In January 2020, St Luke’s was delighted to welcome its new vicar, John MacKenzie. We decided it was time to learn more about him…Have you always been a person of faith?I grew up in the Catholic church and served as an altar boy. As a young adult, I grew disillusioned and angry about things like the damaging policy concerning birth control, and the infallibility of the Pope, so I left the church – except for turning up at midnight mass, worse for wear after the pub! I was still somewhat spiritual – on and off! – but I’d fallen out of love with the church. However, when my wife Sophie and I were preparing for our wedding at an Anglican church in London, we got to know the vicar and his family, and became part of the community. I started exploring my faith again.How did you go from banker to vicar? I worked in investment banking for 20 years. In some ways, it was a dream job – long lunches and a big expense account! My clients included members of the Chelsea FC team, which I’ve supported since birth, and I got to spend time at the club. However, after I was mugged at knifepoint in London, Sophie and I moved to Surrey and joined a more evangelical church. I began studying the Bible in my spare time. In Revelation, I read that “our deeds will follow us”. It was as if God was asking me: what are your deeds – making rich people richer? I was feeling the call to ordination, but if I’d known the process ahead, it might have put me off! The selection panel felt I needed a broader experience of the church before proceeding. Initially I was angry, but it was the best thing to happen to me. I was reintroduced to a more liberal, catholic spirituality. The breadth and love and wholeness opened my eyes, my heart, my soul. It was a transformative time, leading me towards becoming the person God intended me to be. I was ordained in 2004.Tell us about your most recent church…I became vicar of a church in Ashford, Kent, in 2007 and went on a wonderful journey with the people there. The congregation was down to about 50, mostly older people. However, they had the will to see change and become a hub for the local area. I got involved in schools work, eventually becoming chair of governors at three schools. Joining eight local churches into one big parish allowed us to offer more services for children and young families, such as parent-and-toddler groups and after-school clubs. We partnered with the local council and various organisations for expertise and funding. We pulled out the pews to make room for a café and kitchen, providing daily lunches to counter loneliness and isolation. We joined a night shelter scheme, started a food bank, ran a debt service and offered children meals during school breaks to counter ‘holiday hunger’. It was a huge project, costing around £850,000. I liked being part of a church that was active and engaging with the community – something that means as much to the people who don’t attend church as it does to the congregation. However, as a consequence, our numbers grew to around 180. So why did you decide to leave Kent and join us here in Islington? Ashford Town Parish was wonderful to be part of, but I was no longer functioning as a parish priest. By this point, I was Team Rector and Area Dean, with responsibility for 850 parishioners. Pastoral work had been replaced by endless meetings, and I’d lost my links with local schools. Business meetings wasn’t what God called me to do! It didn’t feed my soul. A friend who knew I had itchy feet called to tell me about the vacancy at St Luke’s while I was on holiday on the Northumberland coast, and as I was buffeted by the wind, it felt like the winds of change. After exploring the St Luke’s website and watching the video of what members love about the church, I could see shared values of inclusion and God’s love for all. I felt excited – St Luke’s felt like somewhere my skills could be used. What’s your vision for St Luke’s? Well, it’s not about my vision, it’s about our vision, something we share as a church, so we can move together as one. I see a desire in St Luke’s for deeper roots in the community and to be good news for the area. I’m interested in creating a greater presence at the St Francis end of the parish, tapping into the need for health, wellbeing and social services, possibly involving a community nurse. We may also look at expanding resources for young families, showing that the doors of the church are open to all. For now, though, I’m getting to know you all! I’m blown away by the quality of the music, and I love the way St Luke’s uses language, and how different voices are heard during services and talks. What are your spiritual influences and (important question now you’re a St Luker!) are you a Greenbelter?We’ve been to Greenbelt a few times and loved it – although Sophie’s not a fan of camping! – and we hope to be there this year. I’ve got a lot from the writings of Richard Rohr; and also those of Jean Vanier, who set up the L’Arche communities for people with special needs, so the recent revelations about his sexual abuse of staff has broken my heart, and I’m trying to work out how I now relate to his writing. Introduce us to the other residents of the vicarage… There’s Sophie, of course. She’s a lecturer in speech and language therapy, and we met when she was a student, observing a speech therapy group I was part of – with strict instructions not to fraternise with the participants! We’ve been married nearly 29 years. We’re joined by our son Jacob, 22, who recently graduated in philosophy and theology at Oxford, and his girlfriend Kate, a recent sociology graduate. And not forgetting Darcey the tabby cat, a former stray, and Socrates the guinea pig, who lives in the utility room (sadly, his companion Plato is no longer with us). Where will we find you on your days off? Probably at the Odeon – I love switching off for a couple of hours to enjoy a good movie. I’m a lifelong Chelsea supporter – we used to watch matches from the family enclosure, and Jacob had a Chelsea kit at three months old, but we watch it on TV these days. I also enjoy following cricket and hockey, I like a good beer, and Sophie and I love to dance, Strictly-style.Finally, is it true you’re interested in the Enneagram (the subject of many a coffee-time chat at St Luke’s), and what type are you?The more we find out who we are, the better we relate to others, and I think tools of self-discovery like the Enneagram and Myers-Briggs help that in process. I’m a type 7 – an optimist who enjoys life and good times!QUICK FIRE:Windsurfing or walk in the woods? Walk in the woodsLark or night owl? Night owl – although I’m waking up early at the moment. Tea or coffee? Coffee, black, no sugar.Winter or summer? Spring and autumn! Spring for new life, and autumn for the colours. Favourite band/artist? Bowie – I enjoyed his work throughout every reinvention. Favourite holiday? A trip to LA, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon for my 40th. Favourite book? The Brothers Karamazov or Lord Of The Rings.What animal would you like to be? An eagle, soaring free and riding the winds.Interview: Cath FrancisPhoto: Stefano Cagnoni
St Luke’s is one of twenty Christian organisations in the UK which have agreed to disinvest from fossil fuels as part of the Epiphany Declaration for Fossil Free Churches.The declaration was created in November by the Christian campaign group Operation Noah as part of its campaign Bright Now. It encouraged churches across the denominations to combat climate change by disinvesting on the feast of the Epiphany, which fell last Monday, January 6th.“This is a powerful action that your church can take to respond to the climate emergency and highlight the need for urgent action,” the organisers said. “Even if your church doesn’t currently hold any fossil-fuel investments — for instance, if it only has a bank account — it can make a powerful statement by pledging not to invest in fossil fuels in the future.”See the full report in this week’s Church Times: https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/10-january/news/uk/christian-organisations-disinvest-from-fossil-fuels
