IMPORTANT NOTICE – We regret that we cannot accept any further applications for funding in 2024. For an application to be considered, please complete the Eligibility Checker for the relevant charity in November, for the meeting of trustees which takes place in early February. The closing date for the February meeting is 11 January 2025.
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the website of The Fellowship of St John ( ) Trust Association. We are a Christian Charity that works in education and mission. We administer the charities historically associated with the Anglican Religious Community of the Society of St John the Evangelist – often known as the Cowley Fathers. The charities continue to honour the monks’ work of missionary priesthood in a large variety of ways. By clicking on the icons above you will learn more of our different areas of interest and grant making. For a more detailed introduction please click here.
CHARITIES
Welcome to the website of the Fellowship of St John Trust (UK) Association –
an Anglican charity ‘Serving God… Serving Others… Transforming Lives’
The Trust administers a group of charities associated with the Anglican Religious Order of The Society of St John the Evangelist (SSJE). Community life for the monks ended in May 2012 and the Trust provides for the remaining monks who now live as Religious Solitaries.
The majority of the focus of the Trust is as a grant making body in works missionary and educational for the building of the Kingdom of Christ. We take as our guide and inspiration the many generations of service of the monks of SSJE, who worked throughout the UK and in Africa, India, the Americas and Japan. Our Fellowship Ministries in particular continue to deliver and develop the spirit of service as exemplified by the monks – supporting the Church in our time to respond to the call of mission by incarnational and local initiatives.
The monks of SSJE were a community of priests and lay brothers who greatly encouraged the ministry of those beyond the monastery walls, including the vocations of lay people. The Trust recalls this inheritance through The Bernard Mizeki Grants which funds ministry given by the laity. Bernard Mizeki was a lay catechist of SSJE who worked in southern Africa. His work was courageous even unto death – he died a martyr in 1896.
The Father Benson Scholarship is named after the founder and first Superior General of SSJE. The scholarship is available to seminarians at St Stephen’s House, Oxford who are engaging in higher theological study.
The Holy Childhood Trust was founded by the Religious Sisterhood of the Holy Childhood and funds Church ministry and education with children aged 4 – 11.
St George’s Trust supports clergy, seminarians and students (18 -25) with modest study grants.
More details and application forms can be found on the pages associated with each area of our charitable activity – you will also find news of the Trust’s work and information about the Society and Fellowship of St. John the Evangelist.
The Trustees meet quarterly and applications are considered at the following meeting. Please appreciate that there can be greater calls upon our resources than we are able to give to. We seek to balance our giving regionally in the UK and abroad and prioritise those projects that continue the mission of the Church within the ethos of the Society and Fellowship of St John.
Mission statement:
“The Fellowship of St John (UK) Trust Association is an Anglican charity whose mission is
building the Kingdom of Christ by ministry to the needs of God’s people”
Mission Objectives:
The Fellowship of St John is an Anglican charity whose objectives are to:
- Have gospel values at its heart and exists to promote them
- Develop Christian mission in the UK and abroad
- Promote Christian education
- Equip and enable others to develop their own and others’ discipleship
- Encourage Fellowship ministries
- Promote the monastic life as a particular expression of Christian mission.
THE FELLOWSHIP OF ST JOHN
While living in community the monks of The Society of St John the Evangelist (SSJE) were an Order of missionary priests and brothers. In 1920 they formed a circle of associates called the Fellowship of St John (FSJ) who live with a rule of life, support the monks’ and engage in various forms of Christian ministry.
The prayer of the Church, spiritual counsel, pastoral care and teaching are all at the heart of our incarnational and sacramental mission. The monks set up monasteries called Mission Houses across the UK and in Africa, India, the Americas and Japan– they also established parishes, schools, hostels and in South Africa even founded a whole new diocese. The Fellowship Ministries support the continuing need for incarnational mission – as our charity objects put it, for the building of the Kingdom of Christ.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP OF ST JOHN AND HOW TO APPLY FOR FUNDING…
THE FR BENSON SCHOLARSHIP
The scholarship is awarded at St Stephen’s House, University of Oxford and is named after Fr Richard Meux Benson SSJE (1824-1915), founder and first Superior General of The Society of St John the Evangelist. The Fr Benson Scholar is nominated annually by the Principal of St Stephen’s House and will be a seminarian of the college who is preparing for ordained ministry in the Church of England. The value of the scholarship covers university fees and enables higher academic study. St Stephen’s House was founded in 1876 and is an Anglican seminary of the catholic tradition. Over the years many priests who had been formed in the college later became monks of SSJE.
THE ST GEORGE’S TRUST
The Trust gives grants to Anglican clergy, seminarians and students. The awards are currently worth up to £350. Each year the Trustees set a budget for the total amount that can be awarded and distribution is made until the limit is reached. We therefore encourage application early in the calendar year.
Clergy The grants for stipendiary clergy are for those taking sabbaticals. For self-supporting clergy (for whom official sabbaticals are rarely given) grants are available for recognised study. The grant will customarily contribute towards travel and accommodation costs involved in study. A brief letter of confirmation from a cleric’s bishop, archdeacon or continuing education office is required to support the application.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ST GEORGE’S TRUST AND HOW TO APPLY FOR FUNDING…
THE HOLY CHILDHOOD
The charity makes grants for Christian ministry/education in schools or churches with children aged 4-11. The Society of St John the Evangelist helped found and guide other Religious communities – among them The Sisterhood of the Holy Childhood. The Sisterhood was established in 1895 in a convent next to the SSJE Mission House in Cowley. It was a community for female qualified teachers who worked in many local elementary schools.
Applications are considered by the Trustees quarterly at the next available meeting. Please appreciate that the Trust may receive more applications than it is able to respond to with grants.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SISTERHOOD OF THE HOLY CHILDHOOD AND HOW TO APPLY FOR FUNDING…
BERNARD MIZEKI GRANTS
These grants are available for lay ministries and the training and development of lay ministry. The grants bear the name of Bernard Mikeki (c.1861-1896). He was born Mamiyeli Mitseki Gwambe in Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique) and around the age of 12 he moved to Cape Town. He was educated by the monks of the Society of St John the Evangelist at their night school. He excelled as a student, particularly as a linguist. He mastered English, French, high Dutch and eight African languages – later in his life his work as a translator of sacred texts was pioneering and invaluable. He was baptised in 1886 and took the name Bernard. He then went to work at St Columba’s Hostel in Cape Town – a shelter run by SSJE to house African men particularly to protect them against alcoholism.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BERNARD MIZEKI GRANTS AND HOW TO APPLY FOR FUNDING…
FSJ / SSJE
The Fellowship of St John
The Fellowship of St John (FSJ) was formed in 1920 by the monks of The Society of St John the Evangelist. Those in FSJ live by a Rule of Life – particularly one of prayer and support of Christian mission. An aspirant will spend at least a year preparing before he or she is admitted to the Fellowship by the Warden, who by custom is the Superior of SSJE. Perhaps confusingly when the charitable company of SSJE was formed in 1980 it was given a similar name – this does however denote the close relationship between the Fellowship of people and the work of the charity. Information about the Fellowship of St John may be obtained by writing to Mr Jeffrey Eaves FSJ at the charity’s office.
The Society of St John the Evangelist
The Society was founded in 1866 and is the oldest monastic community for monks in the Anglican Communion. In 2012 the last monastery of SSJE in England, St Edward’s House, Westminster, closed,
Please note that the monks are not involved in the work or governance of the charities and all grant applications and enquiries should be sent to FSJ(UK)TA.
TRUSTEES WHO'S WHO
The Trustees are elected annually by the charitable company’s members. The charitable company is comprised of members of SSJE, FSJ and those who are in agreement with the aims of the company and who are co-opted. The Trustees meet quarterly to transact business and consider applications. The charity has the services of an administrator and accountant.
FR CHARLES CARD-REYNOLDS FSJ. CHAIRMAN AND DIRECTOR
Fr Charles was ordained in 1998 and has served in parish ministry in Reading and London, currently as vicar of St Bartholomew on Stamford Hill. While an undergraduate he became a regular visitor to the monks of the Society of St John the Evangelist at their priory in Oxford and was admitted to the Fellowship of St John in 2001. He joined the charitable company in 2006 and in 2008 became a trustee. Fr Charles represents SSJE on the governing council of St Stephen’s House, Oxford. He is a canon of the Diocese of Cape Town and Commissary of the Diocese of the Windward Islands – both places where the FSJ serve.
FR ANDREW MALCOLM FSJ, TRUSTEE AND DIRECTOR
Fr Andrew has been connected to The Fellowship of St. John since 2003 and has been a Parish Priest in the Diocese of Blackburn in Lancashire. Before ordination he was an operational Police Officer and has also worked in Management and Leadership Development. His interests lie in the strategic development of organisations and in workplace ministry. As a Trustee, he plays a key part in developing the Trust’s vision and mission. He is the link person between FSJE (UK) and SSJE in America and is exploring the global work of the Brothers based in Boston alongside that of FSJE.
FR STEPHEN ANDERSON FSJ, TRUSTEE AND DIRECTOR
Fr Stephen is Priest in Charge of St Botolph’s Cambridge and Chair of the FSJ Finance Committee, which oversees all financial matters, including the regular oversight of the performance of the Trust’s investment advisors.
He is the Superior of the Cambridge Ward of the Society of Mary, a Priest Associate of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham and Chair of the Ely Diocese branch of the Prayer Book Society.
Previously he had a long secular career in finance and charities administration.
CANON JOHN CHAMBERS FSJ, TRUSTEE AND DIRECTOR
Fr John was a Parish Priest and Area Dean in Richmond in the Diocese of Leeds. Prior to ordination he worked as Sales Director of a multi million pounds international textile group, spending much of his time in the Far East. Since retirement from full time ministry he is now Area Dean in the diocese of Southwell and Nottingham, in addition to local ministry work. Fr John has particular oversight of the St. George’s Trust.
FATHER GRANT NAYLOR SSC, TRUSTEE AND DIRECTOR
Fr Naylor is the Vicar of St Matthew’s Church, Carver Street in the Diocese of Sheffield. He combines his role as a parish priest with also being 0.5 Missioner in the Diocese. A native of Liverpool, Fr Naylor trained for the priesthood at St Stephen’s House, Oxford before serving his curacy in St Helen Auckland, County Durham. Fr Naylor is also a trustee of the Additional Curates Society, The Church Union, and St Matthew’s House Ltd.
BARONESS HARRIS OF RICHMOND DL, TRUSTEE AND DIRECTOR
Lady Harris joined the Trust in 2014. She has much involvement in the charity sector and the life of the Church. Lady Harris is a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords, former President of the National Association of Chaplains to the Police and is High Steward of Ripon Cathedral. In 1996 she was appointed to the Court of the University of York.
DAVID BALLANCE, TRUSTEE AND DIRECTOR
David Ballance recently retired from a career in investment management spanning nearly thirty-eight years, most recently as a Partner at Ruffer LLP. Prior to that he held senior roles at Rothschilds and Threadneedle, having originally graduated from Christ Church Oxford with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He originally joined the FSJ Finance Committee as its External Investment Adviser in 2018 before being elected a Trustee in 2021. He has worshipped at St Alban’s Holborn for twenty-five years where he is Treasurer and a member of the PCC.
HOWARD RILEY, TRUSTEE AND DIRECTOR
Howard has been connected to the Fellowship of St John since 2001 and is currently Churchwarden, Parish Safeguarding Officer and a Beaver Leader for St Mary Magdalene Parish Church, Clitheroe in Lancashire. Howard served in the Merchant Navy as a young man before joining the Police Service, serving for 38 years working in the field of Armed Policing and Counter Terrorism. He currently manages a small property business but is now largely retired. Howard’s interests lie in the development of mission where it is most needed and the related enrichment of faith via our Catholic heritage.
PAULA SPENCER
Paula Spencer is a Counselling Psychologist and Counsellor working with adolescents in a Church of England secondary school in North London. Paula has over 20 years’ experience of dealing with adolescent mental health and well being. She is a member of St. Bartholomew on Stamford Hill.
CONTACT US
Mrs Linden Sheffield
Administration Support
Email: admin@fsje.org.uk
Direct Phone: 01494 928348 or 07739012459
Fellowship of Saint John (UK) Trust Association
Registered Office:
65/68 Leadenhall Street
London, EC3A 2AD
