Religion
Billingham is home to several religious communities, the largest of which are the Church of England, and the Roman Catholic Church.
The Church of England community is served by five parishes, St. Cuthbert's, St. Luke's, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Aidan's, and St. Peter's, Wolviston. The parishes are part of the Church of England Deanery of Stockton, in the Archdeaconry of Auckland, which itself is within the Diocese of Durham. The parishes are currently served by, Revd David Brooke (Rector of Wolviston and also Area Dean of Stockton), Revd Susie Thorp (Associate Minister), and Revd Paul Clayton (Associate Minister). Recent clergy include Revd Canon Richard Smith (retired), Revd Tim Parker (now a hospital chaplain in Harrogate), and Revd Sheila Day (who died in post in 2011). The parishes are in the process of forming a single Team Parish of Billingham.
The Roman Catholic community is served by three parishes, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish Billingham, St. John the Evangelist and St. Joseph's. Regular mass attendance in the town is around 756, according to figures released by the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. The parish is placed in the episcopal area of Cleveland and South Durham and the deanery of St. Peter, including Stockton and Billingham. The town is served by two Catholic Clergy, Rev J. Butters (also area Episcopal Vicar) is the parish priest, and Rev D. McKie the resident deacon.
The Christian community is also served by two Methodist churches, one Baptist church and a Pentecostal Church called "New Life" based on Low grange Avenue. There is also a Latter-day Saints church, and a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.
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Famous quotes containing the word religion:
“It must appear impossible, that theism could, from reasoning, have been the primary religion of human race, and have afterwards, by its corruption, given birth to polytheism and to all the various superstitions of the heathen world. Reason, when obvious, prevents these corruptions: When abstruse, it keeps the principles entirely from the knowledge of the vulgar, who are alone liable to corrupt any principle or opinion.
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—David Hume (1711–1776)
“Every sect is a moral check on its neighbour. Competition is as wholesome in religion as in commerce.”
—Walter Savage Landor (1775–1864)
“In the latter part of the seventeenth century, according to the historian of Dunstable, “Towns were directed to erect ‘a cage’ near the meeting-house, and in this all offenders against the sanctity of the Sabbath were confined.” Society has relaxed a little from its strictness, one would say, but I presume that there is not less religion than formerly. If the ligature is found to be loosened in one part, it is only drawn the tighter in another.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)