St Peter's Bethnal Green St Peter's Bethnal Green

Welcome

We are a church re-start as an Anglican parish church in the heart of old Bethnal Green, East London. Our mission is to be ‘living and giving with God’s passion for Bethnal Green’. We love the place and the people in our neighbourhood. We would love to meet you, but in the meantime, please have a look round our site to find out what we do and who we are.

The Story

Past
God has been at work in Bethnal Green for many years. The story of St Peter’s Bethnal Green began in 1841 when it was opened as the first of 10 new churches started in just 10 years to serve the needs of the growing population in this traditionally poor and proud part of London. Estates surround the church where there were once rows of terraced houses but the church building remains very much as it was. In 2010 the congregation and church leadership invited St Paul’s Shadwell to send a team and a new leader to give fresh energy and vision to the church and its ministry in this part of East London. This has become known as a ‘cross-tradition church plant’.

Present
There are now two services on a Sunday at St Peter’s Bethnal Green with a combined average of 100 people attending and twice that with whom we are in contact, including many children and young people. The original congregation have remained and those who are newer arrivals have integrated into a diverse and dynamic family. The Anglo-Catholic heritage of the church is being given fresh vigour and the more ‘house church’ style of worship also has full expression. Importantly the church is reaching into the community with many initiatives in partnership with others, including The Alpha Course, Family Life courses, Caring for Ex-Offenders, Mission Year, YWAM, Foodbank and London Citizens.

Future
Our aim is to continue to grow disciples - in depth as well as numerically. Our children’s groups and the work among local young people is growing especially fast. We want to build sustainably so that every member of this body of Christ is able to express their unique gifts and talents, to encounter joy in one another and in God as we build ‘thick community’. We want to connect more deeply with our neighbourhood and other institutions, working together for the common good, and we also want to play our part in introducing many people to the good news of Jesus.