The site was given by John Dawes, a local benefactor and landlord, and the church was built by Thomas Allom in a cruciform shape with a short chancel, transepts, and nave from 1847 to 1848.

Bridget Cherry and Nikolaus Pevsner write that Christ Church Highbury 'is a successful and original use of Gothic for a building on a cruciform plan with broad octagonal crossing.

According to the Diocese of London web site, Dr Williams 'got on with the job in hand, serving food, making beds and chatting to the guests using the shelter'.

Jonathan Dove's community opera Tobias and the Angel was premiered at the church in 1999, before being performed on a tour by the Young Vic theatre group.

[11] The church was featured on Songs of Praise on 2 February 1997, in which pianist/singer LD Frazier, jazz musician Scott Stroman, and Eclectic Voices made an appearance.