At Crown Court Church of Scotland, we are unique in our history as the longest-established Presbyterian church in England. Our congregation first gathered to worship in a small room near St Martin’s Lane in 1711, moving to our present site in Russell Street, just a stone’s throw away
from Covent Garden piazza, in 1719. We are an open and inclusive church community, coming from different generations, cultures, and walks of life. Since our Tercentenary celebrations in 2019, we have embarked on a period of renewal and growth, laying the foundations for our continuing mission in the heart of London’s theatreland for years to come.
Sanctuary, Crown Court Church of Scotland
Our 2025 so far
Over the past few months, our church has welcomed many ofour partners to join us for special events. In early March, for the first time, we held a service to celebrate World Gaelic Day, and for the occasion, we were joined by members of London Gaelic Services and Còisir Lunnainn (London
Gaelic Choir), both of whom have a long-standing relationship with Crown Court. The service was bilingual, with readings from the Scottish Gaelic bible, and responses in both Gaelic and English. The combined choirs sung an introit, the Gaelic hymn Athchuinge, and an anthem, a Gaelic setting of Psalm 65: 1,with a precentor in the Gaelic tradition. It was a wonderful opportunity to be
part of London’s centuries-long tradition of Gaelic worship and music.
Members of London Gaelic choir
April saw a rebrand of our church magazine, The Chronicle. It’s an important way for us to share our latest news withothers in our community, and to tell everyone far and near about our church life at Crown Court. The magazine has been in publication for over a hundred years - the very first issue, still held in our church archive, appeared in January 1919. When writing our article for Scots in London’s recent VE commemoration booklet, our magazine, which was published monthly during the Second World War despite extremely challenging circumstances, was a real treasure trove of
information and moving war-time accounts.
Crown Court’s Church magazine across the years
In Holy Week, we headed to neighbouring Bloomsbury to share a Maundy Thursday Communion and Supper with friends from our two of our partner churches, Bloomsbury Baptist Church and the Welsh Baptist Chapel. The three churches rotate in our hosting of this ecumenical event, and we look forward to next year’s supper at Crown Court. On Easter Sunday, as well as welcoming new members to our congregation, we said a fond farewell to our minister, Rev Scott Rennie, who has brought so much warmth, energy and vision to Crown Court. He will be much missed, but we are proud that he has been called to become minister of the High Kirk of Edinburgh, St Giles' Cathedral.
After Easter, we welcomed our Interim Moderator for our upcoming period of vacancy, Rev Alistair Cumming. Christian Aid week was soon upon us, a highlight of the church year, and an opportunity for us to support a worthy cause. This year, donations will go to indigenous communities in
Guatemala, whose livelihoods are threatened by climate change. We started Christian Aid week with a visit from over 200 walkers on the Christian Aid London Freedom walk, a Family Fundraising walk along the “Freedom Route”, which visited twelve fascinating places of worship in central London. It was our first year as a venue on thewalk, and we were delighted to introduce so many people to our church and its heritage. Our team of volunteers served tea and delicious homemaking to the hot and thirsty, while our organist and the London Mandolin Ensemble – who rehearse
at Crown Court - provided entertainment for our visitors!
Christian Aid Freedom Walk visits Crown Court
To the Future
Over the past year, our Futures Committee, Kirk Session, and congregation have worked to forge a strong vision for Crown Court’s future. At the heart of this vision is strengthening our connections with the many and varied strands of our immediate community in Covent Garden. One of our core
purposes as a church is outreach, and we believe that our church family consists not just members of our congregation who attend our Sunday service, but also the many individuals and groups who use our church hall and sanctuary during the week – not to mention the multitude of thriving businesses, cultural, creative and educational organisations, and residents on our
doorstep.
To support our vision, we have now finalised architectural plans to transform our church building for the twenty-first century, which will ensure full accessibility for all who visit, and provide us with updated church hall and brand-new kitchen facilities. Subject to further permissions and
fundraising, we look forward to embarking upon this exciting project in 2026.
Visit us
At Crown Court, we rejoice in the wide diversity of people of faith and doubt who make their home in our community. Whoever you are and whatever your story, you’ll find a warm welcome awaits you at our weekly Sunday service, which takes place at 11.15am every week. The service lasts around an
hour, and you are very welcome to join us afterwards downstairs in the Church Hall for tea and coffee and fellowship.
Find out more about our church community at www.crowncourtchurch.org.uk
where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter.