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In 1993, the IRA bomb detonated 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.
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.
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.
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.
Join Pat McCabe and Bayo Akomolafe for a conversation that upends our thinking about the monstrous, the chaotic, and the dark. What can indigenous traditions teach us about clear-seeing in times when darkness and chaos are on the rise? What ancient wisdoms can we draw upon, to grow our resilience to live in the heart of the storm?
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Chaos: This guest blog by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee is an excerpt from his new downloadable e-book, A Handbook for Survivalists: Caring for the Earth, a Series of Meditations. The handbook is about the...
Clare Martin writes about the moral courage it takes to stand up inside our own echo chambers and make a stand for listening to the other side. With the holiday season upon us, our TVs are full of...
A short reflection on climate change and belonging in our guest blog from Tess Humble, an activist and researcher who will be speaking at our forthcoming event Home: climate change, migration and...
This guest blog is by Marwa Belghazi, a speaker at our upcoming event, Home: climate change, migration and our future. Marwa is a Moroccan storyteller and multilingual practitioner based in the UK....
Justine Huxley writes about the potential for crisis to reconnect us with what matters most. Can we use crisis to strip away what is false and put us back in touch with the values fundamental to...
This week’s blog is by artist-activist, writer and group facilitator Declan J D’Arcy. He is committed to the transformative power of intimacy and vulnerability for social change, supporting...
Justine Huxley reflects on the impact online work is having on our collective brains, and shares how St Ethelburga’s is innovating new online facilitation tools and looking forward to a future...
In this guest blog, Associate Fellow Anahita Mahmoudi reflects on the millions of people displaced due to conflict or climate, and the need for a deeper transformation in how we approach this...
Guest blogger Azariah France-Williams writes about his experiences of racism within the Church in his new book, Ghost Ship. There is a model of a priest in the Church of England which dominates and...
Chaos: This guest blog by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee is an excerpt from his new downloadable e-book, A Handbook for Survivalists: Caring for the Earth, a Series of Meditations. The handbook is about the...
Clare Martin writes about the moral courage it takes to stand up inside our own echo chambers and make a stand for listening to the other side. With the holiday season upon us, our TVs are full of...
A short reflection on climate change and belonging in our guest blog from Tess Humble, an activist and researcher who will be speaking at our forthcoming event Home: climate change, migration and...
This guest blog is by Marwa Belghazi, a speaker at our upcoming event, Home: climate change, migration and our future. Marwa is a Moroccan storyteller and multilingual practitioner based in the UK....
Justine Huxley writes about the potential for crisis to reconnect us with what matters most. Can we use crisis to strip away what is false and put us back in touch with the values fundamental to...
This week’s blog is by artist-activist, writer and group facilitator Declan J D’Arcy. He is committed to the transformative power of intimacy and vulnerability for social change, supporting...
Justine Huxley reflects on the impact online work is having on our collective brains, and shares how St Ethelburga’s is innovating new online facilitation tools and looking forward to a future...
In this guest blog, Associate Fellow Anahita Mahmoudi reflects on the millions of people displaced due to conflict or climate, and the need for a deeper transformation in how we approach this...
Guest blogger Azariah France-Williams writes about his experiences of racism within the Church in his new book, Ghost Ship. There is a model of a priest in the Church of England which dominates and...
St Ethelburga’s is a ‘maker of peace-makers’. We inspire and equip individuals and communities to contribute, in their own particular contexts, to activating a global culture of peace.
