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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
World cuisine, served fresh – Every weekday lunchtime
From local and traditional specialities, to international delights, our market proudly showcases a distinct selection of the capital’s small businesses offering the finest street food.
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.
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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Ayla Lepine reflects with deep gratitude on an extraordinary and spiritually rich week in New York, where the St James’s community engaged over 600 people through events, worship, and joyful connection—highlighting the Wren Project’s message of hope, inclusion, and lasting transatlantic friendship.
Looking back at the incredible (and intense!) week of services, events, and activities in New York between 27 April and 4 May, there is so much to celebrate and be thankful for. This experience was unprecedented for us as a church, and it has been a monumental success.
First and foremost, I want to offer my deepest gratitude – knowing that this is felt by the whole team – for St James’s prayers and encouragement, which have sustained us in our journey across the Atlantic. The Wren Project’s story has been told countless times by us all, with a very wide range of audiences. At a conservative count, we have had direct contact with over 600 people in person – and more online – in eight short days. 220 people attended the Gala Dinner, which has already been the talk of the town (a close second to the Met Gala!). I have repeatedly heard that it was unique because the message was so clearly focused on community-building and belonging, with love and hope at the heart of all we do. This really did set us apart from many of these events, which are a frequent part of the New York scene. When the Genesis 16 choir stood to sing the Lord’s Prayer as the grace for the meal, I looked around at the glittering tables filled with sequined outfits and flickering candles, and saw how moved the guests were to be in the presence of something so much greater than the sum of its parts. Bringing the joy of Easter to the hearts and minds of people of all faiths and none, and encouraging new friends and old to connect with the Wren Project and deepen relationships with us, has been a privilege in the light of God’s grace.
One of the stars of the week has been our Royal Charter, which made its journey to and from New York (now safely back at home in the safe at St James’s). When the Duke of Edinburgh commented on its details and the beginnings of St James’s life in London (with Christopher Wren’s South Door ready to welcome each person into the heart of this new spiritual home), the positive enthusiasm for our church’s many generations of history was palpable. There was a lot of fun, too. Perhaps ‘what happens in Manhattan stays in Manhattan’, but it would be remiss of me not to mention that we took a New York late night piano bar by storm, and Lucy’s midnight rendition of ABBA’s Dancing Queen on the mic got the whole crowd singing along.
The group of travellers included our development team, congregation members, and clergy. In all our different ways, the energy and time that each person offered in service of the Wren Project and St James’s brought the heart of our inclusive and Spirit-led values into the heart of every conversation, and we wait to see what fruit these seeds will bear. This is a complex time for many in the United States, to say the least, and we heard stories of hope from many diverse voices. We return with more commitment than ever, joined by our many new American friends, to imagine the world to be different, and to work to make it so.
Our many activities focused on young people, the arts, women’s leadership in the Anglican Communion, and the thrill of Scripture, and these were alongside the sacramental rhythm of joining services throughout the week at St Bart’s. Their YouTube channel features recordings of Lucy, Mariama and me preaching, presiding, teaching, learning, engaging in conversation about what makes St James’s unique and how our growing friendship with St Bart’s is being celebrated, and finally, a warm-hearted mutual presentation of gifts during the service on Sunday the 4th of May. There were many St Bart’s milestones to celebrate with them too, including the announcement of St Bart’s Interim Rector, The Revd Peter Thompson’s engagement to his partner Matthew. They will be married in May 2027. Many at St James’s will remember them both when they visited London in September 2023, and we wish them all the very best and many blessings.
As we all return to St James’s after our voyage, it really is a pleasure to thank you all for your support of so many kinds. More reflections will be shared in due course (once we all get over our jetlag…!) and meanwhile I hope that this note of gratitude and report of a full and exciting week will be a little taste of what has certainly been a very big adventure, with more to come.
