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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
Sunday 14 December 3pm
Come and be part of this reflective service of music and readings for all who find this time of year difficult. An opportunity to come together and address the sadness, pain of loss and even anger that can be felt during the Christmas season.
These stained glass paintings explore Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth, drawing from the first chapter of Luke. In this encounter, Elizabeth—elderly and pregnant with John the Baptist—embodies the assurance that “with God nothing shall be impossible.”
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.
It costs £5,000 each day to keep the doors of St James’s open to all who already 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
Directions on Google Maps
Ray Crocker reflects on his forty years at St James’s, expressing gratitude for the community, liturgy, and purpose he found there as he transitions from London to Cornwall while still remaining connected to the church.
“Ray Crocker was one of the first people I met when I arrived as rector at St James’s late in 2010. We agreed, at the Advent evening service that year, that it was important that the white wine he was serving was chilled (it was!). As I received a glass of chilled white wine from Ray on Advent Sunday in 2025, I was reminded of the years of faithful service and commitment Ray has given to St James’s. You’ll see below of his memories, but in introducing this blog, I want to say a huge thank you to Ray for his decades-long dedication to the community life of St James’s, serving refreshments, clearing up, serving, reading and much more (including being an assistant church warden back in the day). As you’ll see he will be back, but it’s important to mark this moment as he and Diane relocate to Cornwall. Thank you Ray and may God go with you.”
The Revd Lucy Winkett
Advent Sunday was my last day as a full time congregant at St James’s. A New Year for The Church and a New Year for me.
After twenty eight years of going forward and back to St Ives in Cornwall, engaging in a “twin focused living experience”, we are selling up in London and moving there permanently.
This move has presented me with all kinds of feelings after forty seven years in the same lovely house and in The Metropolis, which, as a Cornish native, I have come to love. My strongest memories and emotions surround my connection with St James’s Church.
I wandered in one Sunday morning in 1985. Thinking back over the forty years a wealth of reminiscences fight for prominence. What predominates is the steady ongoing richness of liturgy, music, fellowship, cultural events…..but above all, the breaking of The Word and sincere attempts to live out The Gospel. Through this, it has become a way of life to recognise injustice, help the marginalised, support the disadvantaged.
I was drawn to St James’s after struggling with my previous local church. Singing from “Mission Praise”, listening to “safe” messages from the front were bad enough but the final straw was when a preacher announced, “I was greatly inconvenienced in Central London yesterday by a protest march. As Christians we must not protest. We must trust and obey…..there’s no other way”
That was my last visit to that place.
I found St James’s by chance the next week, drawn in by a poster on the railings advertising a conversation between The Rector and Tony Benn, the subject of which was politics and faith…the call to Christians to involve themselves in matters of peace, protest and politics. What a find! I think I was led there by Providence.
My first visit was life changing. Everything was so right for me…talented musicians, gathering around the altar for The Eucharist, the light flooding in to mention but a few of the features which convinced me that I had arrived.
One more special aspect of church life has been the encouragement and potential in volunteering. Fiona Notman and I retired from our school headships at about the same time in 2005. We wanted to experience life at St James’s on a weekday as well as worshipping on a Sunday. For twenty years we have come on most Thursdays to be “Vollies”, working with the Vergers. We polish brass and glass, dust edges and ledges and take care of crosses and bosses. This natty nomenclature was devised by Chris Davies, always ready with poetic use of language. We proudly bear the nicknames of “Partners in Grime” or “Marigold Twins” i won’t disclose which cheeky cleric named us thus!!
Through that rôle we are very visible to visitors and, over the years, by answering their many questions, I have build up a pretty solid historical and architectural knowledge of the building. This has been put to use in training the Weekly Welcomers and giving talks to various groups…..all very satisfying….and certainly a good hobby to have in retirement.
So…many thanks to St James’s, and all who have sailed in her for forty years, for enhancing my life immeasurably.
AFTERWORD
I feel a bit of a fraud writing this farewell narrative…I have made plans and arrangements to come from The Western Extremities regularly. I shall still serve, read, lead intercessions. You will see me around…but please don’t say, “I thought you had gone!”
