WELCOME
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 ages 4 – 11.
The 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.
ST GEORGE’S TRUST
The Trust gives grants to Anglican clergy, seminarians and students based in the United Kingdom. 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 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….
CONTACT US
Mrs Linden Sheffield
Administration Support
Email: admin@morphicsolutions.com
Direct Phone: 01494 928348 or 07739012459
Fellowship of Saint John (UK) Trust Association
Registered Office:
65/68 Leadenhall Street
London, EC3A 2AD