St Nicholas Church, Durham

Who we are

• What we believe
• Mission statement
• History
• Incumbents
• Church guide
  • First impressions
  • The rebuilding of 1858
  • The Fish window
  • The Holy Table
  • The lectern
  • The Cross
  • Rumours of life
  • The church registers
  • The fonts
  • The pillars
  • The stained glass windows
  • The quiet chapel
  • The screens
  • The Holy Table in the chapel
  • The chapel organ
  • The Gateway World Shop
  • The statue of St Nicholas
  • What is a Church?
• Staff team
• PCC
• Interns

Rumours of Life

Unfortunately most churches are empty when people visit. To meet the real church you would need to be here on Sunday. During the week you can only eavesdrop on the life of the community, for the church consists of people not buildings. The display of previous vicars of St Nicholas is a sign that year by year the gospel has been faithfully taught and lived in this place.

Each photograph carries a brief biography. Spare a moment to look at Westley Bothamley, known to some older members of the present congregation as 'the tall man on the bike'. He thought of himself only 'as David's ass laden with bread' - an unusual but telling image of the minister. He confessed that he was constantly troubled by a dream 'that he was in the pulpit and had no sermon prepared.' But, he added, 'Then I preach on one subject, Ye are the light of the world.'

Unfortunately there is no picture of the great George Fox. His powerful preaching of the gospel packed the church to the doors. Yet he knew the pain of ministry. A printed sermon of his bears the title: 'A sermon preached in St Nicholas Church, Durham on Sunday evening, 5th February 1860 on the apostacy and elopement of his late curate by the Rev. G.T.Fox.' We know little of the details of this affair but in the society of that day, the scandal must have rocked Durham. In the sermon Fox says: 'The awful facts which have come to light during the past week are known to you all - have surprised, have grieved, have horrified you all.... Never in the course of my life, have I gone through a week of such deep distress of mind and intense sorrow of heart.' It's clear that the news broke early in the week and as Sunday approached Fox decided that he must grasp the nettle in a public sermon. We overhear the pastor's care for the flock. He speaks of 'the grief of a young and innocent wife, whose dreams of happiness have been thus betrayed and peace destroyed'; he mourns 'for the criminal himself', to whom he could yet 'extend...the right hand of forgiveness, if I knew he were truly penitent. But he is not.' But his chief concern is for the impressionable pupils in the Bible class and those recently confirmed who had been the curate's charge. 'My heart has been full of distress, lest.. . your faith be weakened or destroyed by the dismay of such unheard of wickedness in one in whom you trusted... For if anything would break my heart, it would be tohear that Satan had beguiled you to your ruin through this man s sin.

Fox had a great longing that the people of Durham should be built up in the faith and that the gospel should be free. But the system of renting or buying pew sittings for exclusive use meant that the poorer parishioners were often unable to find a seat. A document dated at the time of the rebuilding declares that 'the pew system as in existence in the Church of England is a great evil.' The eight signatories expressed their 'earnest wish that all the sittings in St Nicholas Church be henceforth and for ever free.' And that is how they have remained to this day!

Look at the titles of the books on the bookstall. They will show that the truth of Christ is relevant to the whole of life. There is no problem or genuinely human need to which Christ cannot speak. The noticeboards give a hint of the concern of the community here for children and young people and for God's work overseas. Feel free to read the noticeboards - no one will think you're being nosy! They're like a snapshot of the living body of Christ at work.