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The French Protestant Church of Brighton (''L'Eglise Française Réformée'') is a former place of worship in the English city of Brighton and Hove. Until its closure in 2008, it was the only French Protestant church in Britain outside London, where the French Protestant Church of London, founded in 1550, occupies a building dating from 1893 in Soho Square. Brighton's dates from the previous decade, and is centrally located in Queensbury Mews, a small street just behind Brighton seafront and next to the Metropole Hotel. Opened in 1887, it was put up for sale in June 2008 and was closed a month later. ==History== In 1548, Deryck Carver, a French-speaking Flemish man from a town near Liège, sought refuge in Brighton from the persecution he was experiencing from the ruling powers of the time in respect of his Calvinist beliefs.〔 He had been a lay reader; as well as establishing Brighton's first brewery, the Black Lion,〔 he held Bible reading sessions at his house in Brighton for the next few years until Roman Catholicism was re-established as Britain's state religion by Queen Mary I in 1553. At this time, such meetings of Protestants were banned, and Carver was arrested and committed to trial in London for continuing to hold them. He was burnt at the stake in 1555. The meetings had been attended by many fishermen from both England and France, beginning the tradition of French Christian worship in Brighton. In the 17th and 18th centuries, this was maintained in a Presbyterian chapel in the centre of the town, which was attended by many Francophone worshippers. Calvinists, meanwhile, met secretly in private houses until an official church was formed for the Francophone population in 1858. The first two pastors were French, as were many members of the committee formed later to assist the church council. However, a Brighton resident, Mrs E. Hayes, played a significant role in bringing the church community together. Services were initially held at her house, and later in various churches and public buildings in the town;〔 but in 1887 the pastor oversaw the building of a dedicated church for the congregation. A plot of land behind Kings Road was bought for £735, and building materials cost another £800. Money was raised from the congregation itself, Protestant congregations in France and people within Brighton's religious community.〔 Mrs Hayes coordinated the fundraising and donated some money herself. These efforts were criticised by Rev. J. Gregory in his sermon at the dedication ceremony on 18 July 1887; he described fundraising in general as "stirring the Lord's fire with the devil's poker", and complained about the activities that were organised, saying that they did not fit "with the Lord's work".〔 A time capsule was set into the main foundation stone, containing items associated with Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. The stone was laid by the Mayor of Brighton using a specially made trowel, and the church was consecrated on 27 February 1888.〔 The church was licensed for worship in accordance with the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855 and had the registration number 30558. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「French Protestant Church, Brighton」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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