St John’s aims to be an inclusive church. We believe that Jesus calls us to welcome everyone, and to work tirelessly for a more just, fairer and safer world. We work with the Robes Project to combat homelessness. We are proud to offer a home to seven arts organisations including the Southbank Sinfonia and SE1 United. We are committed to working with church and other groups to resist encroaching climate change.
Our worship is in the Anglican catholic tradition. Our congregation is made up of people from the UK, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Germany, the USA, Australia, Malaysia and many other places. We have LGBT members, married people, single people, children and adults. We also offer a warm welcome to students currently studying in London. We have a developing Junior Church, and above all, a strong community of local people and people who travel in to Waterloo.
A comment from one of our congregation: ‘I love St John’s, because it’s the kind of church I think Jesus would be at home in.’
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Vicar
The Revd Canon Giles Goddard
Giles’s book, Space for Grace – creating inclusive churches – was published by Canterbury Press in November 2008. He is an Honorary Canon of Southwark Cathedral and on the Board of Operation Noah and Inclusive Church. He set up InSpire, a centre for learning, arts and community at St Peter’s, Walworth, and has degrees in theology from Cambridge University and King’s College London. Before ordination he was Director of a housing association in South London.
Assistant Curate
The Revd Lisa Bewick
Assistant Priests
The Revd Georgie Bell
The Revd Godfrey Kaziro
The Revd Paul Smedley
Safeguarding Officers
Ester Kawoya
Jane Stroud
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL 2017-18
Chair
The Revd Canon Giles Goddard
Vice-Chair
Lindy Taylor
Church wardens
Alice Mwanje 2012, 2015
Lindy Taylor 2015
Elected members
Andrew Humphreys (Treasurer) 2017
Mark Ormerod (Secretary) 2017
Donna McDowell 2015
Elaine Thomas 2015
Jane Stroud 2015
Rebecca Clark 2015
Robert Smeath 2015
Josephine Ozzy-Momodu 2016
Daisy Powell 2016
Nicola Smedley 2016
Deanery synod representatives (three years)
Leigh Engeham 2017
Eileen Hamilton 2017
Michael Webb 2016
Southwark Pastoral Auxiliary (SPA)
Ida Serunjogi
Lay Reader
Ester Kawoya
Other licensed clergy attending
The Revd Godfrey Kaziro
The Revd Jeffrey Risbridger
Enabling Committee
The Revd Canon Giles Goddard (Incumbent)
Alice Mwanje (Churchwarden)
Lindy Taylor (Churchwarden)
The Revd Jeffrey Risbridger (Associate Priest)
Andrew Humphries (Treasurer)
Mark Ormerod (Secretary)
Nicola Smedley
Jane Stroud