Cathedrals and Growth:: A Talk & Reception with Joe Hawes

“And is it true, and is it true?”

Thursday 25th April 2024, 7.00pm

St John the Baptist, Holland Road, W14 8AH

The talk will be followed by drinks and canapés

Cathedrals have been much in the news recently. Hard on the heels of celebrations around Christmas attendance figures have come criticisms of the riskier aspects of events held in cathedral naves. Fundraising imperatives for cash strapped flagships or creative opportunities for pre-evangelism? Is the hype around the success of cathedrals justified, or like any other public institution, are they just struggling to make ends meet and find relevance in an increasingly secular market-driven economy?

The Very Revd Joe Hawes is Dean of St Edmundsbury, the first cathedral in the UK to hold a beer and cider Festival and veteran of silent discos, will explore the direction of travel for England’s cathedrals. He is a graduate of Durham University and studied theology at St Stephen’s House, Oxford.

St John’s has an excellent collection of heavily embroidered banners, vestments and altar sets, all characteristic in design and execution of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To make sure the disapproving Anglican Church did not confiscate their vestments, the early vicars of St John’s insisted they were personal possessions! Some of the highlights of these will be available to view following the talk.

If you have not yet registered for online payment you will be asked to do this and your registration will need to be validated by the Administrator before you can use the facility. You will only need to register once, and for any applications for subsequent events you will need only to log in. Payment is taken by PayPal, but you do not need a PayPal account. 

Please note

• Successful applicants will be sent further information by Thursday 11th April, 2024
  
• Cancellations after Wednesday 17th April will not be refunded
  
• Attendees will be expected to honour any food choices submitted in advance
• It is Sion College policy that no events are recorded

Sion College events are often over-subscribed and each place is generously subsidised. If you are offered a place but are unable to attend for any reason, please let the office know so that your place may be offered to another. In the event of failure to attend without notice after being reserved a place, the Court will require a refund of the subsidy. Application for a place at any Sion event constitutes acceptance of this proviso.

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