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We offer daily services and a creative programme of talks, events and concerts. We seek to be a welcoming space for people to reflect, create and debate.
We are delighted to announce that from 6 Jan until early Apr 2025, work will take place to reinstate the church’s South Door onto Jermyn Street, part of Sir Christopher Wren’s original design.
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 aspire to be a home where everyone can belong. We’re known locally and globally for our unique history and beauty, as well as faith in action, creativity and the arts, and a commitment to social and environmental justice.
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.
New walkways, a restored courtyard and re-landscaped gardens will provide fully accessible, beautiful spaces for everyone to enjoy as well as improving our environmental performance.
St James's Church 197 Piccadilly London W1J 9LL
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Meredith Ward reflects on the profound warmth and vibrant spirit of St James’s Piccadilly, celebrating its unique crossroads of community, hospitality, and divine love that left a lasting impression on her heart and ministry.
It’s been just about three weeks since Debra and I have returned to New York and we are still basking in the glow of the warm welcome we received from all of you at St James’s Piccadilly. As we settle into our routine at home, one of the things we continue to talk about is how different this visit to London was for us than other trips we have made in the past. There is a big difference between traveling as a tourist and traveling to a place where you are personally welcomed and embraced by a loving and vibrant community. We are so grateful for the gifts we received – new friends, delicious meals, and two bottles of heavenly St James’s 1684 perfume! Debra and I felt so entirely at home among you that we are ready to pack our bags tomorrow and hop on the next flight to Heathrow.
As we wandered through your sanctuary, we saw that one of the unique characteristics of St James’s is its location. Like St. Bart’s, it is situated right in the heart of the city. With its open passage between Piccadilly and Jermyn Street, the church sits quite literally at a crossroads. This is, I believe, one of the things that gives St. James’s its special character of openness, of possibility, of serendipitous encounter, of hospitality, of respite and refreshment. These qualities are apparent in everything you do.
It seems to me that the people of St James’s are really living into that idea of being at the crossroads of the city, and that spirit infuses your work and ministry. It is a place where you may expect to meet people from all walks of life, where you may spend some time in quiet prayer, or relax over a cup of coffee with friends at Redemption Roasters, or enjoy a delicious meal with guests at FEAST. That spirit also filters through your congregation of people who travel from near and far to worship in this particular place Sunday mornings.
There is always something going on at St James’s – whether a concert, a meeting, a worship service, a lecture, or a communal meal – the church, the courtyard, and the garden are bustling and abundantly full of life. All of this activity, of course, requires leadership and support and a lot of hard work. You have that in your superbly gifted clergy team that I was privileged to learn from. You are also blessed with a joyfully engaged congregation who take on the mantle of leadership in so many ways from worship, to outreach, to pastoral care. A creative and nurturing spirit, grounded in God’s love, is clearly at the heart of everything you do.
The sweet fragrance of St James’s Piccadilly has followed us home – not only your lovely perfume, but the fragrance that spreads from knowing God (to paraphrase St. Paul). We hope we will have a chance to offer you a similar warm welcome to St. Bart’s whenever you find yourselves across the pond.
Meredith
