Church of Christ the Cornerstone

Church of Christ the Cornerstone is an Ecumenical church in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. It was completed in 1991 and has the Church of England, the Baptist Union, the Methodist Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the United Reformed Church working together and share the space.[1] It is situated in Central Milton Keynes on Saxon Gate, between Midsummer and Silbury boulevards, with the Fred Roche Memorial Gardens behind it.[2] It was the first ecumenical metro centre church in the United Kingdom.[3]

Church of Christ the Cornerstone
OS grid referenceSP850388
LocationMilton Keynes
CountryUnited Kingdom
DenominationEcumenical
WebsiteCornerstoneMK.co.uk
History
StatusActive
Dedicationby Queen Elizabeth II
Dedicated13 March 1992
Architecture
Functional statusEcumenical Church
Architect(s)Iain Smith
Groundbreaking31 May 1990
Completed20 December 1991

History

Foundation

In late September 1979, a Local Ecumenical Partnership was created. It commenced with a service of dedication in Middleton Hall in Central Milton Keynes Shopping Centre. On 6 April 1980, the present congregation met at a site called Centrecom on North Row. At Easter 1981, they moved next door to Milton Keynes Central Library.[4]

Construction
Interior

On 31 May 1990, The Baron Campbell of Eskan, the first Chairperson of Milton Keynes Development Corporation, broke ground on the site. On 4 June 1990, construction work on the church. Iain Smith, of Planning Design Development in Milton Keynes, designed the church. The Church Square, around the site was built by Beazer Developments and the church building was constructed by Marriotts of Rushden.[4]

On 20 December 1991, construction was completed at the church was handed over. On 12 January 1992, the congregations moved into the new church. On 29 March 1991, the cross was placed on top of the church. It was designed by Alan Evans, an artist from Stroud in Gloucestershire.[4]

To the top of the lantern, the church is 101 feet high and the cross adds another 18 feet to the height.[4]

On 13 March 1992, the church was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II in a service where the music was composed by Jonathan Dove.[5]

Chapel

The chapel is open seven days a week from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and the café is open from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday to Friday. On the weekend, in the church, there are services on: Saturday at 5.30pm for the Catholic Vigil Mass, Sunday 9:00 am for the early morning service, 10:30 am for the morning service, and at 6:00 pm for evening service. During the week there are services on: Monday at 12:30 pm for the Catholic Mass, Tuesday at 12:30pm for a Holy Communion service, Wednesday at 12:30 pm for Catholic Mass, Thursday at 8:00 am for Holy Communion service, and on Friday at 12:30 pm for Prayers for Peace.[6]

See also

References
  1. Milton Keynes timeline from Milton Keynes Council, retrieved 24 December 2015
  2. Fred Roche Memorial Gardens officially unveiled from Milton Keynes Citizen, 9 November 2012, retrieved 24 December 2015
  3. "Our history". cornerstonemk.co.uk.
  4. History from CornerstoneMK.co.uk, retrieved 24 December 2015
  5. Dove, Jonathan Archived 2015-12-10 at the Wayback Machine from Edition Peters, retrieved 24 December 2015
  6. Weekdays services from CornerstoneMK.co.uk, retrieved 24 December 2015
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