The City Temple

The honey coloured City Temple forms an impressive landmark on Holborn Viaduct, and is the only Free Church to hold services regularly in the City of London. Worship is in the modern evangelical style, although it is allied to the United Reformed Church.
The roots of the church lie in the Protestant Reformation of the 16^th century and, although its official founding was in 1640, there is evidence to suggest that Puritans were worshipping on the site since the 1560s. Its first Minister was Thomas Goodwin, chaplain to Oliver Cromwell.
The present building dates from 1874, when the burgeoning congregation of Dr Joseph Parker paid for a new church. This was undertaken in a bold Italian Palladian style by the architect H F Lockwood; its campanile is a particularly happy addition to the Holborn skyline, but the façade on Holborn Viaduct is equally impressive, with a grand portico; Tuscan Columns flank the main entrance and are surmounted by an upper storey of Corinithian columns, above which is a richly carved tympanum. Damaged during World War II, it was rebuilt after the war to seat 900, and the modern interior is something of a contrast to the elaborate exterior, although more suited to the modern style of evangelic worship.
In 2001, the church — unusually — chose a pastor from outside its tradition, from the USA, and now caters to an international congregation with a regular programme of evangelical worship, prayer meetings, training courses and lectures. The church also has a number of conference rooms for hire — check website for details.