Episode 138 • 5th December 2024 • The Living Church Podcast • The Living Church
There are people who tend to be on the fringes in church: the unhoused, those with mental illness, teens and kids, single people, those with dementia, and those with no family. But all of these folks are in the center of church life at St James the Less, Pimlico, in London.
Today we’ll speak with the rector, the Rev. Lis Goddard, about how this came about, and how it works.
This is a conversation about radical hospitality. Maybe you’ve used that phrase; maybe your denomination does. What does that mean? The word “family” is key. Much about a healthy family is being able to share safe space. If baptismal water is truly thicker than blood, how does that require radical hospitality, maybe especially, with those who are vulnerable? And how can it also invite parishioners into a deeper, rather than more tenuous, sense of security?
Today we’ll be talking about open doors and open homes, as well as the boundaries and practical policies that make radical hospitality possible. We’ll learn about Sabbath, how saying no is an invitation to mutual honor, and ways to equip volunteers for joyful service.
The Rev. Lis Goddard has been Vicar of St James the Less, Pimlico (London), since September 2010. Other ministry roles have included university chaplain and Tutor for Ministerial Formation at Wycliffe Hall, and Assistant Minister at St Andrew’s Church in North Oxford. She leads missions, mentoring, and spiritual direction initatives, and was the Chair of Awesome/The Junia Network, a network of ordained women evangelicals. She is now Cochair of the Church of England Evangelical Council and is co-author of The Gender Agenda, a book of charitable debate on women’s ordination.
When you get off at Pimlico station, be sure to mind the gap. And maybe become more aware of how we can help close the gaps between God’s beloved people. We hope you enjoy the conversation.
Amber D. Noel, M.Div., directs the public-facing programs of The Living Church, including the podcast, events, and the Partner program. Outside of work, she is a writer and enjoys life in Atlanta.