The life of St Ethelburga was characterised by courageous action in the face of devastation. Ethelburga was a fearless and selfless leader. When the plague came to her doorstep in Barking, Ethelburga gave her nuns a choice: close the doors and pray, or open the doors and serve the community. They chose to serve, even knowing that many of them would die as a result. Ethelburga is our inspiration for putting spiritual values into action in challenging times, for bringing faith and action together as one. This is fundamental to all we do, and we draw on this story in particular, for our work with young leaders.
In 1993, the IRA detonated a bomb on Bishopsgate, almost completely destroying the church. Yet vision, creativity and commitment ensured that ten years later it opened its doors once again in a new incarnation – as a Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. For many, St Ethelburga’s has become an iconic symbol of the opportunities for growth and evolution that are hidden within crisis and conflict. This story is at the heart of our approach to working with difference and disagreement.
Our Bedouin tent was built as a response to 9/11. The tent is welcoming to all, bringing Eastern architecture alongside the Western heritage of the church. It is a space without hierarchy where differing perspectives can be explored. Reflected in the fabric of our building, this theme of diverse narratives and belief systems co-existing fruitfully, side by side, is present within all our projects.
St Ethelburga’s is one of London’s most enduring church buildings. An 800-year-old church site, it has stood for centuries as consecrated ground. Now, surrounded on all sides by development works, skyscrapers, and the economically-driven activity of the City, St Ethelburga’s remains true to its ancient purpose. We continue to offer a space for connection with the sacred and with our deepest human values, protecting them against erosion.
St Ethelburga (died c.675 CE) was the first leader of a monastic order for women in England. Having refused an arranged marriage to a pagan prince, she was banished to a nunnery by her brother, Erkonwald who later became Bishop of London (Bishopsgate, where St Ethelburga’s Centre now stands, was named after him.) She proved to be a natural leader and became the first Abbess of the great Benedictine Abbey at Barking in Essex, one of the first religious houses for women in the country. She is especially noted for her heroic conduct in caring for the sick during an outbreak of the plague in 664 which eventually killed her and most of her community. During this time she is said to have had a vision of a light “brighter than the sun at noonday” which inspired her and her community to carry out works of great compassion in caring for others. The Venerable Bede wrote of her: “Her life is known to have been such that no person who knew her ought to question but that the heavenly kingdom was opened to her, when she departed this world.” In the Anglican calendar her feast day is October 11th and we have a service around that time to commemorate her life. For us, she epitomises a strong woman who exemplifies the virtues of leadership and commitment to social action even to the point of self-sacrifice.
St Ethelburga’s is one of the few surviving medieval City churches in London. Many were destroyed during the Great Fire of London in 1666 or the second World War. The foundation date of the church is unknown, but it was first recorded in 1250 as the church of St Adelburga-the-Virgin.
The church was rebuilt around 1411 and some of this fabric, notably the south arcade, remains.
In the 17th Century two shops were erected in front of the church, serving as an early example of ecclesiastical social enterprise. It was not until 1932 that these were removed when Bishopsgate was widened and the original facade of the church restored to view. A small bell tower was added in 1775. Miraculously, the original bell survived the 1993 bomb and has been rehung.
During the 19th Century the furnishings of the church were changed at least twice, reflecting shifting styles of worship.
The church was re-ordered once again in 1912 by Ninian Comper, but none of his furnishings now remain. In the 1930’s St Ethelburga’s achieved notoriety as one of the few churches in which divorced people could remarry, in defiance of the Bishop’s strictures.
The church suffered minor bomb damage during the Blitz of the Second World War and was repaired in 1953.In 1954, the church lost its parish to St Helen’s Bishopsgate and became a “Guild Church” until 1991, when it became a “Chapel of Ease” to St Helen’s and was used for storage.
On Saturday 24 April 1993, the South Armagh Brigade of the IRA detonated a bomb in a tipper truck loaded with almost a ton of fertiliser, parked right outside St Ethelburga’s.A coded warning was phoned from a telephone box in Forkhill, near Newry, at 9.17 and the bomb exploded at 10.30, sending a huge coloumn of smoke above the City. One person was killed, photographer Edward Henty, and about 40 people were injured. Damage to the surrounding commercial buldings, including the NatWest tower – then Europe’s tallest building – was massive and 500 tonnes of broken glass were eventually removed.
The damage caused by the bomb cost £350m to repair. The huge payouts by insurance companies contributed to a crisis in the industry, including the near-collapse of the world’s leading insurance market, Lloyd’s of London.The bomb targeted the neighbouring commercial buildings, but 70% St Ethelburga’s was destroyed and it was not insured. There was considerable disagreement about what should happen to the ruins of St Ethelburga’s.It was the vision of Bishop Richard Chartres, the then Bishop of London, that it be rebuilt and serve a different function.
The building was formally re-opened by Prince Charles and the new Centre for Reconciliation and Peace commenced its work in 2002.
Clare is Co-Director of St Ethelburga’s. Previously Development Director, Clare created and led on the Radical Resilience programme and went on to be the strategic lead on our viewpoint diversity work, before stepping up to co-lead the centre alongside Tarot Couzyn. She brings more than 20 years’ experience facilitating groups for the sake of inner enquiry and outer change, and is interested in how contemplative practices can play a role in cultural repair. She has has worked on numerous interfaith projects, most notably for Nisa Nashim, the Jewish Muslim Women’s Network. Prior to this, Clare worked as a communications consultant in the corporate and charitable sector. Currently she runs a community garden on her Hackney housing estate, where she lives with her husband and 9-year old daughter. Raised a Christian, Clare has also studied Buddhism and Sufism.
Tarot is Co-Director of St Ethelburga’s. Previously COO, she played a key role in developing our deep adaptation, sacred activist, and refugee camp volunteering programmes. She is currently developing an exciting new strand bringing communities together to create nature corridors across large tracts of farmland. At this time of ecological unravelling, she is interested in the meeting point of large-scale collective action with individual values and transformation. She loves working with diverse groups, bringing people together in shared passion and service. Previously Tarot used collaborative art-making as a tool for change in the fields of LGBT+ rights and migration, leading projects in Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and Ireland. She also was involved in establishing, and still maintains close ties with the Bushman Heritage Museum, working with indigenous artists in South Africa. She loves night walks, sleeping outdoors, spending time on her boat on the Kennet and Avon Canal, and walking in Epping Forest near where she lives. She is passionate about living a closer relationship with the Earth. She thrives in challenging environments, and learned many of her practical skills while building her own house!
After a career in hospitality Ioannis joined St Ethelburga’s. He is now considered Wizard of All Things, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for visitors and staff alike. He recently trained as a book-keeper, and currently manages the building, venue hire, and book-keeping. He loves people and is a passionate chef… the Greek lunches sometimes found being gobbled by Centre staff can be traced back to Ioannis!
Jo is Programme Manager of People of the Earth refugee programmes St Ethelburga’s. She collaborates with individuals and organisations to bring refugee and non-refugee together building empathy and understanding one conversation and one action, at a time. She hosts and co-ordinates events to promote inclusion and leads on the production of Listen to the World Open Mic. A programme where themes of home, displacement, belonging and community meet through music and the traditions and talents of migrants and refugees find a home among local artists. Jo has worked in the non-profit sector for over twenty years. She holds a BA (Hons) in Education and a Diploma in group facilitation, conflict resolution and counselling (NAOS).
Rebecca leads on our community reconciliation programmes: managing Journey of Hope with our Reconcilers Together partnership, and facilitating our Conflict Coaching, Facilitation Training, Listening Processes, and Peacemaking workshops. With over 20 years of experience in community based reconciliation, training, facilitation, activism and mentoring, Rebecca has a passion for curating spaces that encourage understanding and enable shared wisdom and for equipping and inspiring faith leaders to restore relationships. She holds accreditation in restorative justice, trauma informed practice, mediative facilitation and is currently studying Spiritual Direction. She moved from California to London in 2001 to study at the London School of Theology where she received her BA in Theology & Worship. Her past employers include Oasis Trust, XLP Youth Charity, and Tearfund. She lives in South London with her husband and twin daughters.
Chen has a background in art history and the creative industries. She supports the Faith & Moral Courage project, Contemplative Practice event series, and various creative endeavours at St Ethelburga’s. Along with her regular meditation practice, Chen enjoys exploring different contemplative practices and experiences. When she is not on her yoga mat, she can usually be found in the kitchen, experimenting with culinary art and completely immersed in the mesmerising sound of Sanskrit.
Harriet is working on our Moral Courage project, helping to conceptualise and organise our events and programmes for this theme. She also writes and designs new content for our social media platforms and is helping us to grow our online presence. Harriet is particularly interested in viewpoint diversity from a peacemaker’s perspective. Harriet is also working on an event series that seeks to find new ways to approach conversations that are often difficult, controversial and conflict-ridden.
James is in charge of the website, tech and AV equipment at the St Ethelburgas. He holds a BEng in Electronic Engineering and a MSc in Media and Arts Technology and is passionate about all things to do with music technology. Alongside working for St Ethelburgas, James runs a modular synthesiser company designing new electronic musical instruments.
Michael is currently the Managing Director of Different Tracks Global Ltd, a consulting and training company that focuses on change management, conflict resolution and equality, diversity and inclusion. Furthermore, Michael serves as a mediator in international and domestic matters including civil and employment disputes specialising in issues related to equality and diversity. He works with individuals and groups to design, improve and repair attitudes, relationships and faulty structures. Michael has over 20 years’ experience of serving on public and charitable boards with an expertise in corporate and charitable governance. More recently, Michael serves or has served on the boards of Diabetes UK, African Caribbean Support Organisation Northern Ireland, Corrymeela and the NHS Salford Trust. Michael has lived and worked on five continents during his career giving him unique insights into the impact of race, religion and culture on our workplaces and communities. training@stethelburgas.org
Nadine first came across St. Ethelburga’s when she was searching for new spaces of serenity and community in London in her mission to find new ways of being in the city. Soon after she became involved with the Lifelines project which reinvigorated her connection with nature within context of city life. She was hooked and joined the team as Lifelines Project Coordinator in 2024, blending her interests in ecology, social & spiritual exchange across communities and her belief in the importance of re-rooting ourselves in nature. She loves all things movement and is a lover of stories, of all kinds and in all their forms.
Noah joined St Ethelburga’s after graduating from Cambridge with a degree in Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion. Specialising in Islamic studies, alongside Hindu and Buddhist philosophy, he wrote his dissertation on the nature theology of St Francis of Assisi and its relationship with Francis’ interfaith encounter with the Ayyubid Sultan Al-Malik Al-Kamil. In line with his interests in how we approach nature, he previously produced and hosted ‘Entanglements’, a podcast focused on our culture’s relationship with nature. Alongside this, Noah has also worked for water and food projects supporting displaced people in North France. Noah now lives in Cambridge; he loves being outdoors and is happiest when camping, hiking or swimming.
Sonia brings her marketing expertise in hospitality to her role as Venue Hire Coordinator at St Ethelburga's, where she first joined the team as a caretaker. Every time she steps into the serene haven of St Ethelburga's, she feels profoundly blessed and privileged to support the charity's mission while helping people celebrate events that create unforgettable memories. Passionate about a healthy, balanced lifestyle, Sonia finds joy on the yoga mat—whether exercising or meditating—and on the dance floor, embracing life’s rhythm with equal enthusiasm.
Vincent Gerard Nichols is an English cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. He previously served as Archbishop of Birmingham from 2000 to 2009. On 22 February 2014, Pope Francis admitted Nichols to the Sacred College of Cardinals at a general consistory.
Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner was born in London and brought up in an Orthodox synagogue, moving to the Reform Movement in her teens in order to be more active in services and in communal life. After her degree in Christianity, she moved to Jerusalem where she lived for 14 years. Rabbi Laura worked in education in Israel, with Jews at the Machon, the Institute for Youth Leaders from Abroad and at Melitz, where she worked as the Director of the Centre for Christian Encounters with Israel and in training Israeli-Palestinian dialogue facilitators and Palestinian tour guides in Bethlehem. Rabbi Laura has post-graduate degrees in Community Centre Management from the Hebrew University and an MA in Jewish communal service and education from Brandeis University, Massachusetts. She worked at Alyth (North Western Reform Synagogue) from 2003 until 2011. Laura previously was a Senior Rabbi to the Movement for Reform Judaism
Having founded St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace in 1993, Rt Revd & Rt Hon Richard Chartres continues his association with the Centre as honorary Life President. The Rt Rev & Rt Hon The Lord Chartres GCVO, Baron Chartres, KCVO, ChStJ, PC, FSA is a retired bishop of the Church of England. He was area Bishop of Stepney from 1992 to 1995 and Bishop of London from 1995 to 2017. He was sworn of the Privy Council in the same year he became Bishop of London. He was also Gresham Professor of Divinity from 1987 to 1992. In October 2017, Chartres was made a Life Peer, and he now sits in the House of Lords as a crossbencher; he had previously sat in the House as one of the Lords Spiritual.
The Rt Rev and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally is the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Advisor for Reconciliation. This role has a particular emphasis on supporting the Anglican Church in contexts of violent conflict or post-conflict and helping the Church to be an agent of reconciliation and conflict-transformation. A theologian who specialises in Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations, Sarah brings wide-ranging international experience of peace-building and dialogue.
Rowan Douglas Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth PC FBA FRSL FLSW is a Welsh Anglican bishop, theologian and poet. He was the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he held from December 2002 to December 2012. He was previously the Bishop of Monmouth and Archbishop of Wales, making him the first Archbishop of Canterbury in modern times not to be appointed from within the Church of England. Williams spent much of his earlier career as an academic at the universities of Cambridge and Oxford successively. He speaks three languages and reads at least nine.
Alison qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG before working in Investment Banking at HSBC and JPMorgan. After a career break to focus on family she returned to full time work in the charity sector with Mindfulness in Schools Project whilst training in a range of modalities to better support the wellbeing of both individuals and teams. She developed a self-guided programme to build brain and body health and was CEO of Reprogramme until the end of 2022 when she chose to prioritise offering face to face support. As a qualified yoga and meditation teacher, and a somatic therapist offering TRE®, Tension and Trauma Release Exercises, Alison works with individuals and groups to help them develop the tools and knowledge that best support their wellbeing. Before joining St Ethelburgas’ board Alison was Treasurer and Non Executive Director of Mental Health Resource.
Manveer is committed to addressing the interconnected challenges of climate change and nature loss using the levers of finance and policy, and by taking a collaborative and stakeholder-led approach to interventions. As Senior Manager of Sustainable Finance at CDP, an environmental NGO, Manveer oversees the creation of thought leadership and insights related to the environmental disclosures of financial institutions and their environmental transition plans. Prior to this he managed relationships with financial institutions based in the UK, assisting them in leveraging environmental data to drive real economy emissions reductions.
Professor Joy Carter is Vice-Chancellor of The University of Winchester. She is an academic with research based in Geochemistry and Health and was a former President of the international society in her field. Joy is the former Chair of GuildHE, and for many years served on the Universities UK Board and has also chaired the Cathedrals Group of Universities and the Church of England’s Advisory Group for the Foundation for Educational Leadership, she is a Deputy Lieutenant for the county of Hampshire. Passionate about all aspects of sustainability and social justice. Professor Carter was awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours in 2018 for services to Higher Education.
Mark is Professor of Religion and Peacebuilding at the University of Winchester, and Director of the world leading Centre of Religions for Reconciliation and Peace (WCRRP). Mark’s research interests include the role of religion in conflict prevention, transformation and peacebuilding processes; conflict assessment and analysis; the role of religion in tackling the climate crisis; and religion and migration. Mark’s work explores the complex intersections between, conflict, peacebuilding, migration and climate change, and is focused on enhancing peacebuilding practice through evidence-based qualitative research. He has carried out extensive fieldwork throughout South Asia, as well as working in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and is currently serving as Secretary General of the European Council of Religious Leaders, Religions for Peace.
Sophy has lived an eclectic life, having worked as an engineer and IT systems designer, psychotherapist, conflict facilitator and more. She played football in East London for twenty years. She was part of the team who created Transition Town Totnes, a catalysing project in the global Transition movement inspiring local community responses to major problems including resource depletion and climate change. She co-founded Transition Training, taking this model for collaborative action around the world. Her particular focus was to bring together insights from psychological, spiritual and wisdom traditions to a movement for change that often focused on outer themes. Her work on Healthy Human Culture seeks to identify patterns of health and un-health in human societies. She leads Grief tending workshops, seeing that social technologies for honouring and healing pain and trauma are central in creating peaceful and joyful ways of living together.
Stuart is committed to positively transforming the way business, cultural production and social research is done. He champions working collaboratively, within a participatory and systemic framework with clients, colleagues, partners and stakeholders. His aim: to align and ground people strategy with organisational strategy and to inspire individuals to orient themselves around their passions. Always minded of equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging and sustainability impacts. Stuart understands leadership as a high value, distributed collaborative capacity. His work supports individuals and teams to develop agility and poise, ready to meet emergent realities with confidence, creativity, sensitivity and good humour. Stuart is a published poet and writer. He has three children and lives in central London, with his partner Dr Poku, an academic specializing in culture, race and education. He draws inspiration from amongst others: the Black Panther Party, Thich Nhat Hahn, Ruth King, Angel Acosta, Bayo Akomolafe and Bernadine Evaristo. Nature is the perennial source of his joy.
Theo is a social entrepreneur, converting big ideas into reality. She has founded initiatives including renowned grassroots organisation Xenia, and ACT! A Festival for Social Change. Alongside this she provides consultancy for charities and social enterprise on their strategy and income development, using experience from years working in a range of settings including corporate partnerships, social policy, grant programme development, and volunteer sector capacity building.
Warwick became a Trustee in 2018 and brings to the Board his long and useful experience of central Government, having been a career civil servant for 28 years before taking early retirement. For 15 of those years he worked on religious engagement and supporting inter-faith dialogue, most recently as head of the Faith Communities Unit at the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, during which time he formed a strong commitment to the work of St Ethelburga’s which continues to this day. He is now Director of his own social enterprise, Faith in Society, which seeks to support faith groups wanting to play an active role in their local communities and public life.