On Sunday, Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, joined the Bishop of London, The Rt. Reverend and Rt. Hon Richard Chartres, St. John's Priest, Reverend Cindy Kent, local councillors and a two hundred-strong congregation at a special service to celebrate the 180th anniversary of St. John the Apostle Church in Whetstone. Children from nearby St. John's Primary School also attended to sing to the congregation.
During the service, the Bishop of London congratulated the Church and blessed the Parochial Church Council. He also urged the church to continually adapt to the challenges of the day and reflected on the many changes it has experienced since being built in 1832, having been designed by the then Bishop of London. Besides church services, the building is also used for many community activities and as a homeless shelter in the winter.
Theresa said, “It is a great honour to have been invited to mark this milestone in the church’s history.”
“It is clear from the large number of people who attended the service today that St. John’s Church is at the heart of the local community and I’m sure it will be here for another 180 years at least.”