St Michael le Belfrey, York

St Michael le Belfrey, York
St Michael le Belfrey, York
Coordinates: 53°57′42.1″N 1°4′58″W / 53.961694°N 1.08278°W / 53.961694; -1.08278
Location	York
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Charismatic Evangelical
Website	belfrey.org
History
Dedication	St Michael
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade I listed
Groundbreaking	1525
Completed	1537
Administration
Parish	St Michael le Belfrey York
Deanery	York
Archdeaconry	York
Diocese	Diocese of York
Province	Province of York

St Michael le Belfrey is an Anglican church in York, England. It is situated directly next to York Minster in the centre of the city.

The present church building was built between 1525 and 1537 and replaced a church that dated back to at least 1294. The church is famous for being the place where Guy Fawkes was baptised on 16 April 1570. Fawkes later became a Roman Catholic, which led to the failed 1605 Gunpowder Plot. The church was also the scene of the wedding of Christopher Levett of York, the English explorer, to Mercy More, daughter of the Revd Robert More of Guiseley, Yorkshire, in 1608.

The west front and bellcote date from 1867 and were supervised by the architect George Fowler Jones.

In the early 1970s the parish of St Michael le Belfrey was joined with the nearby St Cuthbert's Church, which had experienced revival in the late 1960s under the leadership of David Watson and could no longer be accommodated in the building. Growth continued in the 1970s and the church became known as a centre for charismatic renewal.

The church continues to reflect the creativity that was encouraged under the David Watson era. There are three services usually held on Sunday and one during the week. These include a more formal service in the morning at 9am, a family service at 11am, the "XI" service, as well as "The6" evening service, both being a more informal style of service, featuring contemporary worship.

The church maintains links with Riding Lights Theatre Company, York Schools and Youth Trust (YoYo), Alpha UK as well as numerous parachurch organisations involved in mission work both locally and internationally. The church is a member of the One Voice York network of churches.