Welcome

This is the online resource guide for Building on History: the Church in London, a groundbreaking project which ran between 2009 and 2011. It was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and a partnership between the Anglican Diocese of London, Lambeth Palace Library, King’s College London and the Open University.

The aim of Building on History has been to show the ways in which historical awareness can be of practical value for the contemporary church, contributing to its self-understanding, current activities and future strategy. To find out more about the original project and its ongoing relevance, please see our downloadable report Engaging with the past to shape the future or our project video.

This website contains the following resources:

Information on how to conduct a History Audit of a congregation.
Ideas on how to use history to inform contemporary mission and ministry.
A guide on how to write a church and parish history.
Material on developing a Statement of Significance for a church.
Educational material for primary school teachers, exploring the historical links between school and church.
Historical case studies for church leaders.

There is also a sister project – Building on History: Religion in London – and material relating to this is available from their website.

The Bishop of London

‘Building on History will lead to clergy and others growing in their awareness of the development of the church in a way that builds confidence and practical wisdom'
- The Bishop of London

The Archbishop of Canterbury and members of the core team talk about Building on History:

or watch this video on iTunes U

The Open University is now piloting a parallel project engaging with other religious traditions in London. See the Religion in London website for information and resource guides.