Church
A church was a building used for worship, often in relation to a religion. By extension, the word also was used to refer to a specific sect or religion.
Beneath St. Jude's Church in 9th century a flask containing Fenric was buried. It was uncovered in 1943. (TV: The Curse of Fenric) In the 1970s the Azal located himself within a church in Devil's End following a confrontation between the Third Doctor and the Master. His ultimate defeat by Jo Grant led to the church's destruction. (TV: The Dæmons) The Master later hid his TARDIS in the remains of the church. (PROSE: The Eight Doctors) The St Mary-in-the-Dust church, demolished in 1840, periodically reappeared on its original site. (PROSE: Border Princes)
On Earth, a sentience inhabited a church in the town of Cheldon Bonniface. Known as Saul, he inhabited the church and was able to exert an amount of influence on the church's congregation. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Revelation) Several churches were places of significance on Earth, not just as meaningful locations of worship, but in other guises. St. Mary's Church in Cardiff was used as a location to hide a resurrection gauntlet. (TV: Dead Man Walking)
Donna Noble was to be married in St. Mary's Church in Chiswick. (TV: The Runaway Bride) Wilfred Mott later visited a church and was spoken to by a woman. The woman told him that the church had been a convent which a man in a blue box had saved from a demon which had fallen from the sky. The man was called "the sainted physician" and the blue box was pictured on a stained glass window in the church. (TV: The End of Time)
St. Justinian in Stockbridge was left ruined by the Millennium Wars. (COMIC: The Tides of Time)
By the 51st century, the Church was a faith-based military organisation primarily responsible for interstellar security, protection of human populations, and special covert operations. Regular military ranks were replaced by offices such as Bishop, Cleric and Verger. (TV: The Time of Angels / Flesh and Stone)
Religions that were referred to as 'Churches'
- The Church of the Sycorax was a group of female Sycorax active in the early-21st century. (COMIC: The Widow's Curse)
- The Church of the Foundation was a religion that existed in the Divergent Universe. It had monks as part of its membership. (AUDIO: Faith Stealer)
- The Church of the Tin Vagabond was a religion that worshipped the Beast. (TV: The Satan Pit)
- The Church of the Way Forward was a religion in the 40th century that worshipped a goddess, the beauty that is the Universe. It disapproved of inter-species marriage. (PROSE: Placebo Effect)
- The Church of the Glorious Dead was a religion that, led by Cardinal Morningstar, waged a holy war across Paradost. (COMIC: The Glorious Dead)
- The Church of the Grey was founded in the early 21st century. This church went through several reformations during the religious upheavals on the planet Dellah in the 26th century. (PROSE: Where Angels Fear)
- The Church of Maa'lon also existed around the 26th century and underwent a significant increase in followers on the planet Dellah. Several of its members met a being claiming to be Maa'lon .(PROSE: Where Angels Fear)
