As one might expect for a church in London's financial district,
St Peter's has seen a rise in its ministry to people troubled by
the global credit crunch.
But what is less usual about this church nestled near the new
skyscrapers and banking headquarters in London's Docklands, is its
accommodation: a converted freight barge moored at Canary
Wharf.
Walk up the gangplank to Britain's only floating Anglican Church
and you are met with a bright and airy space with new wooden
fixtures, a complete contrast to a traditional church.
Three times a week it is full of bankers, analysts and other
financial types taking part in a lunchtime Christian service.
"The venue of a boat is a bit different," said senior minister
Marcus Nodder. "It means we can appeal to people who are
disillusioned with traditional church."
Nodder, who cycles to work and paddles a kayak at weekends, said
more people are turning to St Peter's as the recessionary chill
gets colder and sub prime fallout, leads many of the banks nearby
to lay people off.
While some regulars, under pressure at work, have not been able to
attend as regularly and others have been made redundant and no
longer come to the area, numbers are still up, with 80 people or
more at the lunchtime meetings.
"The flip side is the uncertainty has meant we've seen people we
otherwise wouldn't have seen who have come along because they are
asking the big questions about life," Nodder said.
Starting life as a Dutch freight barge, St Peter's was purchased
and re-fitted in the Netherlands at a cost of 350,000 pounds and
sailed to its new home in 2003.
It had previously transported cargo between ports throughout
Europe, although little else is known about its history.
It now takes pride of place among the other boats in West India
Quay, next to a floating restaurant and a small boat that is an
exhibit for a nearby museum.
More space
The barge was the idea of a handful of Christians working in Canary
Wharf, who met at different venues for years to take part in bible
readings.
As more businesses moved into the area and their number grew, there
was a need to find a larger place to worship.
Three full-time staff now help maintain St Peter's, which has an
annual budget of 180,000 pounds, paid for by donations.
Floating churches are extremely rare.
In Wales, a ship permanently moored in Cardiff Bay is used as a
Christian centre, while Scotland, Cambodia, Germany and Belgium all
have water-based churches or had them in the past.
"There needs to be a spiritual reality there - especially in the
current, very tough times," said Jeremy Marshall, chief executive
officer of UK private banking at Credit Suisse and one of the
people who helped set up the church.
"Many people, who spend their whole life just focusing on just
making money, begin to question what is the meaning of life, why am
I doing that."
Robert Frazer, a consultant relationship manager at financial
services company Northern Trust has been a regular at the barge for
more than a year.
"I know one or two members of the congregation who are going
through difficult times or redundancies themselves, so it's a great
support for them," Frazer said.
For Barbara McCleery, talent relationship manager at HSBC and
regular at the church's lunchtime services said the main advantage
of St Peter's was its location.
"From a biblical perspective, you realise there is a higher
authority despite the (economic) uncertainty of today."
Marshall, of Credit Suisse, said the short, lunchtime services are
designed to be trader-friendly, accommodating people who are under
pressure and sometimes worried about their jobs.
"I've been in the (financial) industry for more than 20 years and
the pressure on employees has increased probably every year," he
said. "You can't have two-hour long services."
"There are a lot of Christians in the Wharf - more than you'd think
in what many see as a temple of mammon," Marshall said.
"We are all trying in a way to gain the whole world, that's the nature of banking and finance, but as the Bible says don't forget your soul at the same time."
