Metropolitan Tabernacle

{{Short description|Church in Elephant and Castle, London, England}}

{{for |the Metropolitan Tabernacle in Mexico City|Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral}}

{{Infobox church

| name = Metropolitan Tabernacle

| fullname =

| image = Metropolitan Tabernacle, Elephant and Castle, London - geograph.org.uk - 890858.jpg

| imagesize = 250px

| caption =

| denomination = Reformed Independent Baptist

| founded date = 1650

| founder = William Rider

| architect =

| style =

| years built =

| dedicated date =

| closed date =

| pastor = Peter Masters, assistant pastor Ibrahim Ag Mohamed

| location = Elephant and Castle, London

| country = United Kingdom

| website = {{URL|https://metropolitantabernacle.org}}

}}

The Metropolitan Tabernacle is a Reformed Independent Baptist Church in the Elephant and Castle area in London. It was the largest non-conformist church of its day in 1861.{{Sfn | Austin | 2007 | p = 86}} The Tabernacle fellowship has been worshipping together since 1650. Its first pastor was William Rider; other notable pastors and preachers include Benjamin Keach, John Gill, John Rippon and C. H. Spurgeon. The present pastor is Peter Masters.{{Citation | last = Sheehan| first =Robert | title =Spurgeon and the Modern Church| place = Phillipsburg NJ | publisher = Presbyterian & Reformed Pub Co |date=Jun 1985 | isbn = 9780946462056}}{{Cite book | last = Nettles | first = Tom | title = Living By Revealed Truth The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon | publisher = Christian Focus Publishing| location = Ross-shire | pages = 700 | date = 21 July 2013 | isbn =9781781911228 }}

History

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 Horsleydown, Southwark, an area of London immediately south of the present-day Tower Bridge.{{cite web |url=http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org/Church-Details/History |title=Brief History | publisher =Metropolitan Tabernacle |access-date=2014-05-24}}{{cite web | url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol6/pp100-117 | title=Bermondsey: Tooley Street | British History Online }}

In 1720, John Gill became pastor and served for 51 years. In 1771, John Rippon became pastor and served for 63 years. During these times, the church experienced growth and became one of the largest congregations in the country. Afterwards decline set in and by 1850 the congregation was small.{{cite book |last1= Spurgeon |first1= Charles |last2= Spurgeon |first2= Susannah (compiler) |last3= Harrald |first3= Joseph (compiler)|title= C. H. Spurgeon Autobiography: The Early Years, 1834–1859 |location= Edinburgh |publisher= Banner of Truth |publication-date= 1962 |isbn= 978-0-85151076-7}}

In 1854, Charles Haddon Spurgeon started serving at the Tabernacle at the age of 20. 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.

File:Review of reviews and world's work (1890) (14758340366).jpg

During Spurgeon's ministry, it was decided that the church should move permanently to larger premises. The location chosen was at Elephant and Castle, a prominent position 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 18 March.Stephen J. Hunt, Handbook of Megachurches, Brill, Leiden, 2019, p. 50 In 1881, the church had 5,500 members.William Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia, Volume 3, The Baptist Standard Bearer, USA, 2001, p. 1095

Spurgeon also founded a college for preachers and church workers (now Spurgeon's College), and orphanages for girls and boys, and wrote many Christian books which are still in print today.{{cite web |url=https://tabernaclebookshop.org/collections/books-test/Spurgeon | work =Books | title = Spurgeon | publisher = Tabernacle Bookshop |access-date=31 July 2021}}

File:Met Tab Pulpit.jpg

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.{{cite book |last1= Poole-Connor |first1= E.J. |title= Evangelicalism in England |location= Worthing |publisher= Henry E Walter |publication-date= 1966 |page= 223 |isbn= 978-0-85479191-0}}

At the end of 1891, membership was given as 5,311. Spurgeon served for 38 years and died in 1892.{{cite book |last1= Dallimore |first1= Arnold |title= Spurgeon: A New Biography |location= Edinburgh |publisher= Banner of Truth |publication-date= 1985 |isbn= 978-0-85151451-2}}

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 incorporating surviving original features.

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 Peter Masters became the pastor, over the same issues as under Spurgeon in 1887.{{Citation | last = Masters | first = Peter | title = The doctrine of Biblical separation | newspaper = The Sword & Trowel |date=Dec 2009 | orig-year = 1971 | publisher = Metropolitan Tabernacle | url = http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org/Sword-And-Trowel/Evangelical-Magazine-Sword-and-Trowel-Articles/The-Doctrine-of-Biblical-Separation}}. 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,{{Cite web|title = Sunday School |url = http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org/Sunday-School-Metropolitan-Tabernacle-London|website = Metropolitan Tabernacle |access-date = 2016-02-22}} and provides free video and audio downloads, along with live-streaming of services.{{cite web |url= http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org/ |title= Metropolitan Tabernacle |access-date= 15 January 2014}} By 2009, it would have 500 people in its main service.{{Cite news |last=Shariatmadari |first=David |date=2009-12-11 |title=Tabernacle of sin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/dec/10/metropolitan-tabernacle-baptist-christian-spurgeons |access-date=2024-06-12 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

Criticism

According to The Guardian, the church's sermons are characterized by an obsession with sin, moralism, and a perfectionism impossible to reach.{{Cite news |last=Shariatmadari |first=David |date=2009-12-11 |title=Tabernacle of sin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/dec/10/metropolitan-tabernacle-baptist-christian-spurgeons |access-date=2024-06-12 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

Church basic policies

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.{{Citation | last = Sheehan| first =Robert | title =Spurgeon and the Modern Church| place = Phillipsburg NJ | publisher = Presbyterian & Reformed Pub Co |date=Jun 1985 | isbn = 9780946462056}}{{Cite book | last = Nettles | first = Tom | title = Living By Revealed Truth The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon | publisher = Christian Focus Publishing| location = Ross-shire | pages = 700 | date = 21 July 2013 | isbn =9781781911228 }}

Doctrines of grace, commonly called 'Calvinistic'.
Free offer of the Gospel
Traditional worship
Working church
Biblical separation
The prayer meeting
Wider ministries.{{Citation | url = http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org/Church-Policy-Metropolitan-Tabernacle | place = London | publisher = Metropolitan Tabernacle | type = official site | title = Church policy}}.

Pastors

William Rider, c. 1653–c. 65 (12 years)
Benjamin Keach, 1668–1704 (36 years)
Benjamin Stinton, 1704–18 (14 years)
John Gill, 1720–71 (51 years)
John Rippon, 1773–1836 (63 years)
Joseph Angus, 1837–39 (2 years)
James Smith,{{Citation | url = http://orlabs.oclc.org/identities/np-smith,%20james$1802%201862 | publisher = OCLC | title = Smith, James}}. 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)
Amzi Dixon, 1911–19 (8 years)
Harry Tydeman Chilvers,{{Citation | publisher = OCLC | url = http://orlabs.oclc.org/identities/np-chilvers,%20harry%20tydeman$1872%201963 | title = Chilvers, Harry Tydeman}}. 1919–35 (15 ½ years)
W Graham Scroggie, 1938–43 (5 years)
W G Channon, 1944–49 (5 years)
Gerald B Griffiths, 1951–54 (3 years)
Eric W Hayden,{{Citation | url = http://orlabs.oclc.org/identities/lccn-n50-25032 | publisher = OCLC | title = Hayden, Eric W}}. 1956–62 (6 years)
Dennis Pascoe, 1963–69 (6 years)
Peter Masters,{{Citation | url = http://orlabs.oclc.org/identities/lccn-n86-133292 | publisher = OCLC | title = Masters, Peter}}. 1970–present.

References

Bibliography

{{Citation | first = Alvyn | last = Austin | author-link = Alvyn Austin | year = 2007 | title = China's Millions: The China Inland Mission and Late Qing Society | publisher = Eerdmans | location = Grand Rapids, MI | isbn = 978-0-8028-2975-7}}.