Introductions

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Melvyn on May 16, 2009 at 7:53am

Hi, I'm responding to Lynda's invitation to say something about myself! I don't usually (unless I have to) so forgive me if this is a bit stilted.

I returned to the worshipping community in St Stephen Walbrook a few years ago having first come to it in the early 1960s as a volunteer working with the Samaritans. The church building was a dark and gloomy place in those days, though the vestry was buzzing with activity! I left that work around 1966/7 and transferred my "worshipping" allegiance to St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London, warmly supporting the creation of the choral foundation there (which is still going strong). I still attend St Peter's on high days and holidays, so to speak, but I departed from the worshipping community there when it adopted an attitude towards the introduction of civil partnership legislation which I found totally unacceptable.

I live with my civil partner very near the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Westminster. I have lived there for 25 years now. During that time I spent five years abroad, but fortunately kept on my flat, returning to it once a month or so and finally in 2000.

If anyone cares about my work history they can look me up in "Who's Who", but suffice it to say that my career was in the public service and I am now well retired. Since retirement I am busier than ever, being the secretary of two small charities, the Chairman of another, and the President and webmaster of a thriving Internet heraldic association. I am a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Scriveners.

I am by hobby a heraldist, genealogist and ecclesiologist. I am now also a churchwarden of St Stephen Walbrook, and look forward to helping the Venerable Peter take the church forward.

Permalink Reply by Nancy Featherman on May 16, 2009 at 10:21am

I was asked by Lynda to in toroduce myself,
So here goes. Iam 28 and
I have been a Christian for 2 Years now, And I can Honestly say that its the best decision I have ever Made.
Iam curently thinking of going to college in september to become A full time student. I will. be going to do a one year Diploma at a theological college In Canbridge. With the Hope of going into part time ministry shortly afterwards. my hobbies are reading, knitting, playing on my Nintendo wii, and my nintendo ds. And messing about on the Internet. I practically Live on facebok and msn!
so that's me
God Bless you All
Nancy

Permalink Reply by Phil and Margaret Brown. on May 31, 2009 at 5:50pm

Hello Melvyn. Nice to know a bit more about you.Phil and myself are hopefully going to tell you something about us in the near future.
Margaret and Phil Brown.

Permalink Reply by Kathy Holden on May 16, 2009 at 12:53pm

I am not sure if I have done this right or not. I am replying to Lynda and everyone else who has introduced themselves....I hope. Still finding out how to do all of this.

Anyway - what to say about myself. Well, I am a Catholic but open to all - only became Catholic a few years ago. I am married, and both of us became Catholics at the same time after being Methodists for over 40 years. Long story as to how we became Catholics.

We are moving house on Friday May 22nd, so I cannot yet tell you about the Church we go to !!!!!! There are two Catholic Churches in the town where we will be living, one very very traditional, which has Latin Mass every Sunday afternoon. They have incense and all the bells, whistles, etc, at all of the main Masses at a weekend, which I do love, but also love the Mass at the more modern Church. The other Church in the town is a much more modern Church and Mass. I will probably share my time between the two.

Also, we have had an interest in Orthodoxy, and intend to join the Orthodox in the town - we are in the process of meeting and making friends with the Deacon and his wife. It seems to be a most friendly Orthodox community and we are so happy to be invited to meet them and to have coffee with them and to join in some of their liturgies.

I have in my time been a Methodist Local Preacher (for over 30 years) and a tutor, and all sorts of things within the Methodist Church. I am now happy however to simply go to Mass and join in with others, and not to feel that I have to do anything at all other than take in a nourish my own soul. That might sound selfish, but we are both over 60 now, and feel the need to relax and just rest a while. My husband is highly disabled and I am his Carer also.

I have studied quite extensively over the years, in the area of Theology. I became a Christian when I was 13, not having been brought up in the Church particularly, but being made to go with my father to the Anglican Church on high days and holidays !!!!! I was baptised Anglican, but became Methodist after becoming a Christian after taking part in a Youth Weekend at the local Methodist Church.

I am open to all denominations - the one thing that I have learnt over the years is that there are good things in all denominations and Churches and that no-one has the absolute Truth.

I have not been too active in this lovely Internet Church since I joined, simply because of being involved in selling and buying houses, and getting ready to move, with a disabled husband to also care for.

I look forward to getting to know you all, and to joining in more often.

Kathy

Permalink Reply by Lynda Keen on May 16, 2009 at 9:57pm

My name is Gabriel McGovern. I am 61 tomorrow (17th May 2009). I retired early from the banking world. I enjoy live theatre, art, cinema, reading and music, particularly the music of the 60s, 70s and 80s.
I am open to all the main Christian traditions and just as comfortable in Anglican, Catholic, Methodist etc services. I attend often, once they are not too conservative in tradition, preaching and ministry, in other words, have a Christian, non-judgemental approach to all no matter what background they come from.
Will not be able to post a virtual birthday cake - not competent enough on computer yet although I recently installed a web cam on it and Skype.
Usually celebrate birthdays on my own but am a people person, never short of a chat with someone. Intend to treat myself to a nice meal in a good hotel and maybe half a bottle of wine with it.
(I have posted Gabriel's introduction as he hasn't yet got to grips with the intricacies of the links on this website. So I'm taking the opportunity to add a virtual birthday cake and a glass of wine. Cheers and Many Happy Returns of tomorrow! Lynda)

Permalink Reply by Lynda Keen on May 17, 2009 at 7:47pm

You never heard of taking things home in a doggy bag for later?
Glad you had a good time. Lynda

Permalink Reply by Online Krish on May 18, 2009 at 12:10pm

I'm responding to Lynda's kind invitation to introduce myself. Formerly, I lived in Sydney Australia and worked for a major financial services company. Three years ago I set off to travel the world. I met and married a wonderful man, and now we live in the lovely suburb of Richmond here in London. We are both committed Christians and very much enjoy being a part of St Stephen Walbrook through attending various events and meeting some lovely people. I love to sing, having spent five years learning from an Opera singer in Australia. My husband and I love to travel and also love walking by the river in Richmond.

Permalink Reply by Lynda Keen on May 18, 2009 at 1:18pm

Krish, I hope this means we're going to get some recordings of your singing in the Music group?
Also some photos of your travels in the Travellers' Rest? Sydney to Richmond is quite a journey and I hope you'll share souvenirs of places and events along the way.
Lynda

Permalink Reply by Lynda Keen on June 15, 2009 at 9:10pm

Hi, Krish. Now you're working only part-time, are we going to hear some of your singing on here?
Best regards and God bless. Lynda

Permalink Reply by Lynda Keen on May 20, 2009 at 1:33pm

matthew mwendia ndungu has sent you a message on London Internet Church
Hope your fine in the lord and doing good in london .Am a church pianist and am 26 years single christian and love very much to worship the lord through instruments. I hope you know that i live in africa KENYA, and i would really want be apart of you in whatever you do there and to share more of christ with your great church friends, though its my wish to join your service one day and worship with you there in london.I would also love to have as many friends in your congregation to build on onother in spiritual life.
(Posted by Lynda as Matthew sent this to me as a message)

Permalink Reply by Phil and Margaret Brown. on June 3, 2009 at 6:30pm

Margaret (65) and Phil (64) Brown.

Hello, our profiles are combined because we come as a package. We have been friends for 50 years and married for 41 of those. We actually remember each other from infant and junior schools .We have a son and a daughter and three Grandchildren with whom we are greatly involved. Also a dog and three cats.

We have both lived within ten minutes walk of the same mainline station our whole lives which makes our involvement and commitment to our local community very precious to us.

As a career Margaret trained as a Dental Surgery Nurse and also worked in Nursing and finally as a Doctor’s receptionist. Phil worked in the City on the shipping side of a variety of trading houses. He was a member of The Chartered Institute of Transport. Following redundancy during the early eighties he purchased a local shop and was a shopkeeper for over twenty years. A lifestyle he loved because of it’s involvement with the community.

We are both Elders at Chingford United Reformed Church and our background could best be described as coming from the Free Church tradition of Christian Socialist.

Although both retired we remain active. For twenty years Margaret has been a volunteer Bereavement Counsellor at our local hospital, where she also sits on two committees. Also a volunteer on a National Drugs telephone helpline. Occasionally she is employed by a company giving assistance to the families of victims of International Disasters (such as `plane crashes) Doing this she has worked in Cyprus, The Middle East and Africa.

Due to ill health Phil has cut his commitments in recent years. However, after twenty two years he remains a governor at the local secondary school. Besides full Board commitments he is on the Planning and Development, Pay and Learning Committees, is Child Protection Governor and the Board member responsible for the schools current bid for funds to build a sixth form. He is also Chairman of the local Safer Neighbourhood Committee.

Our interests include membership of Chingford Historical Society, Woodford Historical Society, Highams Park Society, Buckhurst Hill Antiques and Collector’s club, National Trust, R.S.P.B. and Friends of the City Churches. We enjoy combining walking the dog with bird spotting. We love music and attend many concerts. (Mainly classical but also Jazz, Rhythm and Blues and even Rock)
Together with a group of Christian friends we frequently take part in Charity quizzes.

Our involvement with St Stephen started with concerts, occasional services, talks and now The Art in Faith Group.

Permalink Reply by Alan Taylor on August 31, 2009 at 2:01pm

Hi everyone,

I live in the Barbican, close to St Stephen Walbrook, but have only once attended a service there as I am a regular attendee at St Giles' Cripplegate, where I recently became Churchwarden. I get a bit impatient with the politics of the Church of England though, and as I was brought up presbyterian I tend to get a bit frustrated with priestly ways.

I am getting more and more radical as I age: I'm post-theistic in my beliefs, I think that the church is obsessed with sexuality because it is (at least in part) a patriarchal, power-obsessed and all-too-human institution.

I'm a technophile and love web2.0 and gadgets generally. In a previous life I was a management consultant specialising in voluntary sector management but have mutated into an academic teaching management and leadership. My particular interests are in postmodernism and queer theory: radical, again!

I love music, reading, walking and a good cup of tea (with or without cake).

... and sometimes I am slow to respond ;-)

love to all

Alan

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