On Sunday, 9th March 2025, Christ Church, Broadstairs celebrated their 120 year anniversary. To mark the occasion, Bishop Paul Hunt led a Holy Communion service and gave an inspiring sermon to those in attendance.
Revd Dr Jabson Watson writes:
Christ Church Broadstairs was originally a Tin Tabernacle that was constructed in 1901 and was in use until 1904. The tin church had pews and gas lightings. The present building was built in 1904 and dedicated in March 1905. This church building was dedicated in memory of Bishop Samuel who was the Bishop Primus of the Free Church of England from 1890 to 1900. We celebrated the 120th anniversary of the present church building on 9 March 2025, when we came together with thankful hearts remembering our Lord’s faithfulness. The Church Organ was originally erected in 1850 in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral. In 1925, the organ was brought to Christ Church Broadstairs and erected here. We also have a piano that is more than 100 years old.
We had a lovely anniversary service that was led by Bishop Paul. We were reminded and encouraged that our Lord was faithful, is faithful and will be faithful based on Psalm 100. We were graced by the presence of Revd Robert Wilson, Revd Dr Mark Gretason and Revd Ambrose Oliver. We were also joined by local ministers and chaplains from Canterbury Cathedral. The vice chair of Thanet District Council, the local Mayor and headteachers and representatives from local schools also joined us in the celebration. We also welcomed previous congregants and friends to the Holy Communion service. Revd Dr Gretason played most of the music on the organ and Mrs Maureen Oliver played the piano. For anyone who would like to watch, the service is available in YouTube (https://youtu.be/FS_CE_kRGX0?si=cXeQ93gnRKNqCCAe). We enjoyed a time of fellowship over celebratory lunch and a variety of cakes. The celebration was well attended with 47 people attending the service and 51 people at the lunch that followed.
The 120th anniversary was an opportunity to celebrate the 120 years of witness of the church. It was a time to thank our Lord for His guidance and providence all through the years. We remembered and thanked our Lord for the life and witness of each and every one of the ministers, church council members and the congregants who are the reason for the church existing today. More recently, we thank our Lord for the growth that we have witnessed (a growth from 3 congregants in 2022 to 20 congregants today) and the various doors He has opened for us. It was a day to confidently declare that it’s not by our might, nor by our power but by our Lord’s Spirit and guidance. We trust Him to lead and guide us in the days to come.
See pictures of the day below as well as the YouTube live stream of the service…
