St Margaret’s Church, Leicester

St Margaret’s Church in the city of Leicester was closed each time I called, but still I was impressed by its imposing building. Known as the Mother Church of Leicester, as well as the oldest Christian place of worship in the town, it was the original cathedral church of the ancient bishopric of Leicester which operated from 679–874. Although the current church does not go back to the seventh century, the site certainly does.

The concept of a ‘mother church’ caught my attention. Someone recently told me that their church in a university city was considering the construction of a gallery to make their current 00 congregation into 400-500. Although this is a wonderful prospect and an annoying detail for any secularist expecting British Christianity’s imminent obituary, one wonders why they are not planting new churches in other parts of town or other towns nearby. Lots of small to medium-sized churches strike me as preferable to a smaller number of mammoth congregations, where visitors get lost, the spread of false teaching is less easily arrested and the cult of personality more readily enhanced. So let us have more mother churches and fewer fat churches.

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:6

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