All Saints Parish Paper MARGARET STREET, LONDON W.1 JULY 2013 £1.00 VICAR’S LETTER the stage at which I find distinguishing words from music, when both are heavily The annual service for the Admission of amplified, a trial. Churchwardens is not usually the most exciting event in the liturgical calendar. There were three presentations or Most years, it happens after Evensong in a interviews, each focusing on one of the parish church large enough for the purpose. themes of Capital Vision 2020: building The archdeacon delivers a ‘charge’ in a Church in London which is Confident, which he usually tells the newly-appointed Compassionate and Creative. wardens the kind of practical things they are expected to know and do. Vastiana Belfon, a Churchwarden from St John at Hackney, spoke about being an This year things were very different. The ambassador for Jesus Christ in daily life. service took place at St Paul’s. Conducted by the Bishop, it was for all the Churchwardens Ben Bell of Urban Hope spoke about his from the diocese, accompanied by their experiences working with young people in clergy and other supporters, so that the deprived areas of Islington (yes, they do cathedral was full. People from each exist). Episcopal area gathered at a particular city Darren Raymond of Intermission Theatre church and then walked to St Paul’s for and Fr Rob Gillion spoke about their work the service. Instead of a charge, we had the involving troubled young people from launch of Capital Vision 2020. across London in theatre at St Saviour’s, The variety of life in the Diocese of Knightsbridge (in an unlikely setting behind London was represented in the service. Harrods). Before the service, a brilliant steel band from As well as our Churchwardens, All Saints Holy Trinity Primary School in Haringey was ably represented by Jeremy Tayler, our played for us. (This took me back to the time latest ordinand, who led one of the prayers. when David Craig and I had a steel band in St Paul’s for the Tercentenary of USPG in Programmes like Capital Vision have a 2001.) This was followed by the All Souls tendency, perhaps inevitable, to accentuate worship band. The Twyford School Gospel the new and underplay the old. I have been Choir sang and the Cathedral Consort gave arguing quietly but firmly for recognition of us James MacMillan’s “Christus vincit”. work that is already being done. At the last Inevitably not everything was to everyone’s Diocesan Synod, we were urged to open our taste. I think my hearing must have reached churches. 1 I pointed out that ours has been open ministry and mission in every community for more than 150 years. But we have also and in many hospitals, universities and managed to get the Annunciation re-opened other institutions. Our churches run over and St Cyprian’s from time to time. 1,000 projects serving local communities in the name of Jesus Christ. Over 53,000 When there is talk of engagement with children are educated in our church culture, this sometimes means only youth schools, up more than 5,000 in five years. culture, fashion or sport. I have nothing London produces more than 40 newly against engagement in these areas, although ordained clergy each year, many of whom sometimes that engagement needs to be serve beyond London. rather more critical — of a sporting world so obsessed with winning at any cost that “We have re-opened five churches that cheating is institutionalised, or a fashion had been closed for worship, and are industry that seeks to persuade people that planning the first new church presence in their worth is measured by how often they a new community in 40 years. Against this change their wardrobe. The hidden cost of background of growth we have recorded that is paid by factory workers in places like more than 20% in energy savings. Over Bangladesh; sometimes with their lives. In 50% of our parishes are officially Fairtrade the conversations about Capital Vision in (including ours) and over 50 churches which I have been involved, I have tried, and schools are twinned with partners in quietly but firmly, to remind people that Mozambique and Angola. But in a city churches like All Saints make a massive where the challenges are enormous, with a ongoing investment in maintaining and population expected to grow to 10 million, developing that deep-rooted Christian with a huge shortfall in housing and school culture which is expressed in art and provision, and increasing social division, architecture and music and liturgy; as well we cannot be complacent.” as simply being where we are. The other side of the card says: “As a As the Bishop wrote: “At the same Diocese we have reflected on the times we time we must of course maintain our live in, and sought to listen and to respond: day to day mission and ministry across In a city of many voices, we believe we need London. We remain committed to serving to change the public conversation about the communities where we are already: God. In a global city where people arrive through prayer, worship and practical open and hungry for a new life, we believe service in the name of Jesus Christ.” the Gospel has answers and changes the questions. In a mobile city where, for As a card handed out after the service many, networks across the capital are says, we have many reasons for celebrating more important than local roots, we need the marvellous things God has been doing in to make contact with a generation that recent years: “Electoral Roll membership has forgotten or never heard the Gospel in London has risen by 60% in the past (think of all those young people who work twenty years. Giving by individuals to and socialise around All Saints). In a city their churches has risen by 50% in the where people crave connection, we strive last decade. In very challenging economic to enable people to gather and belong. In a times, our churches have sustained their diverse city of poverty and riches, of young 2 and old, of many cultures and many faiths, we seek to transform society by speaking CORPUS CHRISTI truth to those in power and seeking change. The weather all week had been wet but the “In times of economic and financial forecasters held out hope that by Thursday restraint, we need to be compassionate evening the rain would have gone, and so in serving our neighbour and to use our it turned out, so we were able to have our influence for good in finance, law and outdoor procession. If it started raining public affairs. In a world city, we know our while we were outside we would just have actions and witness reverberate around the to emulate Gene Kelly “singing in the rain”. world. In a universal city, we have learned As things turned out, while the sun did not that we are part of creation — instead of shine, it remained dry. After an inspiring adding to human burdens on creation, we sermon by Fr Tim Sledge and a glorious must participate in God’s plan to redeem Mass, we headed out into the streets. it.” The preparation and execution of this At All Saints perhaps it would be more service is a major undertaking. As well as accurate to say that we have begun to think the normal duties of clergy and choir, sides- and take action about these things. We have people and servers, the procession has to only made a start. We will have to go on be marshalled to conform to the Council’s thinking and praying hard about them, and requirements, and we are grateful again to being willing to find new ways to share the Cedric Stephens and his squad of stewards in good things we have received. In churches of their high visibility vests who did a splendid our tradition, that will challenge what often job of shepherding us through the crowds of seems to be an obsession with defensive Thursday-night shoppers and stopping the postures or ideas of the “correct” way of traffic when necessary. Our thanks also to doing things, rather than a commitment to a the Events Committee who restored us in church life and mission which is “catholic”, body as the service had in spirit. that is universal and whole, rather than introverted and narrowly sectional. Fr Sledge’s sermon appears in this issue. We have already had one day with Some years ago, the Vicar celebrated people from the PCCs of our group of three and preached at Corpus Christi here on churches, and are planning to have another Thursday night, then flew to New York to day in the autumn, a Saturday when more of do it all again at the Church of St Mary the us can attend, when we can look at some of Virgin. Times Square, even on a Sunday these challenges and the resources we have morning, is a much more hazardous place or need, with the help of someone who can to hold a procession. This year, it was Fr bring a fresh vision. Julian’s turn but he only had to go as far as St Augustine’s, Kilburn. In the meantime, we can all pray and think and talk with one another about what THOMAS CROMWELL this might mean for us. Thomas Cromwell is an historical figure Yours in Christ, who has become much better-known thanks Alan Moses to the novels of Hilary Mantel.