Bournmoor Church

There have been two publications on the subject of the history of the church of St. Barnabas, Bournmoor. The first was by Thomas Westgarth FCIS, published in 1948 and re-published in 1968. It was entitled "The Story of The Parish Church of Bournmoor County Durham" and was respectfully and affectionately dedicated to all the Rectors who have spiritually guided us during the past hundred years.

Above: the original 1948 guide.

The following is taken from this publication:

This nineteenth century parish church is a worthy and seemly house for the worship of God and finds a warm place in the hearts of not only the inhabitants of the village of Burnmoor but also of church goers in many surrounding districts. It does not possess any ancient history, nor does it aspire to anything but what it is, a homely house of God and as such is beloved by all who worship there. The church is dedicated to St Barnabas and was built at the sole charge of George Frederick D'Arcy Lambton whose wife Beatrix Frances, Countess of Durham, laid the foundation stone on 3rd May 1867. The surroundings of the church cannot fail to impress; the entrance to the churchyard is from the north, its footpath winding through an avenue of trees to the south porch; the south aspect is of a rolling countryside looking across a typical English country cricket field to the ancient Saxon village of Newbottle. The north looks upon the well-wooded old rectory grounds within Lambton Park. As we approach the building we find it built in the Early English style with a turret at the western end with one bell; internally there is a chancel and nave of three bays, north and south aisles; the chancel is elegant and beautifully decorated. When we enter the church we are at once struck by the contrasting north and south aisles, the former with its high almost flat roof and the latter with its low wall and steeply sloping roof. The north aisle as it is today was heightened and enlarged by John George the third Earl of Durham in 1881 in memory of his father; the roof timbers of English Oak were obtained from the Lambton estate, the cost of enlarging was £1,732 and was executed at the sole charge of his lordship. The church now has a seating capacity of 320 worshippers In the same year the chancel was enriched and beautified by the parishioners in grateful remembrance of the builder of the church. In 1888 a faculty was secured which gave authority to further enrich and improve the chancel, consisting of a richly carved oak screen, reredos, and paneling, mural decorations to the design of Johnson and Hicks of Newcastle upon Tyne. The most outstanding feature of the interior of the church is a huge monument built of white Italian marble on a blue grey pedestal and fashioned in the form of an angel of victory. The monument was given to the church by the fifth Earl of Durham in memory of his uncle, the third Earl and his father, the fourth Earl. The Angel of Victory is placed in a commanding position in the north aisle and was dedicated on 23rd June 1929 by Dr Herbert Hensley Henson the then Bishop of Durham. The sculptor is Waldo Storey RA who completed the work in Rome in 1894, the total cost being £3,200. On the wall of the north aisle is a painting of the "Madonna of the Armchair"; it is a copy of a Raphael and was purchased from the monks of St Mark's. Florence. The picture was presented to the church as a memorial to Dr Alfred Merle Norman by his great niece Miss Agatha Norman and was unveiled on 20th October 1935. Dr Norman was the first incumbent of Burnmoor Parish; born in 1831, he held the living from 1866 to 1895 and died in 1918. The altar table was provided in 1910 by the parishioners as a memorial to Queen Victoria. The organ was built by Gray & Davison of London. The church contains a number of memorial windows which will be described in a separate article at a later time. The churchyard contains an outstanding monument erected to the memory of Beatrix Frances Countess of Durham who died on 21st January 1871 which stands over the family vault of the Lambtons. The monument is in the form of a cross designed by Thomas Drew and was made in Dublin by Walter Doolin in 1873. The cross is made of Irish limestone and is an exact reproduction of the famous Irish cross at Monasterboice, a village in the County of Louth, Eire.

The second publication was begun by Ann Wilson, who began the task of re-writing Thomas Westgarth's original 1948 guide. Ann sadly died in 2005 and this history is dedicated to her memory. As stated by Nicholas Chamberlain (Priest-in-charge 1998-2006) in the foreword of the work:

Ann Wilson began the task of re-writing Thomas Westgarth's 1948 guide book to Bournmoor church, bringing to it her research skills, her eye for detail and her own deep attachment to the building and the community that it serves. It was, for her, a labour of love. Then, after her death in 2005, her husband Arthur, together with Judith Lees and many others completed her work, out of Christian love for Ann, and as part of their own response to the faith that is celebrated day by day and week by week in St. Barnabas. The book that you are about to read is, in every way, testimony to God's love as seen in the life of an English parish.

Barnabas is Hebrew for "son of encouragement" or "son of consolation". He was an important person in the foundation of the early Church and the spread of the gospel. He is mentioned fairly often in the Acts of the Apostles and in several of Paul's letters. He is honoured with the title 'Apostle'. Barnabas was born in Cyprus. His given name was Joseph; the apostles gave him the Hebrew name Barnabas, which means "Son of Encouragement" in honour of his work in the Church (Acts 4:36). Joseph Barnabas was born into a Jewish family, members of the tribe of Levi. As Jews of the Diaspora living outside of Palestine, they would have spoken Greek. We don't know when Barnabas came to Palestine. He may have been in the company of disciples who traveled with Jesus; some of the early church writers thought so. If he did not know Jesus before the crucifixion, Barnabas heard the apostles' preaching very soon after Pentecost. Barnabas believed in the power of the gospel message to change people's hearts. He was the one who persuaded the apostles and the church in Jerusalem that Paul had been converted from a persecutor to an apostle (Acts 9:26-27). Barnabas was one of the first to understand that the mission of the church was universal. He argued forcefully that Gentile converts did not have to be circumcised or follow the Jewish dietary customs (Acts 15). The apostles sent him to strengthen the Christians in Antioch. He invited Paul to join him in this work (Acts 11). Barnabas and Paul were leaders of the church at Antioch, in present day Turkey. They decided to preach the gospel to Gentiles for the first time, rather than to Jews. This was a momentous decision which has obviously had far-reaching consequences. The followers of Jesus were in separate groups - Jewish and gentile. Paul and Barnabas joined them together by removing the differences between them. The words, "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3.28), are thought to have begun as a statement of the church at Antioch. The church then separated from the synagogue. They realised that a name was needed for followers of Jesus. It is certain that the new name originated in Antioch during the time when Barnabas was there. They were called 'Christians'. The Antioch community sent Barnabas and Paul on a missionary journey together. They preached in synagogues throughout Asia Minor. When the community wanted to send them on a second journey, Paul and Barnabas found that they could no longer work together. Their disagreement was over a person, Mark, who had deserted them in the middle of their first journey. Barnabas wanted to give him another chance, but Paul didn't. So, Barnabas and Mark set off for Cyprus, while Paul and Silas went in a different direction. Our parish patron is a Christian with a foot in two cultures, a bridge between the Greek-speaking converts and the Hebrew speaking Jews of Palestine who were Jesus' earliest followers. Barnabas gives us a powerful example of openness in his sponsorship of Paul. He is a team player who knows the value of working with others, a collaborator in ministry. His willingness to give Mark a second chance shows us that Barnabas is a person of reconciliation. Barnabas faced many of the same challenges that we face now. As we celebrate his life and feast (June 11), let's pray that we will have the same spirit that he did. Across the centuries, Barnabas is still a "Son of Encouragement". The meaning of Barnabas is something to keep in mind as we interact with others. Encouragement can be a great act of Grace. Each of us can remember many who had great impact on us because of their encouragement of us. Being a member of Saint Barnabas Church means being a son or daughter of encouragement, too

Hymn to St Barnabas (to the tune of "Londonderry Air"):

O Son of God, our Captain of salvation,

thyself by suffering schooled to human grief,

we bless thee for thy sons of consolation,

who follow in the steps of thee their Chief.

Those whom thy Spirit's dread vocation severs

to lead the vanguard of thy conquering host;

whose toilsome years are spent in brave endeavours

to bear thy saving Name from coast to coast.

Those whose bright faith makes feeble hearts grow stronger,

and sends fresh warriors to the great campaign,

bids the lone convert feel estranged no longer,

and wins the sundered to be one again;

And all true helpers, patient, kind, and skillful,

who shed thy light across our darkened earth,

counsel the doubting, and restrain the willful,

soothe the sick bed, and share the children's mirth.

So Barnabas, the son of consolation

who cast his all at thine apostles' feet;

he whose new name, through every Christian nation,

from age to age our thankful strains repeat.

Thus, Lord, thy saint in holy memory keeping,

still be thy Church's watchword, ";Comfort ye"

till in our Father's house shall end our weeping

and all our wants be satisfied in thee.

Words: John Ellerton, 1871

Music: Londonderry Air, Strength and Stay, St. Osyth