Welcome

A warm and cheerful welcome awaits visitors to St James Merton.

The Church is friendly and inclusive and our understanding of the faith is liberal catholic.

Our Parish

St James is a parish situated between Wimbledon, Morden and Raynes Park in the borough of Merton, one of London's greenest suburbs. The church is situated on two commuter bus routes, and close to South Merton train station.

In the parish there are many churches of other denominations and we are delighted that the Korean Methodists worship in St James on Sunday afternoons, and other times by mutual agreement.

Our congregation broadly reflects the ethnic and age mix of the area and all are able to be involved in the running and functioning of the church, including those with physical, sensory and learning disabilities.

Our Church

St James was built as a daughter church of St Mary Merton and the first building was a tin roofed shed on Cannon Hill Common. This was superseded by the dual purpose hall built in 1936 on the current site. Building of the church was delayed by the war and it was finally consecrated in 1957. The architect was Thomas Ford and a major feature of the church is the Feibusch triptych of the Resurrection behind the altar and the stained glass windows of the Sacraments.

Parishioners and visitors enjoy worshipping in the light, calm atmosphere; the church seats 200, and is well proportioned and the altar is the clear focal point for the whole congregation.

The Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the Lady Chapel, which seats 18 and is used for all weekday Masses which regularly overflow into the roomy lobby. The main church door is open during the day, allowing worshippers access to the cross in the porch and the Lady Chapel.

There is a hearing loop in the church and the sound system relays to the lobby. Ramped access to the hall and church was installed recently, as were disabled toilet facilities.

Worship

Our goal is to broaden and deepen our individual understandings of God by prayer, Bible study and free discussion so we can "give a reason for the hope that is in us" to those we meet outside the church. The celebration of the sacraments is central to our worship.

On average, 70 attend the Sung Eucharist at on Sundays, 20-30 come to the said Eucharist on Thursday mornings and a small but committed congregation attends the daily Mass. The office of Morning Prayer was said daily in the Lady Chapel by the last vicar and continues to be said on Thursdays. Evening Prayer is said on Sundays with occasional meditations and benediction.

Every month there is a very informal Family Service aimed at families with small children, to encourage and develop a living faith.

The Sunday morning congregation invites these families to join in all-age Eucharistic services, such as Harvest Festival and Mothering Sunday.

Holy Baptism takes place after or during the Family Service as well as during the Eucharist and averages at about 4 a year.

The sacrament of Reconciliation is encouraged and many members of the congregation value the anointing with the Oils of Healing which takes place monthly during the Thursday morning Eucharist.

Our Social Life

Our social activity is important and there is the "St James Café" with light refreshments after the Sunday and Thursday Eucharists. Many family and personal celebrations take place at these times as well, shared with the St James "family". There is a thriving social ethos, generally including food and drink, with entertainment from quizzes and games nights to a masked ball. The long established Ladies' Group meets socially every month, and has a long history of leading other social events.

Members from St James make two pilgrimages each year to Walsingham and in recent years there have been pilgrimages to Rome and Assisi, Fatima and Santiago de Compostella.

The Hall

The hall is used regularly by varied groups - from Keep Fit to Kumon Maths, badminton to dog training. The proscenium arch stage is currently used for parish entertainments and there is a small raised platform at the other end for more intimate occasions.