Church History - A Timeline
Below is a timeline for the history of the church and school. It is abstracted from the Centenary Commemorative Brochure published in 1998.
| 14th September 1878 | a meeting was held at Hindley Vicarage to discuss the possibility of building a new school |
| 23rd October 1878 | a further meeting decided to go ahead with a design similar to Castle Hill School |
| 23rd August 1879 | School Foundation Stone was laid |
| 11th November 1879 | School was licensed for divine service |
| 20th November 1879 | School opened |
| 1880's | Mothers Meetings were held |
| 1889 | idea of building a Church at Hindley Green began to take shape |
| March 1894 | Roger Leigh promised a site for the Church and a Committee was formed |
| April 1898 | plans for permanent church approved |
| 11th June 1898 | Church Foundation Stone was laid |
| November 1898 | Reverend Miller was appointed Vicar of Billinge |
| 28th April 1899 | Reverend W. Martin came into residence as Curate in Charge |
| 28th October 1899 | new Church was consecrated |
| summer of 1900 | the idea of a separate Parish took root |
| 2nd July 1900 | Committee was formed to raise money for the new parish |
| 17th February 1903 | the new Parish of St. John the Evangelist, Hindley Green was born |
| end of 1904 | Mr JE Rayner gives the mineral rights to the land to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners |
| 20th March 1908 | Benediction Service for the new vicarage |
| November 1909 | "Great Bazaar" held over 3 days raising money for an organ, a permanent pulpit, choir stalls and chancel furnishings |
| January 1910 | new organ was dedicated and opened |
| 1912 | the first stained glass window was installed in the South Aisle |
| 1920 | Girls Guild formed and became a thriving and well attended organisation |
| 6th April 1920 | first PCC meeting |
| 12th September 1920 | The Great War Memorial window and tablet unveiled and dedicated |
| 1928 | "Pearl the Fishermaid" operetta performed |
| 1920s to 1950s | Church of England Men's Society |
| 1920's | Young Person's Fellowship formed |
| 27th March 1935 | a design for a reredos and altar was submitted |
| 27th October 1937 | dedication of reredos and altar |
| 3rd November 1937 | Lady Chapel window dedicated |
| 28th October 1939 | dedication of Wardens Stalls |
| Christmas 1940 | War Memorial restoration contractor's premises bombed |
| 1940 | Boys' Brigade And Life Boy organisations formed |
| 27th October 1943 | Lady Chapel dedicated |
| 1944 | Junior Girls Guild Stained Glass Window on the South Aisle installed |
| 23rd December 1945 | Junior Girls Guild Stained Glass Window on the South Aisle dedicated |
| summer of 1948 | Sidesmen's' Benches, Baptising Furniture and Back Seat completed |
| 28th October 1948 | new furniture dedicated including Baptistry seating, Sidesmen's Benches and Centre Aisle pews |
| 1949 | Choir made a gramophone record to celebrate our Golden Jubilee |
| late 1950's | Side Aisle pews added |
| August 1958 | Guide and Brownie packs formed |
| 1958 | Young Mothers Guild was formed |
| 1961 | Young Mothers Guild renamed the Young Wives Guild |
| 1965 | derelict former school kitchen in Thomas Street acquired for Boys' Brigade |
| 1966 | May Queen Festival organised |
| 1967 | May Queen Festival became Rose Queen Festival |
| 1960's | Young Person's Fellowship closed |
| early 1970's | the West Window curtains caught fire |
| 1973 | current Boys' Brigade premises acquired |
| 11 March 1974 | Men's Fellowship began |
| 1979 | the cleaning of the church was formally adopted as a Lenten Project for the Parish |
| early 1980's | second Guide and Brownie packs formed |
| January 1983 | Ladies Fellowship born |
| 1987 | installation of an Aumbry in the Lady Chapel |
| April 3rd, 1988 | opening of the new Parish Hall |
| December 1988 | Madonna and Child introduced into the Lady Chapel |
| 1989 | Friendship Club formed |
| early 1990's | Induction Loop System installed in the Church and Parish Hall |
| 1996 | West Window depicting the True Light installed |
| 1996 | Women's Guild closed |
| 1997 | Refurbishment of the Parish Hall |
| 1998 / 1999 | Centenary Celebrations |