Name: St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Denomination: Anglican
Address: Trafalgar Square, WC2N 4JJ
Telephone: 020 7766 1100
Fax: 020 7389 0773
Web Site:www.smitf.org
Email: Click Here
Please visit the website for times of services and details of other events.
St. Martin-in-the-Fields is part of the Church of England, itself part of the Anglican communion.
As a church, we seek to engage with the world around us and to be a place of welcome for believers, doubters and those who are seeking.
We have active English and Chinese speaking congregations
We are an inclusive church embracing a practical, hospitable Christianity
We are committed to care, particularly for homeless and vulnerable people, through The Connection at St. Martin’s
We have an award-winning cafe, popular shop and a successful concerts programme – proceeds support the work of the church.
History
The first records of St Martin-in-the-Fields date from the thirteenth century, when a small church served the needs of the village of Charing, located amongst fields on a bend in the Thames between London and Westminster. The current St Martin’s, the fourth to be built on the site, was completed in 1726.
Its patron – St Martin of Tours – was a Roman soldier whose most famous act was to cut his cloak to give half to a beggar. He is patron saint of both soldiers and pacifists. These dichotomies have always been reflected in the church itself: it is on one hand the Royal Parish Church, and it also has a long tradition of welcoming the poor and homeless of Central London, work that continues today in its Social Care Unit. It is the parish church of the Admiralty and has been strongly associated with pacifism.
It is also the first church from which a religious service was broadcast (on 6 January 1924) and for many years St Martin’s broadcast regularly on the BBC World Service. Partly because of this, as well as its musical reputation and its location in Trafalgar Square, it also has an international dimension. A good number of its congregation (and many of its visitors) have been drawn to the church because of its international profile. St Martin’s also has a sizeable Chinese-speaking congregation with their own chaplain. It maintains links with other Anglican communities abroad, most notably in Southern Africa and Hong Kong.
Architecture
The current church building was completed in 1726 to a design by James Gibbs (1682- 1724). The façade was in a new style for the time, and its huge Corinthian columns support a pediment bearing the arms of George I. The interior includes a Baroque plaster ceiling, completed by Italian craftsmen io 1726, a magnificent Walker organ, rebuilt io 1990, and various pictures and memorials commemorating, among others George I (the first churchwarden of the present church), Dick Sheppard, Vicar from 1914-27 who pioneered the church’s current work with homeless people, and a bronze sculpture which is a memorial to the victims of injustice and violence during the apartheid era in South Africa. Beneath the church is an expansive vaulted crypt, parts of which are open to the public.
Doctrine and style of worship
There are over 25 services at St Martin’s every week, celebrated in a variety of forms.
Each Sunday in addition to the main parish Eucharist there are services for Visitors to London, for the church’s Chinese-speaking congregation, a Choral Evensong and an informal Evening Service emphasising different themes such as the world of work, prayers in the style of Taizé, healing and the offering of our relationships. Members of the congregation make a major contribution to the planning of services through the church’s worship and lay training committee.
There is a strong musical tradition at St Martin’s, with choral services on both Sundays and Wednesdays. There are two voluntary choirs (English and Chinese), while the Choral Scholars are made up of students who are paid a small bursary.
The work of the church is focussed by its Mission Action Plan, an articulation of its aims and visions and translated into specific goals and projects planned in five-year periods. Central to this is its Mission Statement: ‘St Martin-in-the-Fields exists to honour God, and to enable questioning, open-minded people to discover for themselves the significance of Jesus Christ.’ .
Social Outreach
Part of the crypt houses the Social Care Unit (SCU). It offers a range of services in support of its mission statement that ‘St Martin’s works with street homeless people and those at risk of homelessness to develop their security, significance and self-worth, and equip them for independent living.’ The crypt is also home to the Ho Ming Wah Chinese Centre, which provides social services, advice and cultural activities to the Chinese communities in Central London. St Martin’s also runs concerts in the church as well as a cafe and bookshop in the crypt to provide hospitality to the many visitors who come to the church throughout the year.
Activities and special features
St Martin’s has several groups and clubs such as an International Club, a Children’s Club (CClub), a Meditation Group and a 20s and 30s Group. At present St Martin’s is running its own three-year education programme and holds regular retreats, weekends and pilgrimages. Annual events include a church fair, the Social Care Unit’s pilgrimage to Canterbury, and the Vicar’s Christmas Appeal, broadcast on Radio 4 to raise funds for the SCU and Vicar’s Appeal Fund.