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We offer daily services and a cultural programme of talks, events and concerts. We seek to be a welcoming space for people to reflect, create and debate
Mon 13 Oct to Weds 12 Nov
An exhibition of new work by Namibian artist Tuli Mekondjo, part of the Art in the Side Chapel series at St James’s.
Sunday 23 November 7pm
Join your host, Barbara, for an evening of laughter, games, prizes, and festive fun — all in aid of the Christmas for All campaign at St James’s Church, Piccadilly.
St James’s hosts inclusive services and a cultural programme. We seek to be a welcoming space for people to reflect, create and debate.
St James’s is a place to explore, reflect, pray, and support all who are in need. We are a Church of England parish in the Anglican Communion.
We host a year-round creative programme encompassing music, visual art and spoken word.
We offer hospitality to people going through homelessness and speak out on issues of injustice, especially concerning refugees, asylum, racial justice, and LGBTQ+ issues.
St James’s strives to advocate for earth justice and to develop deeper connections with nature.
We aim to be a place where you can belong. We have a unique history, and the beauty of our building is widely known. Our community commits to faith in action: social and environmental justice; creativity. and the arts
We strive to be a Eucharist-centred, diverse and inclusive Christian community promoting life in abundance, wellbeing and dignity for all.
St James’s Piccadilly has been at the heart of its community since 1684. We invite you to play your part in securing this historic place for generations to come.
The work of St James’s, it costs us £5,000 per day to enable us to keep our doors open to all who need us.
A reimagined St James’s realised. A redesigned garden, courtyard and new building capacity—all fully accessible— will provide beautiful spaces for all as well as improving our environmental performance.
Whether shooting a blockbuster TV series or creating a unique corporate event, every hire at St James’s helps our works within the community.
St James's Church 197 Piccadilly London W1J 9LL
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As we celebrate Black History Month, Jennie Johnson explores how the history, knowledge and heritage of Black trailblazers can help us to cultivate communities of compassion during times of conflict.
Black History Month (BHM) is a time for celebration, an opportunity for us to remember the contributions and the lessons learned from Black Britons who have gone before us. To reflect on how we might continue their legacies of speaking out and standing up for the marginalised and demonstrating compassion in our communities.
Generational Legacies
During the month of October, the lectionary has focused on the 2nd book of Timothy for the Epistles, and I have been reflecting on Timothy’s ancestry and the legacy of sincere faith he inherited from his Grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. How do those legacies that are passed from generation to generation shape the way we think about ourselves and our communities? Do we take some of those legacies for granted or have we forgotten them?
Often when we think of what we inherit from our families it’s unusually focused on our physicality – eyes like your dad or a laugh that seems identical to a favourite aunt. Sometimes, our mannerisms or our personalities are compared to family members perhaps less favourably than we might want. This month I’ve been reminded that some of the legacies we inherit are much deeper and more impactful. I count myself blessed to be a grandchild of the ‘Windrush Generation’. The legacy they have left me is one shaped by a commitment to community and a deep faith in the possibility of a better future.
The legacy I have been given has helped to shape my belief system and the more aware I am of that legacy, the more I am able to build on it. It leaves me wondering what the next generation will think of the communities we are building now?
Looking back to move forwards
In my work we often use the Adrinkan symbol of the Sankofa bird, from the Akan people of Ghana to explore the links between the past and the future. The Sankofa is a mythical bird facing forward but looking back, whilst holding an egg or seed in its beak. It symbolises the act of reaching into the past to reclaim something lost or forgotten to move towards a better future.
It’s a reminder that sometimes in our desire to create something new and different we can forget the important things that our communities have already learnt. These are things that we need so that we can build on and continue those positive legacies.
The last few weeks and months have included some difficult conversations about belonging and inclusion. They are conversations that can be particularly difficult for those in our community from migrant backgrounds or those who feel marginalised due to other factors. For some people, the rallies and the constant noise of the media seem to overwhelmingly point to a country that simply does not want them here. This isn’t the first time, and it’s unlikely to be the last time that our society wrestles with the questions of who we are, what we believe and who we want to be. In BHM we can take the opportunity to reach into the past to reclaim what was forgotten and use it to move towards a better future.
In my own reflection on the past, I’m reminded of the resilience and tenacity of Baroness Doreen Lawrence of Clarendon. This BHM, she is commemorated as one who has stood firm in parliament, demonstrating courage, justice and reform in UK institutions. I also draw inspiration from the life of Benjamin Zephaniah poet, performer and activist whose words infused our lives with hope and called us to see ourselves and our communities differently so that we could be people who made a difference. What knowledge, heritage and lessons from Black trailblazers of the past might we need to remember and embrace?
Solidarity in Standing Firm
When I reflect on the lives of those elders that have changed the face of this nation and impacted people from across the globe, I’m reminded that they never do this work alone. They are joined by passionate and compassionate people from every background and walk of life. If we have a hopeful vision for the future of our communities, one that is shaped by mutual respect and wider participation, we will need to do that work together.
It will take more than leaving a ‘like’ on someone’s post. Solidarity is the work of listening to one another with respect, even when the conversation is difficult. It’s shared solutions to shared challenges. It’s choosing respect and compassion, not just in what we do, but as a mark of who we are.
Like Timothy before us we have inherited a positive legacy of faith in God and in each other. I still believe that when God’s people come together, with a focus on bringing the Gospel of peace to the places where we live, learn, work and play, that God meets us there. Add your faith to the hopeful vision of the future, stand in solidarity with the marginalised and those who are passionate about building a community shaped by compassion.
This month’s blog was written by Jennie Johnson, Racial Justice Officer for the Diocese of Liverpool. In this role Jennie supports Anglican churches and schools across Liverpool Diocese as they work together for racial justice in their communities. Jennie is passionate about encouraging the contributions and participation of marginalised groups in every part of church life both locally and nationally.
