Useful Information
Our Worship
We offer worship which is reverent, traditional, dignified and uplifting, all within the ethos of the Anglican tradition and drawn from the Book of Common Prayer and the Authorised Version of the Bible. Our worship draws on the richness of the Christian tradition of language and music to identify ourselves with the past generation of worshippers, to pray for the world and our local community and to look to the future with hope.
Visitors and newcomers are always especially warmly welcomed at St Giles. If you have any questions about our worship, please do feel free to contact us or speak to a member of the clergy or a churchwarden. If you are able to join for Sung Eucharist on Sundays, then please do stay after the service for coffee and a chance to meet other members of the congregation.
​
What if I don't know anyone?
What do I need to bring?
Just yourself! Printed leaflets are available for all services in order to help you follow the liturgy and readings easily. Braille materials are also available for anyone who is blind or partially-sighted and a loop hearing system is installed in the church.
You will be welcome whenever you join us, be it once a month or several times a week. Our congregation is drawn from across London and reflects a wide range of ages and backgrounds.
Do I need to attend every week?
St Giles has long been embedded in its community and takes to heart the gospel challenge to offer praise to God as known in Christ, to preach the word in and out of season, to pray for the needs of the people of this place and to provide hospitality and hope to all. Worship is inseparable from compassion and prayer from involvement in the lives of others. Whether welcoming visitors and newcomers to our Sunday services or working in collaboration with a range of social welfare providers throughout the week, we seek to live out the responsibilities we have under Christ to proclaim the loving kindness of the Lord in word and deed.
Our Mission
Who's Who?
St Giles-in-the-Fields is served by a full-time parish priest, Rev. Tom Sander and an associate priest, Rev. Chris Smaling. The church administration is overseen by the parochial church council (PCC) and the churchwardens, who are elected annually. The PCC is supported by a parish administrator, and a small team of part-time staff. Church music is led and overseen by our Director Of Music, Jonathan Bunney.
Tom became Rector of St Giles-in-the-Fields in February 2021. He is also an Army Chaplain and currently serves as Padre to the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. Tom was previously vicar of the benefice of Flamstead and Markyate Street in the Diocese of St Albans, where he also served as Rural Dean of the Wheathampstead Deanery.
Chris became an associate priest at St Giles in December 2021. Chris is a self-supporting minister and during the week works in special needs education, as deputy headteacher of Richard Cloudesley School in Islington. Chris was ordained in 2014 and has spent the last seven years at St Gabriel's Church, Aldersbrook in east London.
Phillip joined St Giles-in-the-Fields as Curate in July 2023. Prior to ordination he worked as a Director of a firm of architects and served as Non-Executive Director of a number of local charities. Phillip has distant family links to the parish – his great-great grandparents lived in Seven Dials! He is currently undertaking an MPhil in World Christianity at the University of Cambridge.
Jonathan has been Director of Music at St. Giles-in-the-Fields since 2004. He is a graduate of the Royal College of Music. He is also a teacher at the RCO Academy Organ School. In 2015 Jonathan was awarded his Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists. Cathedral recitals have included Winchester, Chichester, Coventry, Sheffield, Liverpool and St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Lesley is parish administrator at St Giles-in-the-Fields. In this role, she oversees the day-to-day running of the church. She is the first point of contact for inquiries and visitors to the church and also assists people wishing to hire the church for concerts and events.
Oliver and Catherine are the current churchwardens of St Giles-in-the-Fields. They are the senior lay members of the congregation, elected by the annual parish meeting. Oliver has been churchwarden since 2018 and works in art & antiques. Catherine was elected for the first time in 2022. She works as a solicitor.
