The community at St Paul’s is eclectic. Our committed membership (i.e. our church ‘electoral roll’) numbers some 250 or so people, of whom – on a regular Sunday morning – we expect to see between 100 & 130 at our two masses.
People come from the local area (not more than 1/4 of the total), from all over London, and some from overseas. We are the ‘London church’ for many who no longer live full-time in the national’s Capital, and we have a wide ‘diaspora’, with whom me maintain occasional contact in person but regular contact through our website and regular mailings.
It is easy for churches in London to be ‘monochrome’; we have made a point of trying to be both diverse and inclusive. There is a broad range of ages and ethnicities, and we have at least as many single people as married or partnered. The development of our Family Mass at 09:00 on a Sunday has seen the number of families with young children grow.
Hospitality is important to us. So is travel and pilgrimage. We are a thoughtful bunch of people who enjoy engaging heart and mind (and indeed all the senses, as our Anglo-Catholic tradition of worship encourages us to). Once a month we eat together (on the first Sunday of the month at 13:00 in the hall), which is a chance ensure that those living alone get to enjoy company over a meal. And every Sunday after the services there are refreshments.
We recognise that there are as many introverts as extroverts – and so we don’t hound or pursue people who just want to come and go; but those who do wish to be more involved can easily become so.
We do invite you to come along and try the community out for size. It may be just the community you’ve been looking for in London. Diverse. Inclusive. Thoughtful. Welcoming. Caring and outward-looking.