The Bellingham estate started in 1923 as “Homes for Heroes” after the First World War with the transfer of families from poor housing in the North of Lewisham to the green fields of an early model for garden villages. The church came too, in what became known as the Bellingham Congregational Church. There was never very much money around, with the building being erected through loans from the Congregational County structures and self-help from new church members – people with trades skills who could turn their hand to most practical tasks. Their first Minister was a Pioneer, straight from College. Revd Frederick Young was universally admired for his compassion and energetic service. He ministered in Bellingham from February 1924 to September 1928, when he left for missionary work in Hong Kong. He was clearly a popular figure on the estate. There was widespread shock and sadness in Bellingham when the news came of his sudden death from fever in Hong Kong in February 1930. He left a widow and young son. 

The church flourished, shown by the Sunday School having two dozen teachers in the mid 1940s. The congregation hosted community cultural events such as musical evenings and plays. Joint services for Easter and Christmas were organised in collaboration with St Dunstan’s Church of England on the opposite side of the central Green. As the whole community matured together the number of small children decreased, and from the 1960s there were alternative sources of entertainment and social life in Bellingham. The community commitment of what became known as Christ Church was unquestioned, despite dwindling numbers attending Sunday worship. There were major demographic changes in the 1970s and 80s as the London Borough of Lewisham moved older council tenants out of the area to be replaced with new residents. The community spirit of the estate was resilient enough to cope with these changes. The range of community groups hosted at Christ Church these days reflects the commitment that the church has always had to its neighbours, despite never having much money. We put the lights on and open the doors and make the building available as a warm and welcoming space, as well as getting engaged in whatever else is happening in Bellingham.