A brief history of Lyon Anglican Church English-language church services were first held in Lyon by the Rev. McDermott as early as 1843. Then, in 1853, the forerunner of the Intercontinental Church Society appointed the Rev. E.L. Ward as chaplain. The first Confirmation Service took place in 1863. In the early days, the congregation shared a Chapel in the Cordeliers area of the city with Lyon’s German-speaking Protestant congregation which later became the Lutheran Church and French-speaking.
On February 18 th, 1873, Holy Trinity (pictured alongside), on the quays of the river Rhône and not far from where we currently meet, was consecrated for use as our church building. Services were held here until May 19 th, 1969, when the building was sold and later demolished, although some wooden crosses - one of which now hangs as the central Cross in our Chapel - were made from the old pews.
Services were then held at the Centre St. Irénée, Place Gailleton, until December 1978 and then at Mains Ouvertes, Part Dieu, from January 1979 to December 1995. The first service at our current Chapel was held on December 10th 1995.
In recent times, there have been seven full-time chaplains in Lyon: Brian Underwood (73-76); Michael Lapage (76-79); Brian Bradley (79-85); Gerald Hovenden (85-90); Peter May (91-94); Jim Perryman (94-2000) and Chris Martin (2000 onwards).
Lyon’s chaplain also served the church at Grenoble until April 1994 when Roy Ball was appointed to Grenoble as full time chaplain.