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{{Infobox_church
| image = Metropolitan Tabernacle, Elephant and Castle, London - geograph.org.uk - 890858.jpg
| theological_tradition = Independent [[Reformed Baptist]]
| date_founded = 1650
| founder = William Rider
| architect = 
| style = 
| years built = 
| dedicated date = 
| closed date = 
| pastor = [[Peter Masters]], assistant pastor Ibrahim Ag Mohamed
| church_location = [[Elephant and Castle]], [[London]], [[United Kingdom]]
| website = [https://MetropolitanTabernacle.org MetropolitanTabernacle.org]
}}

The '''Metropolitan Tabernacle''' is a large independent [[Reformed Baptist]] church in the [[Elephant and Castle]] in [[London]]. It was the largest [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|non-conformist]] church of its day in 1861.{{Sfn | Austin | 2007 | p = 86}} The Tabernacle fellowship has been worshipping together since 1650. Its first pastor was William Rider; other notable pastors and preachers include [[Benjamin Keach]], [[John Gill (theologian)|John Gill]], [[John Rippon]] and [[Charles Spurgeon|C. H. Spurgeon]]. The present pastor is [[Peter Masters]].<ref name=dall /><ref name=sheehan>{{Citation | last = Sheehan| first =Robert | title =Spurgeon and the Modern Church| place = Phillipsburg NJ | publisher = Presbyterian & Reformed Pub Co |date=Jun 1985  | isbn = 9780946462056}}</ref><ref name="Nettles">{{Cite book | last = Nettles | first = Tom | title = Living By Revealed Truth The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon | publisher = Christian Focus Publishing| location = Ross-shire | pages = 700 | date = 21 July 2013 | isbn =9781781911228 }}</ref>

==History==
The Tabernacle fellowship dates back to 1650, when the English Parliament banned independent [[Christianity|Christian]] organisations from meeting together. This congregation braved persecution until 1688, when the Baptists were once again allowed to worship in freedom. At this point, the group built their first chapel, in [[Horsleydown]], Southwark, an area of London immediately south of the present-day Tower Bridge.<ref name=MThistory>{{cite web |url=http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org/Church-Details/History |title=Brief History | publisher =Metropolitan Tabernacle |access-date=2014-05-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol6/pp100-117 | title=Bermondsey: Tooley Street &#124; British History Online }}</ref>

In 1720, [[John Gill (theologian)|John Gill]] became pastor and served for 51 years. In 1771, [[John Rippon]] became pastor and served for 63 years. During these times, the church experienced growth and became one of the largest congregations in the country. Afterwards decline set in and by 1850 the congregation was small.<ref name= early>{{cite book |last1= Spurgeon |first1= Charles |last2= Spurgeon |first2= Susannah (compiler) |last3= Harrald |first3= Joseph (compiler)|title= C. H. Spurgeon Autobiography: The Early Years, 1834–1859 |location= Edinburgh |publisher= Banner of Truth |publication-date= 1962 |isbn= 978-0-85151076-7}}</ref>

In 1854, [[Charles Haddon Spurgeon]] started serving at the Tabernacle at the age of 20. The church at the beginning of Spurgeon's pastorate was situated at [[New Park Street Chapel]], but this soon became so full that services had to be held in hired halls such as the [[Royal Surrey Gardens|Surrey Gardens Music Hall]].<ref name= early />

[[File:Review of reviews and world's work (1890) (14758340366).jpg|thumb|Metropolitan Tabernacle in 1890]]
During Spurgeon's ministry, it was decided that the church should move permanently to larger premises. The location chosen was at [[Elephant and Castle]], a prominent position near the River Thames in South London, partly because it was thought to be the site of the burning of the [[Marian Persecutions |Southwark Martyrs]]. The building, with a 6,000-seat auditorium, designed by [[William Willmer Pocock]], was finished in 1861 and dedicated on 18 March.<ref>Stephen J. Hunt, ''Handbook of Megachurches'', Brill, Leiden, 2019, p. 50</ref> In 1881, the church had 5,500 members.<ref>William Cathcart, ''The Baptist Encyclopedia'', Volume 3, The Baptist Standard Bearer, USA, 2001, p. 1095</ref>

Spurgeon also founded a college for preachers and church workers (now [[Spurgeon's College]]), and orphanages for girls and boys, and wrote many Christian books which are still in print today.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tabernaclebookshop.org/collections/books-test/Spurgeon | work =Books | title = Spurgeon | publisher = Tabernacle Bookshop |access-date=31 July 2021}}</ref>

[[File:Met Tab Pulpit.jpg|thumb|right|Interior of the original Metropolitan Tabernacle]]
In 1887, the church left the [[Baptist Union of Great Britain|Baptist Union]] because of the widening influence of theological [[Liberal Christianity|liberalism]] within the union. Spurgeon was adamant that the church would not "[[Downgrade Controversy|downgrade]]" the faith as he believed other baptist churches were doing.<ref name=EJPC>{{cite book |last1= Poole-Connor |first1= E.J. |title= Evangelicalism in England |location= Worthing |publisher= Henry E Walter |publication-date= 1966 |page= 223 |isbn= 978-0-85479191-0}}</ref>

At the end of 1891, membership was given as 5,311. Spurgeon served for 38 years and died in 1892.<ref name= dall>{{cite book |last1= Dallimore |first1= Arnold |title= Spurgeon: A New Biography |location= Edinburgh |publisher= Banner of Truth |publication-date= 1985 |isbn= 978-0-85151451-2}}</ref>

The original building was burned down in 1898, leaving just the front portico and basement intact, before the rebuilt church was destroyed again in 1941 during the German bombing of London in [[World War II]]. Once again, the portico and basement survived and in 1957 the Tabernacle was rebuilt to a new but much smaller design incorporating surviving original features.<ref name= MThistory />

The war led to the Tabernacle fellowship being greatly diminished as few members of the old congregation were able to return to heavily blitzed central London. It rejoined the Baptist Union in 1955. By 1970 the congregation had fallen to the point where it occupied only a few pews. It left the Baptist Union again on 22 February 1971, just after [[Peter Masters]] became the pastor, over the same issues as under Spurgeon in 1887.<ref>{{Citation | last = Masters | first = Peter | title = The doctrine of Biblical separation | newspaper = The Sword & Trowel |date=Dec 2009 | orig-year = 1971 | publisher = Metropolitan Tabernacle | url = http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org/Sword-And-Trowel/Evangelical-Magazine-Sword-and-Trowel-Articles/The-Doctrine-of-Biblical-Separation}}.</ref> Numbers greatly increased and this gave rise to the full church and galleries of today, together with numerous professions of faith. It hosts an annual school of [[theology]], runs a part-time [[seminary]] for pastors, has five Sunday schools,<ref>{{Cite web|title = Sunday School |url = http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org/Sunday-School-Metropolitan-Tabernacle-London|website =  Metropolitan Tabernacle |access-date = 2016-02-22}}</ref> and provides free video and audio downloads, along with live-streaming of services.<ref name= MTwebsite>{{cite web |url= http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org/ |title= Metropolitan Tabernacle |access-date= 15 January 2014}}</ref>  By 2009 The Guardian reported that Metropolitan Tabernacle attracted up to 500 people in its main service.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shariatmadari |first=David |date=2009-12-11 |title=Tabernacle of sin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/dec/10/metropolitan-tabernacle-baptist-christian-spurgeons |access-date=2024-06-12 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

==Church basic policies==
The Metropolitan Tabernacle is an independent [[Reformed Baptist]]. The following seven points show the key biblical policies followed, laid down by forebears, such as [[Charles Spurgeon]].<ref name=dall /><ref name=sheehan>{{Citation | last = Sheehan| first =Robert | title =Spurgeon and the Modern Church| place = Phillipsburg NJ | publisher = Presbyterian & Reformed Pub Co |date=Jun 1985  | isbn = 9780946462056}}</ref><ref name="Nettles">{{Cite book | last = Nettles | first = Tom | title = Living By Revealed Truth The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon | publisher = Christian Focus Publishing| location = Ross-shire | pages = 700 | date = 21 July 2013 | isbn =9781781911228 }}</ref>
* Doctrines of grace, commonly called [[Calvinism|'Calvinistic']].
* [[Free offer of the Gospel]]
* Traditional worship
* Working church
* [[Ecclesiastical separatism|Biblical separation]]
* The prayer meeting
* Wider ministries.<ref>{{Citation | url = http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org/Church-Policy-Metropolitan-Tabernacle | place = London | publisher = Metropolitan Tabernacle | type = official site | title = Church policy}}.</ref>

==Pastors==
* [[William Rider]], c. 1653–c. 65 (12 years)
* [[Benjamin Keach]], 1668–1704 (36 years)
* [[Benjamin Stinton]], 1704–18 (14 years)
* [[John Gill]], 1720–71 (51 years)
* [[John Rippon]], 1773–1836 (63 years)
* [[Joseph Angus]], 1837–39 (2 years)
* James Smith,<ref>{{Citation | url = http://orlabs.oclc.org/identities/np-smith,%20james$1802%201862 | publisher = OCLC | title = Smith, James}}.</ref> 1841–50 (8 ½ years)
* William Walters, 1851–53 (2 years)
* [[Charles Spurgeon]], 1854–92 (38 years)
* [[Arthur Tappan Pierson]], 1891–93 (pulpit supply only, not installed as a Pastor – 2 years)
* [[Thomas Spurgeon]], 1893–1908 (15 years)
* [[Archibald G. Brown]], 1908–11 (3 years)
* [[Amzi Dixon]], 1911–19 (8 years)
* [[Harry Tydeman Chilvers]],<ref>{{Citation | publisher = OCLC | url = http://orlabs.oclc.org/identities/np-chilvers,%20harry%20tydeman$1872%201963 | title = Chilvers, Harry Tydeman}}.</ref> 1919–35 (15 ½ years)
* [[W Graham Scroggie]], 1938–43 (5 years)
* [[W G Channon]], 1944–49 (5 years)
* [[Gerald B. Griffiths]], 1951–54 (3 years)
* [[Eric W. Hayden]],<ref>{{Citation | url = http://orlabs.oclc.org/identities/lccn-n50-25032 | publisher = OCLC | title = Hayden, Eric W}}.</ref> 1956–62 (6 years)
* [[Dennis Pascoe]], 1963–69 (6 years)
* [[Peter Masters]],<ref>{{Citation | url = http://orlabs.oclc.org/identities/lccn-n86-133292 | publisher = OCLC | title = Masters, Peter}}.</ref> 1970–present.<ref name=dall />

==See also==
*[[List of the largest evangelical churches]]
*[[List of the largest evangelical church auditoriums]]
*[[Worship service (evangelicalism)]]

==Bibliography==
* {{Citation | first = Alvyn | last = Austin | author-link = Alvyn Austin | year = 2007 | title = China's Millions: The China Inland Mission and Late Qing Society | publisher = Eerdmans | location = Grand Rapids, [[Michigan|MI]] | isbn = 978-0-8028-2975-7}}.

==External links==
* {{official website |http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org/}}

==References==

{{Churches in Southwark}}{{coord |51|29|39|N|0|6|4|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display =title}}
[[Category:Greek Revival church buildings in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Churches completed in 1861]]
[[Category:19th-century Baptist churches]]
[[Category:Baptist churches in London]]
[[Category:Churches in the London Borough of Southwark]]
[[Category:1650 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Religious organizations established in the 1650s]]
[[Category:17th-century Protestant churches]]
[[Category:19th-century church buildings in England]]