the donor.
Bishop Harold Browne consecrated St John the Divine on November 14 1874. Only the nave had been completed by that time. Work continued through the 1870s and 1880s. The spire was completed seventeen years after laying the foundations. The tower stood tall at 200 feet. It became South London’s tallest church spire.
St John the Divine became associated with the Oxford Movement. It championed Anglo-Catholic worship. The church’s interior reflected this. It featured stone carvings and stained-glass windows.
Tragedy struck during the Second World War. German bombs severely damaged St John the Divine in 1941. The roofs, vaults, and furnishings suffered great damage.
Reconstruction began in the 1950s. The aim was to restore the church to Street’s original design. In 1955 the work began. The roofs, vaults and stonework were repaired. New fittings were designed.
In 1994 the spire and tower underwent extensive restoration. Carved grotesques and gargoyles were added. These carvings include caricatures of the Royal Family. You can spot The Queen, Prince Charles, and Prince William.
Look behind the altar. You’ll see murals painted by Brian Thomas in 1966. The left panel depicts the Virgin Mary and Jesus. The right-hand panel shows Mary holding the body of Christ.
Above the North door hangs the ‘Korean Icon’. It serves as a memorial to Bishop Charles John Corfe. He founded the Anglican Church of Korea in 1890.
Notice the Kelham Rood on the south side. It is a life-size bronze sculpture of Christ on the Cross. Charles Sargeant Jagger designed it.
St John the Divine continues to be a place of worship. Its services are generally in the Anglo-Catholic style. They emphasize sacraments liturgy and ceremony.
So, as you stand before St John the Divine remember its history. It is a story of faith, resilience, and architectural grandeur. The church reflects the spirit of Kennington.