City Temple (London)

City Temple Holborn
Photo of the City Temple
Location	Holborn Viaduct, London
Country	England, United Kingdom
Denomination	United Reformed Church
Website	http://www.city-temple.com/
History
Founder(s)	Thomas Goodwin
Architecture
Years built	1873–1874. Reconstructed 1958
Clergy
Senior pastor(s)	Rev. Dr Rodney D. Woods

The City Temple is a Nonconformist church on Holborn Viaduct in London. It is the only English Free Church still worshipping in its own building every Sunday in the City of London. The current Minister is Rev Dr Rodney Woods. The church is part of the Thames North Synod of the United Reformed Church and is a member of the Evangelical Alliance.

The City Temple is most famous as the preaching place of the 20th century liberal theologian Leslie Weatherhead. Other notable preachers have included R. J. Campbell, Joseph Fort Newton, Thomas Goodwin and Joseph Parker.

The first church building on the present site was built in 1874. The congregation was founded much earlier; the traditional date is 1640 but some evidence suggests it was founded as early as the 1560s by the Puritans. Destroyed by bombing during the Second World War, it was rebuilt and reopened in 1958.

The City Temple is widely believed to have been founded by Thomas Goodwin. The exact date of its foundation is unknown, but it is believed to have been around 1640. It is the oldest Nonconformist congregation in the City of London. Its first meeting-house was located in Anchor Lane. The second minister of the Church was Thomas Harrison, who succeeded Goodwin in 1650, at which time the Church moved to a meeting-house in Lime Street. Harrison's ministry only lasted until 1655. A successor was not appointed until 1658, when Rev. Thomas Mallory was called to pastor the Church. Mallory led the Church during the difficult period that followed the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. The Church moved several times but after a number of moves it found a more permanent home in the Poultry, Cheapside in 1819.