The Venerable David Meara
Rector of St Bride's &
Archdeacon of London

I would like to offer you a warm welcome to St Bride's. Whether you are a visitor to London, someone who works in the City, a journalist or a member of one of the media industries, or whether you are wondering about celebrating a special occasion here, I want you to feel that St Bride's is a special place of peace, prayer, and hospitality.

St Bride's Church is a magical space in which the beauty of its architecture, the power of the liturgy and the weight of history all meet and enrich each other. The building was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and completed in 1703, with the 226 foot spire dominating the surrounding area. Its graceful tiers became the inspiration for the traditional tiered wedding cake! When sunlight shines in through the large windows the interior gains a special luminous quality as a place of peace and prayer.

The worship is complimented and enriched by our professional choir of twelve adult singers, all first class musicians who sing for our Sunday services, weddings and memorial services, as well as pursuing their own international careers.

Wren's church was bombed in the Second World War and rebuilt in 1957, making this the 8th church on this site. In the crypt a fascinating exhibition shows the results of the extensive excavations in 1953, the remains of previous churches, and a pictorial history of Fleet Street, which used to be the centre of the newspaper industry. Even though the presses have scattered across London the media still retain strong links with St Bride's which is the spiritual home of journalists everywhere.

Reputedly the earliest Christian site in the City of London, there are fragments of a Roman pavement of the second century AD behind the crypt chapel, where worship has been offered for over 1500 years. If you haven't visited a church for some time, I hope you will find that St Bride's helps you to reconnect with your spiritual roots, and makes you want to find out more.

Our Mission is:-

• To be open to God in all that we do.
• To share God's love and proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, through worship pastoral care, teaching and outreach.
• To maintain and develop our ministry to our five core constituencies: the media, the geographical parish, our Sunday congregations, our City and livery links and our visitors and tourists.
• To grow our congregations.
• To maintain the excellence of our musical tradition.

Our values:-

• Worship that is dignified, traditional and uplifting, complemented by music of the highest standard.
• A warm and welcoming fellowship that is inclusive and non-judgemental.
• An environment that is beautiful, peaceful and prayerful.
• A place of enquiry and intellectual stimulation through thoughtful and topical sermons, discussions, and occasional lectures and forums on issues of current importance.
• Pastoral care that is sensitive and appropriate, on a daily basis, and through baptism, wedding and memorial services.
• Two other factors shape our mission. One is our Patron saint, Bride. She was known for her warm hearted generosity, her miracles of healing, and in Irish tradition is seen as the first woman priest. For the mission of St Bride's today these qualities suggest an active and inclusive ministry, rooted in the offering of hospitality and the service of other, and centred on the world and its needs.
• The second factor is the church building. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren and sensitively restored after war time bombing, its cool Classical interior stresses openness, light and elegance, while the collegiate style of the seating gives a sense of intimacy. The post-war work of Geoffrey Allen and Glyn Jones encourages a feeling of wonder, imagination and beauty. The building is well suited for corporate worship, for private prayer, for social gatherings and for musical events. We have in it a priceless resource for fulfilling our vision for the future.