On Tuesday evening the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, welcomed 150 people to St Sepulchre’s for a special service celebrating the successful partnership established in September last year between the existing community at St Sepulchre’s and a team of people from Holy Trinity Brompton and St George’s, Holborn.
St Sepulchre’s is an example of the 100 worshipping communities that the Diocese of London committed to create, or renew as part of Capital Vision 2020, its strategy to serve London in ways that are confident, compassionate and creative.
This special service at St Sepulchre’s also paid tribute to the church’s musical heritage with traditional choral worship such as John Ireland’s ‘Greater love hath no man’, alongside more contemporary congregational worship led by the new team, bringing together both streams of the new partnership.
Also in attendance to celebrate this exciting partnership was the Revd John Valentine, the Rector at St George’s Holborn and the Revd Nicky Gumbel, Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton.
It is an exciting time at St Sepulchre’s, as the church welcomed the Revd David Ingall as the new Priest-in-Charge of the parish earlier last year, bringing with him members of both HTB and St George’s to help launch new services and ministries.
A regular Sunday service was launched for the first time in 30 years in September. 120 people came to help celebrate on the first Sunday, and there has been a regular congregation thereafter of 50-60.
The church is now proving popular all through the week, with both contemporary and traditional choral worship services every Tuesday, a new Alpha course, workplace ministries, and a range of regular concerts and rehearsals, as this city church works towards an exciting vision of "living for God in the heart of the City."
The Revd David Ingall said:
"The last few months have been an amazing journey as we have joined in with the existing life here at St Sepulchre’s, and seen new ministries and services launch and flourish. I am excited by all that God seems to be doing."
The church has been known as the Musicians’ Church for many years, due to its association with many famous musicians. The stunning North Chapel of the church is a memorial chapel for musicians. Among prominent musicians remembered there are the conductor Sir Henry Wood who, at the age of fourteen learned to play the organ at the church; the composer, John Ireland; the singer Dame Nellie Melba; and composer Walter Carroll.
