Found a Church!
May I introduce to you All Souls Langham Place!
Pretty pretty right off Regent's Street
All Souls is an Anglican Evangelical church in the heart of central London. The building was built by John Nash, an architect from the early 19th century who is responsible for much of the design of London (ahem, Buckingham Palace).
It's more traditional than I'm used to. There's no flashy lighting and worship is a mix of hymns and older worship music. But I tried churches that matched the style I was used to and found they lacked content.
I really like this place for a few reasons:
- It's a very international community, a mix of ages, and made up of people from many different economic backgrounds, reminding me much of First Baptist Fort Lauderdale
- The sermons are honest and don't brush over tough subjects. The pastor is well rehearsed and his delivery is flawless, making the sermon more like a piece of art where every word has impact than an lecture.
- There's this beautiful portion where someone leads 5 prayers. They cover missionaries, the church's outreach, current events, etc. The first two times i visited (two months apart!) they prayed for students new to the city which really moved me. The heart of the ministry is most evident here.
- Recitations are something I'm not used to but find lovely. The one after the offering is my favorite. The pastor says "All things come from you Lord." The congregation responds "and of your own we have given you" which is directly from 1 Chronicles 29:14. I think it's a beautiful reminder!
- They are so welcoming!
I'm happy to call this place my church home while I'm in London.
