St Paul's Church, Whitley Bay

55°2′30.05″N 1°26′52.11″W / 55.0416806°N 1.4478083°W / 55.0416806; -1.4478083

St Paul's Church, Whitley Bay
St Paul's Church in Whitley Bay Town Centre
Map
DenominationChurch of England
ChurchmanshipAnglo-Catholic
History
DedicationSaint Paul
Architecture
Heritage designationGrade II
Architect(s)Anthony Salvin
Administration
ProvinceProvince of York
DioceseDiocese of Newcastle
DeaneryTynemouth
Clergy
Bishop(s)The Rt Revd Christine Hardman
Vicar(s)Fr John Vilaseca
Laity
Churchwarden(s)Sandra Graham and Lilian Martin.
Servers' guildAlison Lake

St Paul's Church is the parish church of Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, United Kingdom.The church was founded in 1864. The church's official title is St Paul's Church, Cullercoats but it is located near the centre of the town rather than the suburb of Cullercoats.

History

The building was designed by Anthony Salvin for the Duke of Northumberland. It is designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building.[1]

Present day

The church produces a regular newsletter and parish magazine. It also holds an annual summer fair and the St Nicholas Fair and Festival during the first weekend in Advent.

Ann Laing and Sandra Graham are the churchwardens.

The parish was in the Traditional Catholic tradition,[2] and passed resolutions to reject the ordination of women and so received alternative episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Beverley.[3] It has now rescinded those resolutions and receives episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Newcastle.

Parochial church council

The parochial church council (PCC) oversees the administration, finances and fabric of the church. The 22 member council, which meets monthly, comprises two clergy, one lay reader, two churchwardens, one treasurer, one diocesan synod representative (who attends meetings with others from the Diocese of Newcastle and Tynemouth Deanery), three deanery synod representatives (who attend meetings with others from the Tynemouth Deanery) and 12 lay members. All members except the clergy and lay reader are elected. The standing committee, consisting of five PCC members, deals with any emergency issues arising between meetings and sets agenda for PCC meetings.

Notable clergy

List of Vicars

Name Years of Service
Canon R. F. Wheeler 1861 - 1885
The Reverend E. Smith 1885 - 1916
The Reverend F. L. Cattell 1916 - 1924
The Reverend F. J. Burt 1924 - 1928
The Reverend F. M. Dowland 1928 - 1933
The Reverend J. E. Jenkins 1933 - 1941
The Reverend F. R. Hedley 1941 - 1955
The Reverend R. H. C. Henwood 1955 - 1963
The Reverend J. H. Chicken 1963 - 1972
The Reverend R. O. Stroud 1972 - 1977
The Reverend Peter V. Rendell 1977 - 1989
The Reverend Norman Aidan Banks 1990 - 2002
The Reverend Gavin Gilchrist 2002 - 2018
The Reverend John Vilaseca 2019 -

Music

The church has a 15-strong choir. A former organist, John Percival Forster, was killed in the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916, aged 28.[4] He was organist at St Paul's for six years from 1912 to 1916. A plaque commemorating his life remains to the right of the altar.

See also

References

  1. ^ Historic England, "Church of St Paul, Whitley Bay (1185615)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 1 October 2012
  2. ^ "St Paul, Cullercoats, Whitley Bay". A Church Near You. Archbishops' Council. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  3. ^ "St Paul, Cullercoats, Whitley Bay". See of Beverley. The Bishop of Beverley. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  4. ^ "Lost photo is key to restoring stone fountain at St Paul's Church in Whitley Bay - The Journal". Archived from the original on 28 April 2014.