St Mary’s Walthamstow is a diverse, inclusive and creative Christian community learning the way of Jesus and growing in love.
At the crossroads of an ancient pilgrimage route, St Mary’s has welcomed people for nearly a thousand years to pray, worship, learn, reflect, celebrate, grieve and take action. Today, we continue to explore what it means to follow Jesus Christ by asking how we can love our neighbours, challenge injustice and welcome others in the name of Christ.
St Mary’s is an
Inclusive Church
…which means that we celebrate and affirm every person, in all our differences. We believe that God created diversity and delights in it. We are members of the Inclusive Church network, learning together how to identify and remove barriers to belonging both inside and outside our walls. LGBTQIA+ people serve, lead and worship here, as do disabled people and people of all ages, classes and genders. We come from different economic backgrounds, ethnicities and families. Some of us are neurodiverse, some have experienced mental health challenges. We all have a lot to offer each other, and we all belong here.
St Mary’s is a
Creative Church
…which values artistic expression as a reflection of God’s creativity and also as a way of breaking down barriers, inviting questions, worshipping and bringing people together. Our Exhibition Space hosts arts and culture exhibitions alongside a permanent history display. St Mary’s partners with music programmers to curate a wide range of music, offers art workshops, and hosts arts-related learning opportunities and performances.
St Mary’s is an
Eco Church
…committed to addressing the climate and nature crises by working to decarbonise our buildings in line with the Church of England’s 2030 Net Zero target while also exploring how we can enhance the biodiversity of our award-winning churchyard – the largest green space in Walthamstow Village. We are committed to integrating Creation Care into our theological teaching and church life, and we campaign for political and cultural change.
St Mary’s is a
Parish Church
…which serves everyone who lives within the geographical boundaries of our Parish, encompassing nearly 40,000 people in Walthamstow. As members of the Diocese of Chelmsford and Church of England, St Mary’s conducts weddings and funerals, baptises children and adults, confirms young people and adults, says Morning Prayer every weekday, explores contemplation through our Wednesday Vespers gatherings, celebrates Holy Communion every Sunday and offers other assistance to those who live in our Parish. Our ancient building is open every day of the week – a church for the whole community.
St Mary’s is an
Organising Church
…that listens to the wider community and to each other. Using the practices and principles of community organising, and drawing inspiration from our Christian tradition, we take action on the things that matter to us and to our neighbours in order to make our community a better place to live. As members of Citizens UK – the largest community organising alliance in the country – we partner with institutions in Waltham Forest and beyond to work for the Common Good. St Mary’s has campaigned for a real living wage, affordable housing, racial justice, youth safety and a just transition to a carbon-neutral London.
