Men's breakfast, an AGM & a wedding, too

Our new curate, Jacob Mercer, was the speaker at today's Men's Breakfast at St James.

He told us a bit of the story of his life. How a series of events, starting with first his mum then his dad becoming Christians when he was a child, led eventually to his present role of curate (a.ka. vicar in training).

At University he learnt a lot about English Literature (his subject), but he learnt a lot more about following Christ and being a disciple, and, looking back, that was the best bit about being at Uni.

Meanwhile, this afternooon, it was the last of this year's weddings at St James. 

Our love and prayers to Yannick and Toni-Louise as they begin married life together:

After that it was time for the Annual Meeting of the Salmon Youth Centre, said to be the largest Christian youth centre in the country, founded here in Bermondsey in 1907 as the Cambridge Medical Mission Settlement (later Cambridge University Mission).

The meeting was led by Adrian Greenwood (left), the Chair of the Salmon trustees.

During the meeting we heard on video from the elderly daughter of Rev 'Pa Salmon' the orginal founder of the mission.

Walking back from leading a Bible Study in north London to his home in Streatham, 'Pa' walked through Bermondsey and was shocked by the poverty of what was then reckoned to be the most deprived community in London.

He resolved to do something about it with the aid of Christian students from Cambridge, and the rest, as they say, is history.

110 years later the Youth Centre, now bearing the name of its founder, is still going strong, serving the youth people of Bermondsey in the name of Christ.

The Bishop of Woolwich, Bishop Karowei,  leads the Thanksgiving and Commissioning Service which concluded the meeting