Nineteenth century
St Giles Christian Mission began just over 150 years ago and is named after the the area it once served, not after the Saint. The St Giles district was located in central London, near Covent Garden and was the most densely populated area of London at the time – an area of tremendous need, thus, providing a real opportunity for furtherance of the Gospel.
St Giles’s original work was among needy children and women – providing hot meals and a safe place to sleep amongst other services. The work quickly expanded to include ministry to ex-prisoners and further, to boys and girls homes. It was a thriving work and at the heart of it was the desire to see men, women, boys and girls find salvation from sin and its eternal consequences, through the finished work of Jesus Christ. The work of St Giles Christian Mission adorned and provided a platform for this message.
Twentieth century
Though ministering throughout the city, in 1933, the centre of St Giles’s work came to Islington and on the 1st July 1935, the first Sunday services were held on Bride Street, our current location. Carrying on through two world wars and the difficult days associated, being led by many faithful men and women, the ministry expanded to the elderly and youth of the community.
Over the last 60 years or so, St Giles Christian Mission has changed in many ways and today we’re a gathering of local, committed Christians, meeting on Sunday mornings and evenings, to hear teaching from God’s Word and to sing God’s praises together. Yet in the most important ways, the mission work continues unchanged. The Gospel is still at the heart of all we do and we continue to love one another, sharing the good news of salvation through Jesus, with our community and a world in need.
"V2 bombs fall within a stone’s throw of the Mission, with a tragic loss of life, killing seven members of a family of eleven. The workers at the Mission were able to look after the stricken survivors in the basement shelter."
Epilogue
The last 150 years have been a testimony to the grace and power of God and we look forward, God willing, to many more years of fruitful Gospel work.
Recently, the London Metropolitan Archives collected a large amount of historical material from St Giles in order to preserve our history. For further information about this, please contact us at or view the page about St Giles on their website.
