At time of listing church is closed during daytime
St John's was built in 1865, originally as a chapel of ease, on land donated by the Coalbrookdale Company – which employed most of Lawley's population at that time –and Lord Forrester.
Building costs were borne by Coalbrookdale Company partners Henry Dickenson and Mary Jones (nee Darby), as well as others. The same year it was licensed for baptisms, marriages and burials, and in 1867 a consolidated chapelry was assigned to it, comprising Lawley Township and the north-east part of Little Wenlock Parish.
The first minister, Thomas Ragg, served from 1865 to 1881. He was self-educated and was ordained in 1858, and previously served as curate at St Leonard's in Malinslee.
The church was designed by John Ladds in the Gothic style. It is of red and yellow brick with stone dressings and comprises a chancel with apse, north chapel, used since 1905 as a vestry, a south vestry, now used as a boiler house, a southwest turret and spire and a nave with gallery and south porch.
The single bell, made in 1865 was added in 1915. A red and white marble font stands at the southwest entrance dating from the church's inception.
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