Who We Are
Get to know us!
Where we've come from
St Mary’s church was built in the early nineteenth century to serve the fast-growing population of Marylebone. Over the years, the church has gone through several changes in look and style to meet the needs of the culture. In more recent history, a group led by Rev’d John Peters moved from St Paul’s Anglican Fellowship, in South Kensington, to St Mary’s. Before moving, a significant reordering and refurbishment of the building was undertaken and the church was reopened in June 2002 by the Bishop of London.
Shortly after reopening it became clear that God was calling the church to plant new churches. These new churches would be related to one another by friendship and shared values. These values reflected some of the core values of St Mary’s:
Shortly after reopening it became clear that God was calling the church to plant new churches. These new churches would be related to one another by friendship and shared values. These values reflected some of the core values of St Mary’s:
to communicate the gospel in a relevant way, to experience and minister in the power of the Spirit, and to plant new churches.
The first plant was in Auckland, New Zealand in 2004, shortly followed by plants in Exeter, England, and Jacksonville, Florida. The most recent plant to leave St Mary’s was in Los Angeles, California in 2017. Each plant, while sharing DNA has its distinctive way of doing things.
Where we're going
In the last few years, there are several new things (to us) that we believe God has called us to do. While many people travel from far and wide to be part of the St Mary’s community, we also want to ensure we are a force for good in our parish. We do this through our strong connection with our Parish School, St Mary’s Bryanston Square CE Primary School, through our Love Marylebone project which looks to meet many of the immediate needs of local people, and also through Connected Lives a charity that uses the latest evidence-based research to help key relationships thrive. We are also on a journey towards becoming a church where everyone is welcome and able to serve and lead according to their gifts. This means being Multicultural and reflecting the diversity of our city and welcoming the LGBTQ+ community.
Looking back, we see the initial values remain at the core of St Mary’s to this day. We give people opportunities to hear the intellectually satisfying claims for the Christian faith through The Life Course, we look forward to God creating opportunities to plant or revitalise existing churches, and we look to experience and follow the Spirit. This final value has led to new emphases for us as a church that have been exciting and life giving, and we are expectant to see what and who God leads us to in the future.
Looking back, we see the initial values remain at the core of St Mary’s to this day. We give people opportunities to hear the intellectually satisfying claims for the Christian faith through The Life Course, we look forward to God creating opportunities to plant or revitalise existing churches, and we look to experience and follow the Spirit. This final value has led to new emphases for us as a church that have been exciting and life giving, and we are expectant to see what and who God leads us to in the future.