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His Majesty The King has approved the nomination of the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, Downing Street has announced.The 106th Archbishop of Canterbury since Saint Augustine arrived in Kent from Rome in 597, Bishop Sarah will be the first woman to hold the office.She will be installed in a service at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026.Sarah Mullally has been the Bishop of London since 2018, the first woman appointed to that role, and before that was Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter. Prior to her ordination in 2001, she was the Government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England – the youngest person ever to be appointed to that role at the age of 37 – having previously specialised as a cancer nurse. Bishop Sarah has described nursing as "an opportunity to reflect the love of God".The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) for Canterbury nominated Bishop Sarah following a process of public consultation and prayerful discernment that began in February this year. The Canterbury CNC was made up of representatives from across the Church of England, global Anglican Communion and the Diocese of Canterbury.The most senior bishop in the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s ministry combines many roles including serving as the Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, Primate of All England and Metropolitan, as well as primus inter pares – or first among equals – of the Primates of the global Anglican Communion, which consists of around 85 million people, across 165 countries. In the House of Lords, the Archbishop of Canterbury is one of 26 bishops who comprise the Lords Spiritual.Bishop Sarah said: “As I respond to the call of Christ to this new ministry, I do so in the same spirit of service to God and to others that has motivated me since I first came to faith as a teenager.“At every stage of that journey, through my nursing career and Christian ministry, I have learned to listen deeply – to people and to God’s gentle prompting – to seek to bring people together to find hope and healing.“I want, very simply, to encourage the Church to continue to grow in confidence in the Gospel, to speak of the love that we find in Jesus Christ and for it to shape our actions.“And I look forward to sharing this journey of faith with the millions of people serving God and their communities in parishes all over the country and across the global Anglican Communion.“I know this is a huge responsibility but I approach it with a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as He always has.”Lord Evans, Chair of the Crown Nominations Commission for Canterbury, said: “It has been a great privilege to have chaired the Crown Nominations Commission as it sought to discern who God is calling to lead the Church of England and Anglican Communion as Archbishop of Canterbury.“That discernment began with the public consultation, which heard the voices of thousands of people as they expressed their hopes for this nomination, and continued all the way through to the Commission’s final meeting.“I would like to thank all those who took part in this process, particularly those who took time to share their views in the consultation and the members of the Commission who worked so diligently over several months, ably assisted by the Appointments Secretaries and by the Appointments and Vocations team at Lambeth Palace.“I shall be praying for Bishop Sarah as she prepares to take up this new ministry in the coming months.”Bishop Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, said: “I welcome and commend the nomination of Bishop Sarah as the next Archbishop of Canterbury and invite the churches of the global Anglican Communion to pray for her as she prepares to take up this important ministry.“May God grant her wisdom and discernment, as she seeks to listen to Member churches, encourage mutual support, and foster unity.“The Anglican Communion Office is fully committed to supporting her ministry as she works with other Provinces and the Instruments of the Anglican Communion.“Let us pray that God will pour out His Spirit on the Anglican Communion to boldly share Christ's transformational love and the hope of the Gospel in today’s world.”The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said: "I'm delighted that Bishop Sarah Mullally has been appointed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury and the very first female in the role. She is a person of huge courage, wisdom, integrity, and experience. In the many challenges the Church of England faces at the moment, we need the kind, godly and stable leadership Bishop Sarah will bring. It will be my great pleasure to serve alongside her, and I hope that together we can continue the work of helping the Church of England be simpler, humbler and bolder in its proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ and in our service to the nation."The Rt Revd Jonathan Baker, Bishop of Fulham, said: “During her tenure as Bishop of London, Bishop Sarah has always shown the greatest respect for the different theological traditions which coexist within the Church of England. In London in particular, she has generously supported my ministry and enabled the flourishing of traditional Catholic parishes and clergy across the Diocese. Now that she has been called to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury, she has the assurance of my prayers. May God grant to Bishop Sarah wisdom, courage and joy in her new ministry.”The Rt Revd Dr Emma Ineson, Bishop of Kensington, said: “Bishop Sarah is a woman of profound compassion and courage. It has been a joy and a privilege to work alongside her in her role as Bishop of London.“While we will miss her deeply here in the Diocese of London, we are glad that she will only be moving just across the river. I am excited to see her bring her wise and determined leadership to the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion, as together we seek to build up the Church of Christ and share his love with the world.“Alison Coulter, Chair of the Archbishops’ Council, said: “I am really delighted that Bishop Sarah is to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury. Bishop Sarah is a woman of the utmost integrity who has an outstanding track record of leadership. I look forward to working with her, and I am praying for her as she takes up her new role."
At the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) every year we hear or read reports on what has been happening the previous year. We also receive the Annual Report & Accounts approved by our trustees, the Parochial Church Council (PCC). The download links go tothe reports from various members of the leadership team and congregation, andthe formal Annual Report & Accounts.
We meet every Sunday, at 10.00am, to celebrate the Eucharist (literally Thanksgiving) or Holy communion. Everyone is welcome whether members of a church or not. It is all about giving thanks to God for his love towards the entire creation, including us. First we begin the service by singing and praying together. Then the children go to their own activities in a separate room next to the church. We listen to readings from the Bible and look at what God has said in the ancient scriptures and how it is directly relevant to the lives we are trying to live now.We are then led in prayer by a member of our congregation. We pray for the world, the work of the church, for the people who live and work in East Finchley, and for anyone we know to be in special need of prayer.This leads naturally into sharing and greeting one another with the peace of God. We share the peace by shaking the hand of those around us, usually with the words ‘Peace be with you’, or a special word of encouragement if one is needed.We present the bread and the wine, symbols of our offerings to God, as we begin the Liturgy of the Sacrament. We celebrate, with words and singing, the fact that Jesus died to reconcile us to God, that he conquered death by rising on the Easter morning, and that he is part of our lives here and now. We give witness to our communion with God by sharing in the consecrated bread and wine, the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This is the moment in the service when we reach out to God most demonstrably, and believe he reaches out to us in a very special way. Everyone is invited to come up to the altar. Those who are baptised and confirmed, or receive communion in their own church, are welcome to receive the bread and the wine. Everyone else is welcome to come forward to receive a blessing and be prayed for. The children join us as well. It's a special moment in the service for everyone to join in. In every church there is a time for notices. This is it. Before praying for God's blessing, we find out what is coming up and hear what the children have been learning. Then with a final hymn and a blessing, we are encouraged to 'Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord'Afterwards it is time for coffee, to meet our friends and make new ones.
