Methodist Central Hall Westminster - History

History

Central Hall was erected to mark the centenary of John Wesley's death. It was built in 1905-11 on the site of the Royal Aquarium, Music Hall and Imperial Theatre, an entertainment complex that operated with varying success from 1876 to 1903.

Central Hall was funded between 1898 and 1908 by the "Wesleyan Methodist Twentieth Century Fund" (or the "Million Guinea Fund", as it became more commonly known), whose aim was to raise one million guineas from one million Methodists. The fund closed in 1904 having raised 1,024,501 guineas (£1,075,727). Central Hall was to act not only as a church, but to be of "great service for conferences on religious, educational, scientific, philanthropic and social questions".

Central Hall hosted the first meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in 1946. In return for the use of the hall, the Assembly voted to fund the repainting of the walls of the church in a light blue – the paint is still there, albeit marginally cracked and peeling. At the time it was being used by the UN General Assembly, the congregation relocated to the Coliseum Theatre.

It has been regularly used for political rallies—famous speakers have included Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Winston Churchill. In 1968 it hosted the first public performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in a concert that also included his father (organist William Lloyd Webber who was Musical Director at Central Hall), his brother (cellist Julian Lloyd Webber) and pianist John Lill.

The Football World Cup trophy was on display at Central Hall in early 1966 in preparation for the tournament being held in England that summer. However, it was stolen from the hall on 20 March 1966. It was recovered seven days later in South London but the thief was never caught. England went on to win the trophy four months later.

It is frequently used for public enquiries, including those into the Ladbroke Grove rail crash, the sinking of the Marchioness pleasure boat, and the Bloody Sunday incident in Northern Ireland.

In 2005 Central Hall controversially applied for a license to sell alcohol in its cafe and conference venues. As the Methodist Church has traditionally promoted abstinence and usually forbids consumption of alcohol on church premises, many Methodists argued that the application was in defiance of Church rules and a written objection was compiled.