The Rodwell Society

The Rodwell Society seeks to perpetuate the spirit of vision and enterprise of John Rodwell by encouraging individuals of means to support the work of the St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. We invite individuals willing to pledge £500 or more to two annual exclusive events (usually a dinner and a lecture/performance) with significant guests. Please contact Simon if you are interested.

John Rodwell - a remarkable man of vision and curiosity

John Medows Rodwell (1808 - 1902) was a man of many parts, with interests and enthusiasms ahead of his times. Rector of St Ethelburga's for fifty years from 1850, he was a friend of Darwin and retained a lifelong interest in natural science. It was Rodwell who made the first reliable English version of the Qur'an (1861). He also translated the Book of Job from the Hebrew as well as Coptic and other ancient texts. He was a leading figure in the Anglo-Catholic revival, controversial at the time for his use of ritual (incense, vestments, traditional liturgy) at St Ethelburga’s. He was a man of strong conviction and letters show him to have had an occasionally stormy relationship with the ecclesiastical powers of the time.

The Rodwell Society was launched in April 2009 with an inaugral lecture by The Bishop of London.

Friends

The original Friends of St Ethelburga were a group of eight individuals who played a crucial part in bringing about the restoration of the church after its near destruction in 1993 by the IRA bomb.

We now have a wider group of Friends who pledge themselves to give a specific amount to the Centre each year. The minimum amount is £50 p.a., preferably by Standing Order on a monhtly or annual basis. Our Friends are spread across the whole country – they are special people, who take a keen interest in our inter-faith work in conflict resolution and are committed to supporting us into the future. We do hope you will join us by becoming a Friend. As a Friend, we will keep you in touch with what’s going on at the Centre, and invite you to events where there will be opportunities to meet other Friends.

If you would you like to become a Friend of St. Ethelburga's, please contact Angela (020 7496 1611) or download a Friends Form.