Annual Parish Meetings

Annual Parish Meeting 2023

           was held on Sunday 7th. May at 11.30am in church                   after the Parish Eucharist.

Election results from the APCM 2023      

Election of Churchwardens

The meeting elected the following two churchwardens for 2023/2024.

Tim Middleton proposed by David Freeman and seconded by Cath Urquhart.

Gail Beer proposed by Cath Urquhart and seconded by Louise Hunter.

The Chair thanked all the Churchwardens and Church officers for their hard work during the year. He highlighted Lorraine Mullen’s contribution and service as churchwarden.

The following PCC Lay representatives who are on the Electoral Roll, are not disqualified and are actual communicant members of the Church of England or of any Church in communion with it, confirmed or ready and desirous of being confirmed, were elected: -

Deanery Synod until APCM 2026:

David Freeman proposed by Gwen Rogers and seconded by Diana Morgan Gray.

Danial Gerring proposed by Cath Urquhart and seconded by Gail Beer.

Continuing Lay PCC members

Tony Murphy, Louise Hunter, Anne Marsden Thomas, Dave Archer, Catherine Urquhart and Kathryn Elsby.

Lorraine Mullins was co-opted until the APCM 2024.

Elected until APCM 2026: Anne Marsden Thomas, Dave Archer, Catherine Urquhart and Kathryn Elsby.

Elected until APCM 2025: Mark Hunter, Dawn Runnicles, Vivian Elliot, Tony Murphy

Elected until APCM 2024: David Price, Penelope Sharpe, Mona Henshall, Louise Hunter 

Ex officio: Churchwardens, Churchwardens-elect and the Alderman for Cripplegate Ward.

Independent Examiner

Revd. Alan Clements MA, ACIB, FCIE was appointed for the 2023 Accounts.

Parochial Church Council Meeting after the APCM

The following appointments were made -

Lay Vice Chair                                      Lorraine Mullins

Treasurer                                              Dave Archer

Assistant Treasurers                             David Freeman and Louise Hunter     Secretary                                              Tony Murphy

Children’s Champion                             Rachel Free

Parish Safeguarding Officer                  Mark Hunter     

Champion for Vulnerable People          Diana Morgan Gray

Safety Officer                                        Tim Middleton

Data Protection Compliance Officer      Lorraine Mullins

Electoral Roll Officer                              Penelope Sharpe

Stewardship Recorder                           Catherine Urquhart

Lead Recruiter (DBS checks)                Simon Freeman

The following Committees were appointed.

Standing Committee Rector, Churchwardens, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurers,       Secretary and Assistant Secretary. 

Worship & Liturgy Rector, Assistant Priest, David Freeman, Amanda Gibbon, Diana Morgan Gray, Mona Henshall and Anne Marsden Thomas. 

Stewardship Stewardship Recorder, Amanda Dean, Christopher Gadsden and Malcolm Waters. 

Parish Rate Tim Middleton, Lorraine Mullins, Catherine Urquhart and the Parish Administrator.

The following were appointed as Sidespersons –
Jeremy Barnard ✠                   

Vivian Elliot

Kathryn Elsby

Rachel Free °

David Freeman ✠

Christopher Gadsden

Daniel Gerring

Amanda Gibbon

Diana Morgan Gray

Mona Henshall

Diane Hume

Louise Hunter

Mark Hunter

Cyril Leroy ✠

John Marshall

David Price

Dawn Runnicles

Anne Marsden Thomas *

Catherine Urquhart

Malcolm Waters

Judy Guy-Briscoe

Zoe Hodi ✠

David Preston

Margaret Preston

✠ also Crucifer

The Rector’s Letter

It is very good to be together today. I am in the slightly strange position of reporting on only my first seven months here, when so much has happened to bring me round to today, the 364th day at St Giles’ for me. So, forgive a little bit of creep into 2023.

The first and most important thing I have to say is thank you. Thank you for inviting me to be part of this extraordinary community as we live out the amazing story of people and God together. Thank you - it has been and privilege and a joy. Thank you all for your welcome, your friendship, your prayers, your open-minded, open-hearted nature. Thank you to all who have given so much to make this year full of life - just look again at our annual report!

We are a small parish church: in many ways wonderfully old fashioned and very C of E, bubbling with life because of your gift of yourselves, your love and time, money and prayers. Coming out of a pandemic, into times of instability and angst, with ongoing flux in patterns of City life; many churches (and plenty of other organisations) have not recovered and are still lost or deflated. Look at this report - that is not where we are, and we are right (not churlish) to celebrate that.

Thanks are due to Gwen, who steps down after many years service to St Giles’. Day in, day out, Gwen has served behind the scenes. Thank you Gwen for all the love you have shown through your diligence and attention to detail. You have been to us a ‘good and faithful steward’ (St Luke 12, Galatians 5). We look forward to seeing you relaxed and worshipping in the pews and the bell tower, not worrying about administration!

Thank you to Jake, our administrator (now part-time Events Coordinator and Building Supervisor after our own little cabinet reshuffle that has seen a new Parish Administrator and Bookkeeper also join us part-time). Thank you, Jake, for your energy and spark, your pastoral care, and your excellent leadership on the Book Fair (such a valued part of our Church family), and our blossoming events programme. We have seen increased income from this - much needed - and no less commitment to our values of nurturing new musicians and artists, of enabling charity and community, and goodness, truth and beauty at the heart of The City.

Thank you, Dave and David and now Louise for keeping the money working. Also Anne and our marvellous musicians, who bring heart and soul to their service of our worship of God. We were thrilled to celebrate Anne’s 40 years with us so far. Here’s to many more!

I wish to pay tribute to The Reverend Katharine Rumens my predecessor. As I said to her on the ‘phone a few months ago - I give thanks for her almost daily when I discover the wonderful things I have inherited from her good shepherding of this place. And, likewise, thanks too to Alex, and Gail, Tim and Lorraine our Churchwardens, and all who lead our community for their care and hard work all the time, and especially during the interregnum. Lorraine has done 6 years as Churchwarden, so is (as advised) having a year out. Thank you Lorraine. And Alex, we are preparing to miss you, but also rejoice at this next step in your priestly pilgrimage as you leave us for a full-time role as Associate Vicar of St John, Hyde Park.

I wish to thank, perhaps most of all, all you who pray. All at home, and day by day and Sunday by Sunday, those who pray for and in this holy place. All who wait on God and draw near Jesus’ heart, taking us all with them. All that is in this report is only happening because of prayer and God’s goodness.

So thank you, and thank God.

At this time of reflection I thought it might be helpful to look back on what you asked for in the Parish Profile and Job Spec’ when you so foolishly appointed me. Not because it’s about me (although as you have learned, that is my favourite subject), but because it says who we thought we were and wanted to be.

You said that you sought a Rector who would ‘enjoy ministry’. One who would ‘collaborate’ and ‘understand’. You sought to recognise and rejoice in ‘diversity’ and ‘new ways’ of being. You valued ‘generosity’ and ‘hospitality'. You sought to enrich the already mature relationships with The City, the Livery, Schools, and our Ecumenical siblings. I think this is precisely the journey we embarked upon together in 2022, and one that has continued in 2023. We have a growing midweek offering to residents and City workers, we have increased our charitable and formal links with our Livery parishioners. We are formalising our relationship with Barbican Centre, and have worked very hard to serve our school community - turning a ‘requiring improvement’ Church Schools Inspectorate result around, and putting Eucharistic Worship, daily prayers and Scripture at the heart of corporate school life. We continue to build connections with the North of our parish and are preparing for exciting new ventures primarily amongst young people there. That, and our links with YMCA, our commitment to Charitable giving, and sound ecological life (not least in terms of heating!) are key targets for the year ahead. We continue to welcome new members to belong and flourish in our church family - we are constantly committed to new people helping to lead our worship and take up roles on Sundays and midweek. Our beautiful Sunday Club, with wonderful children and dedicated leaders, is ready to welcome new members. We pray for that too.

My Confessor and Spiritual Director said to me the other day, amongst all our ‘planning’ and ‘doing’, I must ‘make room for the miracles’. He’s right. We are not a National Trust property, or a social club with a religious sideline. We are the Body of Christ here in our parish neighbourhood. We are a means of God’s love. As a community of prayer and worship, Scripture and Sacrament, The Holy Spirit is alive and doing marvellous things amongst us. Our shared vocation is to spot what God is doing and join in. As your priest, I think we are very well placed to continue to do exactly that in the year ahead, and I consider myself blessed to be continuing that adventure with all of you.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Fr Jack