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Old Aug 22nd, 2011, 03:43 PM
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church in central London

Hello

Just wondering if there are any Protestant churches in central London near a tube station. I would like to attend a church service on Sunday. Any suggestions?
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Old Aug 22nd, 2011, 03:49 PM
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There are very many churches in London. If you tell us what kind of a church you are looking for and denomination, we can help you further. A service in one of famous churches is always memorable, such as St Paul's, Westminster Abbey, St Martins-in-the-Fields, All Souls Langham Place etc. They all have own websites with service times etc.
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Old Aug 22nd, 2011, 04:34 PM
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It would help to know what denomination you are looking for. Church of England is the equivalent of Episcopalian in the US - is that what you are looking for? Or do you have some other denomination in mind?
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Old Aug 23rd, 2011, 12:50 AM
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Forgive me, I laughed out loud at your post, as there's a protestant church on virtually every street in London as the Church of England (anglican) is our official state religion. As Alec mentions, our most famous cathedrals are protestant and would be a memorable experience.

Or would you rather go to one near your hotel? If you tell us where you are staying, we can suggest somewhere.

There are many stunning churches dating from early Medieval through to 18th century, perhaps you'd like one that suits your architectural as well as spiritual tastes?
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Old Aug 23rd, 2011, 02:50 AM
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Topping this as I suspect the OP is not looking for any sort (high or low) of Anglican parish in particular.
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Old Aug 23rd, 2011, 03:33 AM
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If you are interested in history/Dan Brown, a service in the Temple Church might appeal.

Great music too!
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Old Aug 23rd, 2011, 04:19 AM
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Just for fun I googled "churches in central london" and came with this this:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/pls/porta...1/48345702.PDF

If you're staying in a hotel they will have a list of churches in the area.

I think asking for Protestant churches in London is like asking if there are any Catholic churches in Rome!
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Old Aug 23rd, 2011, 08:18 AM
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"I think asking for Protestant churches in London is like asking if there are any Catholic churches in Rome!"

Oddly, it isn't if you're a normal tourist. The list from Imperial College, BTW,is a very odd and tiny proportion of central London churches.

Medieval London was stuffed with churches, practically all now Protestant. But they were all in the City, the financial area now almost entirely bereft of hotels or resident population. As London extended West and North, virtually no new churches of any denomination in the newly developed areas were built between 1540 and the Napoleonic Wars.(virtually all those Wren and Hawksmoor churches simply replaced the mediaeval churches destroyed in 1666).

By the time London's relatively ungodly population began building churches again in the 1820s, Catholics has been emancipated, mass Irish immigration was beginning and the building of new Anglican churches in the areas where tourists currently stay only roughly matched the number of new Catholic churches.

Since England became the developed world's most irreligious country around 1970, Anglicans have had a growing problem of redundant churches. Most have been handed over to other religions: often Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Eastern Orthodox, or the more exotic forms of non-European Christianity.

Even apparently Protestant churches can't guarantee a Protestant service: the church I attend most frequently is kept going by weekly Catholic masses: it can only run to an Anglican service once a month. And probably no church in the world outside Jerusalem is host to so many varieties of Christianity (almost all non-Protestant) as St Dunstan's In The West (http://www.stdunstaninthewest.org/homepage.htm)

Protestants now account for less than a third of London's places of worship.

All of which said, the easiest way to find a Reformed Church (to add to the pedantry, many Anglicans are rather offended at being called Protestant) is to use the Anglican diocese of London ChurchFinder(www.london.anglican.org/ChurchFinder.)
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Old Aug 23rd, 2011, 08:51 AM
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Hello everybody

Thank you for all your replies. I will visit All Soul's Church as I am staying near Great Portland Street tube station.
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Old Aug 23rd, 2011, 09:36 AM
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there is a huge Prod church right opposite Big Ben and Houses of Parliament - I believe it is the British HQs temple or whtever they call it of the Methodist Church - huge cathedral-like interior.
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Old Aug 23rd, 2011, 01:26 PM
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http://www.methodist-central-hall.org.uk/
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