Our monthly walking group
Easter Sunday at St Barnabas

St Barnabas is a welcoming, inclusive and vibrant parish church that works for the good of our diverse community in London's East End

St Barnabas Bethnal Green at Pride 2018
Jumble sale at St Barnabas Bethnal Green

Joining us for worship

Parish Mass and Sunday School | 10:30am Sundays
Morning Prayer | 7:45am Tuesday to Friday

We blend church tradition with an open, inclusive and tolerant outlook. This means that while our worship may include Holy Communion with hymns and organ music, we centre upon what our faith means for our present-day relationship with the environment and each other.

During term time, children from four years upwards are invited to Sunday School while their parents or guardians attend Parish Mass. Services last approximately one hour, followed by tea and coffee.

Visit or contact St Barnabas⟶

 

God isn't locked in church with his congregation, but incarnate in the world. My tie is to everyone in my parish and my calling is to help them, of whatever faith or none, church people or not church people.

Father Brian Ralph | Parish Priest, St Barnabas Bethnal Green

Meet the team

  • Father Brian Ralph, St Barnabas Bethnal Green

    Fr Brian Ralph

    PARISH PRIEST
    EMAIL

  • Fr Michael Redman, Assistant Curate, St Barnabas Bethnal Green

    Fr Michael Redman

    ASSISTANT CURATE

  • Carmen Buchanan, lay reader, St Barnabas Bethnal Green

    Carmen Buchanan

    LAY READER

  • Linda Snooks, church warden, St Barnabas Bethnal Green

    Linda Snooks

    WARDEN
    EMAIL

  • Ruth Herbert, secretary, St Barnabas Bethnal Green

    Ruth Herbert

    SECRETARY

  • Ruth Tribe

    TREASURER

Serving London’s East End since 1870

St Barnabas Bethnal Green is an inclusive Anglican parish church in the Tower Hamlets Deanery in the Stepney episcopal area of the Diocese of London. Its diverse congregation is a cross-section of the local community in Bow and Victoria Park.

Consecrated at a time of significant social reform, the church continues to uphold the long-standing Christian Socialist tradition by advocating for tolerance, co-operation, equality, and a commitment to social justice.

Jumble sale at St Barnabas

What it means to be a parish church

The purpose of a parish church is to extend a sense of welcome and concern for those in our parish, regardless of their background or faith. Our parish covers most of Bow West ward, an area known for its diversity, and includes two state primary schools.

What we care about

Inclusive Church

St Barnabas Bethnal Green is affiliated with Inclusive Church. Inclusive Church is a network of churches, groups and individuals uniting together around a shared vision: a church which celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate.

Save the Parish

St Barnabas Bethnal Green supports the work of Save the Parish. The goal of the Save the Parish network is a Church of England where Parishes are at the core, with clergy, financial security and local strength.

Eco Church

St Barnabas Bethnal Green is undertaking a comprehensive audit to understand how we can reduce our ecological impact. This work is being guided by the A Rocha UK survey. Our aspiration is to reach Bronze status in 2024.

Our patron saint, St Barnabas

St Barnabas


Barnabas, our patron saint, was an early member of the Christian community in Jerusalem. He is first mentioned selling land to give the proceeds to the disciples for the poor. He introduced Paul to the disciples after Paul’s conversion. 

Barnabas worked with St Paul as a teacher of the gospel and a missionary, particularly in Antioch (today’s Antakya, Turkey). His story is told in the Acts of the Apostles and in St Paul's letters. 

Barnabas was born as a Jew in Cyprus, and according to tradition was martyred there.

He is known as the son of encouragement, and as a result of his advocacy on behalf of Paul, as the patron saint of second chances.

For us St Barnabas is a model of generosity and standing by others in need.  We celebrate him with a Mass every year on the Sunday closest to his feast day, 11 June.