Opening our Black History Month Celebration on 28 October, The Revd Eileen Rose spoke of her Jamaican Maroon heritage, and throughout the day people had the opportunity to hear the real life experiences of black pioneers within our own community, from the harsh realities of apartheid, and to their struggles and achievements in the UK. There was poetry, crafts, music and song, food, dance and chat, with opportunities to learn and share. The keynote talk by Aletha Saunders highlighted the enormous impacts that the black people have made on every area of life: remembering those who have gone before, celebrating how far we have come, but honouring those who continue the struggle against injustice today which is still far from over.

© 2023 St Edmund, Chingford

On his first major organ tour of Britain, Jan Liebermann performed at St Edmund’s on Sunday 30 July. The young organist from Frankfurt is seen as the likely next ‘big name’ in the organ world, and he didn’t disappoint. In a programme of works by Bach, Pachelbel, Mendelssohn, Widor and Duruflé, the audience sat enthralled, amazed at his skill and versatility. Not many were aware that he had only been playing the organ for the past 4½ years, and only Chris our organist knew that the organ had developed a fault just before the recital started. Yet Jan performed the pieces brilliantly, working around the fault, so that no one twigged that one B note was missing throughout the recital. As the final piece – Duruflé’s Prélude et fugue sur le nom d’Alain – finished, the audience erupted into applause; we had experienced something very special.

© 2023 St Edmund, Chingford

People packed into the Church for Lesley’s final service as our Vicar on Sunday 30 April. Members of the local community, and old friends from far away, joined the church family to worship and celebrate all Lesley had brought and achieved during her time with us, and in a huge show of love for just being her. At the end of the service, she handed back symbols of her office and her ministry among us, before we handed to her a massive card and various gifts to remind her of the affection in which she is held. A drinks and buffet reception followed where people reminisced and laughed, while also wishing a sad farewell to Lesley on her retirement.

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© 2023 St Edmund, Chingford

South Chingford Methodist Church’s friends from St Edmund’s, North Chingford Methodist Church and the ChEWS Dog Club, all came together to celebrate their annual Covenant Service on 22 January. The service was also joined by a number of doggy friends from St Edmund’s and CHeWS. The service was taken by Sue Creighton (Methodist Minister at Loughton), and our own vicar Lesley Goldsmith preached. (Her sermon can be read here.) The Church of England and the Methodist Church entered into a Covenant with each other back in November 2003, since which time the two churches here in South Chingford have partnered each other and supported each other’s services and events.

© 2023 St Edmund, Chingford

Bishop Guli, with some of those who worked on creating our mosaic.

In January 2020, work began on a new artwork for the church created by members of the church. Lead by James Gilder our then curate, it was completed just before he started his secondment at Wanstead at the beginning of this year. We were pleased to welcome the Bishop of Chelmsford (The Right Reverend Guli Frances-Dehqani), who blessed the mosaic during our service, and were glad that James could also be with us.

The mosaic was created in the experience of isolation following the outbreak of COVID, as lockdown restrictions eased and as we turned to face a new tomorrow that was similar to what we had known before but changed.

It helps us to remember those who suffered and died during the Coronavirus Pandemic, and to recall the repeating message from scripture that we should not be afraid nor to let ourselves to be held back by our fear.

© 2022 St Edmund, Chingford