St Paul's Church, Whitley Bay
Coordinates: 55°2′30.05″N 1°26′52.11″W / 55.0416806°N 1.4478083°W
| St Paul's Church, Whitley Bay | |
|---|---|
 St Paul's Church in Whitley Bay Town Centre | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Traditional Catholic |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Paul |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Architect(s) | Anthony Salvin |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Tynemouth |
| Diocese | Newcastle |
| Province | Province of York |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar(s) | Father Gavin Gilchrist |
| Honorary priest(s) | Father Harvey Walker |
| Laity | |
| Reader(s) | Stan Edwards |
| Organist/Director of music | Terry Mason |
| Organist(s) | June Gibbon |
| Churchwarden(s) |
Sandra Graham, Pam MacKenzie |
| Music group(s) | Ann Laing, Celia Temple |
| Servers' guild | Arthur Thomas |
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]
Leadership
Gavin Gilchrist, (born in Hull) is the resident priest. Sandra Graham and Pam MacKenzie are the churchwardens.
Norman Banks, later Bishop of Richborough, was the vicar from 1990 until 2000. Paul Bayes, later Bishop of Liverpool, served his curacy at St Paul's from 1979 until 1982.
Activities
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.
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.
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.[2] 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.
Musicians
| Role / Instrument | Name |
|---|---|
| Director of Music / Organist | Terry Mason |
| Deputy Organist | June Gibbon |
| Organ scholar | Nick Graham |
| Choir Conductor / Guitarist | Celia Temple |
| Keyboards | Ann Laing |
| Flute | Sarah Collin |
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 - present |