Lacey Green Church

click Flower Festival in 1980s photos for all the photos

Built as a consequence of Princes Risborough Enclosures of 1823, as a Chapel of Ease for the church of Princes Risborough. It was consecrated in 1825, for baptisms and burials. In 1851 it was consecrated for marriages as well.

1980 Gift of £9,300 given by Mrs Waite (click Arthur & Joyce Waite for their life story) to re-roof the church in Arthur's memory . Hallmark August 2020. Welcome Back to St Johns Church

By Pat Rushmere

We had our first service on Tuesday 14th July at 9:30am and the first Sunday service will be held on the 19th July at 10:00am.

We are operating under the Diocesan guidelines and therefore there will only be these 2 services each week as the Church has to be sanitized between services or alternatively, we have to leave a 72 hours gap between services.

No singing is permitted and face masks should be worn. Social distancing is 2m and hand sanitizers will be available. A disposable service sheet will be handed out at each service as prayer books cannot be used. You can of course bring your own if you wish.

Holy Communion will take place in a different format but. advice will be given on the procedure on the day.

The Pewsheet will continue to be distributed by email and the Zoom service will continue for the foreseeable future, but at a later time of 11:00am.

Both Schools have had services in Church this week. St John’s School leavers had their service on the 16th July and Speen School on 17th July. There were approximately 45 leavers from St John’s School - as always, some sadness but many happy memories!

Hallmark June 2020. The Church of Saint John The Evangelist —A Brief History. By Tony Bundock

Did you know that five years from now the Church of St. John the Evangelist which serves the Parish of Lacey Green, Loosley Row and Speen, will be 200 years old?

It was built during the period from May 1823 to May 1825, originally as a Chapel of Ease attached to the Parish Church of St. Mary’s, Princes Risborough, and constructed in traditional Chiltern flint. The Church was consecrated by the Right Reverend George Pelham, Bishop of Lincoln, at a morning service on 3rd July 1825 in the sixth year of the reign of the then young Queen Victoria.

The preacher was the Archdeacon of Bedford, the Venerable Henry Kay Bonney. There was also an evening service that day at which the preacher was the Reverend Richard London, Prebendary of St. Paul’s Cathedral; and a service at which 19 baptisms took place!

Victorian Anglicans, whether from the Evangelical or Catholic tradition, actively engaged in a campaign to restore the Church of England to the heart of national life. Something like a third of our Church buildings were constructed in the 19^th Century and St. John’s can therefore be said to have been part of this major national initiative.

The Victorians, and notably the Church, also sought to promote education for the wider population with many church schools being built including St. John’s School in Lacey Green, dating from 1842, and Speen School dating back to 1874.

St. John’s Church was originally configured as a simple cruciform building consisting only of the present nave and two transepts. Extensive alterations took place in 1871 when the polygonal chancel was added with its very fine painted ceiling. Two galleries were removed as being considered to be “obstructing the architectural proportions of the church”, The pulpit was also added at this time.

In 1993, the floor was renewed with a time capsule being placed underneath; the floor tiles were made in Staffordshire. In 1994, the west gallery was converted into the Upper Room which is used for meetings, social gatherings, and children’s activities.

The south transept was first set up in 1927 as what is now the Lady Chapel, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, having previously contained inward facing pews. By 1980 “the chapel and its furnishings had fallen into some disrepair”. Since then the Lady Chapel has been completely redecorated and refurnished with chairs made locally in Stokenchurch.

The pipe organ at St. John’s is a 1792 example of the work of the well-known 18th Century organ builder Samuel Green, who was also responsible for the 1783 organ in High Wycombe Parish Church, and the 1790 organ in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.

In 1944, a bequest was received from a Lacey Green resident, Mrs. Carter of “Gracefield”, and this provided the opportunity for major works to the organ which was at the time in poor condition. These works were Carried out by Kingsgate Davidson of London. The renovation works to the organ which have recently been proposed involve a degree of restoration of the organ partially to its original Georgian condition.

The original pews were of stained pine with raked backs and one of these pews remains in situ at the back of the church. The present light oak pews were acquired from a school chapel in London.

The pastoral area of the Parish of Lacey Green, Loosely Row & Speen was formed in August 1851, out of part of the Parish of Princes Risborough. St. John’s continued to be known as a Parochial Chapel until 1868 when it officially became a Parish Church under the direction of the Bishop of Oxford.

At the same time, the title of the minister-in-charge was changed from Perpetual Curate to Vicar. In 1998 the Risborough Team Ministry came into existence and comprises the Parishes of Princes Risborough, Monks Risborough, and Bledlow; together with St. John’s, Lacey Green, Loosley Row & Speen. The Team Ministry exists to promote across the wider benefice the following aims:

- Mutual support

- Collaboration in Christian training and development

- Joint ventures in worship and mission

- Clergy and other ministerial cover.

More detailed information about St. John’s Church can be found on our website: www.stjohnschurchlaceygreen.co.uk