Metropolitan Tabernacle

The Tabernacle fellowship dates back to 1650, when the English Parliament banned independent Christian organisations from meeting together. This congregation braved persecution until 1688, when the Baptists were once again allowed to worship in freedom. At this point, the group built their first chapel, in the Tower Bridge area.[5]

In 1720, Dr. John Gill became pastor and served for 51 years. In 1771, Dr. John Rippon became pastor and served for 63 years. During these times, the church experienced great growth and became one of the largest congregations in the country. Afterwards decline set in and by 1850 the congregation was small.[6]

In 1854, the most famous of all the pastors at the Metropolitan Tabernacle started serving at the youthful age of 20. His name was Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and he quickly became the most popular British preacher of his day. The church at the beginning of Spurgeon's pastorate was situated at New Park Street Chapel, but this soon became so full that services had to be held in hired halls such as the Surrey Gardens Music Hall.[6]

During Spurgeon's ministry, it was decided that the church should move permanently to larger premises. The location chosen was the Elephant and Castle, a prominent location near the River Thames in South London, partly because it was thought to be the site of the burning of the Southwark Martyrs. The building with a 6,000-seat auditorium, designed by William Willmer Pocock, was finished in 1861 and dedicated on March 18.[7]

In 1881, the church had 5,500 members. [8]

Spurgeon also founded a college for preachers (now Spurgeon's College) and church workers and orphanages for girls and boys, and wrote many Christian books which are still in print today.[9]

Interior of the original Metropolitan Tabernacle

In 1887, the church left the Baptist Union because of the widening influence of theological liberalism within the Union. Spurgeon was adamant that the church would not "downgrade" the faith as he believed other baptist churches were doing.[10]

At the end of 1891, membership was given as 5,311. Spurgeon served for 38 years and died in 1892.[2]

The original building was burned down in 1898, leaving just the front portico and basement intact, before the rebuilt church was destroyed again in 1941 during the German bombing of London in World War II. Once again, the portico and basement survived and in 1957 the Tabernacle was rebuilt to a new but much smaller design accommodating surviving original features.[5]

The war led to the Tabernacle fellowship being greatly diminished as few members of the old congregation were able to return to heavily blitzed central London. It rejoined the Baptist union in 1955. By 1970 the congregation had fallen to the point where it occupied only a few pews. It left the Baptist union again on 22 February 1971, just after Dr. Peter Masters became the pastor, over the same issues as under Spurgeon in 1887.[11] Numbers greatly increased and this gave rise to the full church and galleries of today, together with numerous professions of faith. It hosts an annual School of Theology, runs a part-time Seminary for pastors, has five Sunday schools,[12] and provides free video and audio downloads, along with live-streaming of services.[13] The current assistant pastor at the Tabernacle is Ibrahim Ag Mohamed, originally of Mali.[14]

Probably one of the largest reformed Christian conferences in the UK, gathering people from around the world, that still takes place today. Many pastors, Christian workers and church officers attend, and younger people seeking a more biblical and committed style of Christian life and service.[15]

The Metropolitan Tabernacle is an independent reformed Baptist church. The following seven points show the key biblical policies followed, laid down by forebears, such as C. H. Spurgeon.[2][3][4]

• Doctrines of grace, commonly called 'Calvinistic'.
• Free offer of the Gospel
• Traditional worship
• Working church
• Biblical separation
• The Prayer meeting
• Wider ministries.[16]

• William Rider, c. 1653–c. 65 (12 years)
• Benjamin Keach, 1668–1704 (36 years)
• Benjamin Stinton, 1704–18 (14 years)
• Dr. John Gill, 1720–71 (51 years)
• Dr. John Rippon, 1773–1836 (63 years)
• Joseph Angus, 1837–39 (2 years)
• James Smith,[17] 1841–50 (8 ½ years)
• William Walters, 1851–53 (2 years)
• Charles Spurgeon, 1854–92 (38 years)
• Arthur Tappan Pierson, 1891–93 (pulpit supply only, not installed as a Pastor – 2 years)
• Thomas Spurgeon, 1893–1908 (15 years)
• Archibald G. Brown, 1908–11 (3 years)
• Dr. Amzi Clarence Dixon, 1911–19 (8 years)
• Harry Tydeman Chilvers,[18] 1919–35 (15 ½ years)
• Dr. W Graham Scroggie, 1938–43 (5 years)
• W G Channon, 1944–49 (5 years)
• Gerald B Griffiths, 1951–54 (3 years)
• Eric W Hayden,[19] 1956–62 (6 years)
• Dennis Pascoe, 1963–69 (6 years)
• Dr. Peter Masters,[20] 1970–present.[2]

• List of the largest evangelical churches
• List of the largest evangelical church auditoriums
• Worship service (evangelicalism)

• Austin, Alvyn (2007), China’s Millions: The China Inland Mission and Late Qing Society, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, ISBN 978-0-8028-2975-7.

• Official website
• History of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, official website