Holy Trinity Church Ship Street Newspapers

Churches - Bevendean History Project

Holy Trinity Church, Ship Street - Newspaper Articles

Brighton Church to Disappear

It is another remarkable coincidence that the period during which the “Brighton Herald” seeks the hospitable shelter of the Chapel Royal Hall is a period when the very future of the Chapel Royal itself is in suspense.
A Bishop’s Commission has been sitting, and will sit again on July 19, to determine which of the 2 churches shall be abolished – the Chapel Royal or Holy Trinity Church in Ship Street.
One of the 2 has to go. It has long been obvious that there is no demand for both of these churches in the centre of Brighton.
The district is occupied by business houses, and is largely deserted on a Sunday. One building in one parish will easily is satisfy the needs of the district now divided between them. So, very sensibly, the authorities have decided that the 2 parishes are to be amalgamated, and that one of the buildings is to be sold, the proceeds to be devoted to the building of the new church that soon will be so sorely needed at Moulsecoomb. With this decision no independent person could quarrel. Moulsecoomb needs a church. Brighton has one which it does not want.
The painful question then arises: which church is to go? Shall it be the Chapel Royal? Shall at the Holy Trinity? Both have strong claims for preservation.
The Chapel Royal is the older building, and is closely woven into the history of Brighton. Built in 1793, it ranks next in age among the established churches to the venerable church of St Nicholas, and it is a precious relic of Brighton’s Regency days.
Holy Trinity Church, which was started in 1917 as a “dissenting” Chapel, has one claim for preservation. It is a strong claim. It is that it was the scene of that short six years’ ministry of Frederick William Robertson. It was the place of the preaching of these sermons that are famous throughout the English speaking world. Apart from this association, one would imagine that if Brighton had to choose between the loss of either church, the loss of Holy Trinity Church would architecturally be the more bearable. But to decide between the Chapel Royal and the church of F. W. Robertson is a responsibility that few of us would care to undertake. Brighton will await the decision of the commission with an almost painful interest.
From the Brighton & Hove Herald – 9 July 1921

THE BISHOP’S JUDGEMENT

The Bishop of Chichester has issued the following judgement as to the fate of Holy Trinity Church and the Chapel Royal.
“I have considered the report of the Commission on the possible union of Holy Trinity and the Chapel Royal, and I have come to the conclusion that it will be best to do nothing at present. There are special circumstances attaching to each church which tell strongly against the sale of either building or premises, and after such sale there would be no great gain in uniting the benefices. Let the congregations show such zeal and public spirit as will justify their retaining a separate existence.
From the Brighton & Hove Herald – 10 December 1921

“PASSING BY” THE PARSON

The Rev. F. C. Baker, A. K. C., A. R. C. O., Formerly Dr. R. J. Campbell’s colleague at Holy Trinity Church, and now Vicar of St Stephens, Coleman Street, London, declared that the general public dislike travelling by train with the clergy, because they are under the impression that Parsons are miserable men.
Preaching at Holy Trinity Church on Sunday evening to a crowded congregation, which included many of his Brighton friends, Mr Baker said: “if you want an empty compartment on a train, travel with me!
“People look in the carriage, see that I am a pass them by my collar, and passed by. . . . We need to be, so far as we can, rays of sunshine in life. We must go about being happy advertisements of Christ. Too much damage is done to the cause of religion by people running about with long faces.”
The theme of Mr Baker’s address was “Christ.” The preacher urged that one could only be “born again” as the spiritual being by conforming to the spiritual life.
“You must do it with all your heart. Christ is that spiritual life, and conformity to Christ is Christianity. That is the only thing worth living for, and the only thing worth putting up a church for. Nothing else matters. Conform to the spirit of Christ, and let his spirit dwell in you.”
The Rev. Horace Fort, B. A., P. D. (Incumbent of Holy Trinity) conducted the service.
From the Brighton & Hove Herald – 04 April 1931

A PASTOR FROM BERLIN
Mr Oelsner to Preach at Holy Trinity

There can be few clergyman of the Church of England who have so much experience of what Nazism means in practice (writes a church correspondent) as the Rev. W. Oelsner, who will be preaching at the morning service tomorrow (Sunday) at Holy Trinity Church, Ship Street.
Mr Oelsner, who is a licentiate in theology of the University of Berlin, was formally pastor of a Lutheran Church in Berlin, but was obliged to leave Germany owing to the fact that he was a “non-Aryan” (his father being a Jew although his mother was a German).
He was ordained a deacon in the Church of England in December, 1939, by the Bishop of Chichester (Dr. G. K. A. Bell) and acted as curate to the Vicar of Preston (the Rev. H. F. Tompkinson) until the following Whitsun tide, when, like many other refugees from Nazi tyranny, he was interned as a result of the policy then favoured by the government.
Since his release Mr Oelsner has being doing useful work as curate to the Rev. Bransby A. H. Jones, Vicar of Moulsecombe.
From the Brighton & Hove Herald – 26 April 1941

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH
May Have to be Closed

The future of Holy Trinity Church, Brighton, famous as the scene of F. W. Robertson’s ministry, is uncertain.
The Bishop of Chichester (Dr. G. K. A. Bell) has informed the churchwardens that he may have to exercise his powers under the national emergency precautions measure and close the church unless its finances are in a stronger position by the end of November.
Being unendowment, the church has been severely affected by war conditions and difficulty has been experienced in securing an incumbent. A special appeal is being made to friends of the church to avert the closure, and to augment the appeal a meeting is to be held in the Robertson Hall on Monday evening next, at 6.30.
From the Brighton & Hove Herald – 13 September 1941

“QUESTION TIME”

The Rev. T. F. Cooke, O.B.E., who is officiating at Holy Trinity Church, Brighton, pending the appointment of a new incumbent, has introduced an interesting innovation in the form of “Question Time.”
Believing that a preaching needs the co-operation of the man or woman in the pew, and that his sermons are likely to be more helpful if he knows what difficulties his hearers feel and the subjects as to which they desire enlightenment, he has invited members of his congregation and others to submit any questions bearing on Christian belief and practice which they wish to ask, and is devoting half an hour or so after the closure of the Sunday evening service to answer these queries.
From the Brighton & Hove Herald – 1 July 1944

BRIGHTON CHURCHES MAY BE CLOSED
Changes – But “Not Retreat”

Several churches in Brighton will be closed or demolished, and many parishes will be amalgamated if the draft report of the commission on the reorganisation of parishes in the Brighton Deanery, issued today (Saturday), is acted upon by the church commissioners.
The commission, which met on 50 occasions in 2 years, consists of Sir Arthur W. Picard-Cambridge (chairman), Mr J. Kempster Butler, M.B.E., Mr W. S. Dingwall (diocesan secretary, the Archdeacon of Lewes, and Alderman Miss D. E. Stringer.
Bishop H. Crotty, D.D., Chairman of the Diocesan Reorganisation Committee, told the Herald yesterday that although the report has been drawn up after consultation with incumbents and other representatives of the parishes, this may not be that its final form. “Everybody in the parishes,” he said, “will have full opportunity of having their say.”

The Final Word

Sir Arthur explained that when the plan is finally drafted it will go to the Bishop of Chichester, who, if he approves it, will send it to the Church Commissioners. They will formally frame the scheme.
“The distribution of population and industry in Brighton have changed enormously in the last few years,” he said.
“We have had to consider problems such as the shortage of clergy, the reduced value of money and the fact that fans are not sufficient to staff parishes in a way which will cover the evangelical work, which is the prime duty of the church.”
The commission emphasised that the report does not represent proposals for retreat of the church of in Brighton, but for in advance. “With reorganisation,” it says, “the way will be open for an aggressive evangelism.”

The Main Proposals

The main proposals of the Commission may be summarised as follows:
ST PETER’S, ST NICHOLAS, SS MARY and MARY MAGDALENE, HOLY TRINITY, ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST (CARLTON HILL) and ST JAMES. – To form one parish. Holy Trinity church to be closed. St Mary Magdalen is already closed, and St James is in course of demolition. The united parish would be served by the Vicar of Brighton assisted by Deputy Vicar (at St Nicholas) and the staff of 3 curates
CHAPEL ROYAL. – unaffected, except that provision is made for parsonage house if and when St Margaret’s ceases to exist as a separate parish.
CHRISTCHURCH and ST MARGARET’S. – To be united, and St Margaret’s church closed, but with adequate safeguards for preserving a building of architectural beauty.
ST MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS and ALL SAINTS. – To be united, but both churches open.
ST MARTIN’S, ST WILFRID’S, THE ANNUNCIATION and ST LUKE’S. – To be united into one, under the title of St Martin’s, with St Martin’s as the parish church. It is proposed to close and demolish St Luke’s Church.
ST BARTHOLOMEW’S. – Minor modifications of boundaries.
ST GEORGE’S and ST MATTHEW’S. – St Matthew’s Church to be demolished and its parish united to that of St George’s.
ST ANNE’S, ST MARY’S and ST JAMES. – Much of the parish of St James to be united with St Peter’s and other parishes adjacent. St Anne’s and St Mary’s to be united with St Anne’s as the parish church.
ALL SOULS. – Boundary alterations.
ST JOHN’S with ST PETER’S, PRESTON. – St Peter’s to be preserved, but used only for occasional services and marriages.
THE GOOD SHEPHERD. – Boundary alterations.
ST LUKE’S, PRESTONVILLE. – Boundary alterations
ST SAVIOURS and ST AUGUSTINE’S. – To be united, with St Augustine’s forming the parish church; to be served by vicar and a curate.
ST ALBANS and ST MATTHIAS. – No proposals.
PATCHAM, ALL SAINTS. – Boundary alterations.
CHRIST THE KING, SOUTH PATCHAM. – To be made into a parish as soon as possible.
ST MARK’S and ST. CUTHMANS, WHITEHAWK. – Parish of St Cuthman’s included in that of St Mark’s, to be served by vicar, the curate in charge, an assistant curates and a woman worker.
MOULSECOOMB with STANMER and FALMER. – To be united, with the Vicar of Moulsecoomb as incumbent, and a staff of 1 curate and a lay reader, to increase later by a further curate.
WOODINGDEAN. – To be a parish, if local support is forthcoming.
OVINGDEAN. – Boundary alterations.
ROTTINGDEAN. – Boundary alterations which would take in part of Telscombe and the whole of Saltdean. A curate for Saltdean.
TELSCOMBE with PIDDINGHOE. – Parish to come within the Rural Deanery of Brighton.
From the Brighton & Hove Herald – 20 May 1950

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, BRIGHTON

SIR, – Holy Trinity Church, Ship Street, has so many associations with notable Brightonians of the past that many of your readers will regret to learn from the excellent summary, in your issue of May 20, of report of the Commission on the ecclesiastical reorganisation of Brighton, that this historic church – famous as the scene of the Ministry of “Robertson of Brighton” and, in later days, of Dr R. J. Campbell – is in danger of being closed.
Such readers may be interested to know that the Parochial Church Council has unanimously expressed its descent from, and protest against the commission’s recommendations regarding the church, and that this resolution has been forwarded to the Bishop of Chichester.
It is felt that, although in recent years the church is had, owing to frequent vacancies of the benefice and to a lack of financial resources, many difficulties to content with, such drastic proposals are quite unjustified; and the council hopes to receive the moral and, if possible, the financial support of all those who would regret the closure of the church which has been an important centre in the spiritual life of Brighton for more than 125 years.
LEONARD J. HODSON,
Honorary Secretary, Holy Trinity Parochial Church Council.
5a, Adeline Crescent, Hove, 3.
From the Brighton & Hove Herald – 27 May 1950

CHURCH NEWS IN BRIEF

Holy Trinity Church, Ship Street, will celebrate tomorrow (Sunday) the centenary of the Rev F. W. Robertson (“Robertson the Brighton”). The preacher at the morning service will be the Bishop of Lewes (the Right Rev. Geoffrey H. Warde).
There will also be a special service on Wednesday evening, when the speaker will be the Rev. F. Pratt Green, of Dorset Gardens Methodist Church and the Dome Mission.
An organ recital will be given by Mr Anthony Caesar, in aid of the West Window Restoration Fund, at St Paul’s Church (West Street) on Thursday next, at 7:30 p.m.
A famous evangelist artist from America, the Rev. Paul Cantelon, will preach and paint in a large marquee in Hangleton Road, West Hove, from Saturday next, August 15 to August 30, at 7:30 p.m. on weekdays, and at 3, 6.30 and 8:15 p.m. on Sundays. Mr Cantelon will paint pictures in oil each evening, and then give the way to the person taking the most people to the meeting.
From the Brighton & Hove Herald – 8 August 1953

Church News In Brief

Continuing the series of outstanding preachers for Robertson’s Centenary Year at Holy Trinity Church, Ship Street, Brighton, the preacher tomorrow (Sunday), at 11 a.m., will be the Rev. C. O. Rhodes, M.A., who is the editor of “The Church of England Newspaper.”
From the Brighton & Hove Herald – 19 September 1953