Church History
Christ Church
Christ Church effectively began in 1941 when a small group of Sevenoaks residents drew up plans to establish a Presbyterian Church in the town. This group knew that since the beginning of World War Two, a number of Presbyterians including many with Scottish origins, had been evacuated to the area and had not joined any local church. Initially monthly services were held— advertised in the Sevenoaks Chronicle— but, as the numbers of worshipers increased these services soon became weekly. They were held in a wooden hut in Granville Road and at the Emily Jackson Hip Hospital. By 1949, it was obvious that a permanent church was needed. A site was found on the corner of Kippington Road when the new homes at Montreal Park were being built. A church/church hall was completed in 1953. The present church on the site was built in 1964. The church fellowship soon became aware of the need for an ecumenical approach and it was closely associated with the setting up of the North West Fellowship, a partnership that Sevenoaks URC continues to this day. Christ Church also has a very close relationship with Sevenoaks Christian Counselling Service, whose rooms are at the rear of the church hall.
St Johns Hill
The early history of the Congregational Church in Sevenoaks is somewhat obscure. The original church record book was lost, but in 1872 two founding members recorded in a new book that “about the year 1861 a few Christians…. originating in the neighbourhood of Sevenoaks…. formed themselves into a committee….” for the purpose of forming a new and independent Congregation. In 1863 a disused chapel in Bethel Road/Cedar Terrace (first used by the General baptist ) was purchased. This piece of Christian enterprise was so successful that 18 months later the site of the present church was purchased, the Gothic style church was built and the service of Dedication was held in 1866. With the growing need for Sunday School rooms, a new hall was built in Hollybush Lane in 1888. Known as St. John’s Hall, and later the Congregational Hall, it was also well used by many different organizations. Many years later with the development of Junior Church rather than “Sunday School” — bringing the children in for part of the Morning Worship — it became increasingly inconvenient having halls separate from the church. In 1991/2 an ambitious scheme was undertaken to re-model the church by inserting an additional floor, thus accommodating the Sanctuary above, with the meeting halls and facilities below at ground level. The hall in Hollybush Lane became redundant and was sold.
