A visit to the Holy Trinity Clapham Church (HTC) on Sunday, April 6th, 2025, with the team was a fantastic experience for me. The mini tour by Pastor Jago Wynne kicked off the historical establishment of the HTC (opened for worship in 1776) and the achievements of the Clapham Sect (William Wilberforce, Henry Thornton, James Stephen, Zachary Macaulay, and others), such as the abolishing of the slave trade. The culminating point was attending the 5.30 pm Church Service with hundreds of youths in attendance.
My answer to the question, “do you think it’s still possible today for a single church to change a nation? If so, how can this happen?” is an absolute YES. A single church can change a nation by being distinctively Christian, i.e. being rooted in Scripture and prayer and equipping members to transform culture.
The modern-day Holy Trinity Church Clapham is a perfect example of how a single church can change the nation. The work and successes achieved by Pastor Jago Wynne, his wife Susannah Wynne and his team since he became the Rector of the Church is quite remarkable. God has significantly quadrupled their membership strength; their outreach through Church Services, talks, HTC workshops, and growing roots in Jesus and Pastoral care are great initiatives. Other avenues of connecting with members and local communities include programmes such as Alpha, Connect Groups, Courses, HTC Kids and Families, HTC Youth, Outreach, Sports and Social, Lunchtime Communion and HTC WorkSpheres.
The HTC’s vision is to see every life bearing fruit for Jesus, and they want to see this happen by trusting Jesus, transforming lives, and growing the church. The inspiring past and anticipated exciting future draws not only conventional Christians but also new converts. The Church continues to build on the legacy of the Clapham Sect, though its influence is more localised and reflective of the 21st. Century challenges. The Church actively commemorates its heritage through talks, plaques and ties to the Clapham Saints, inspiring modern activism. It supports anti-trafficking initiatives such as the Clewer Initiative. It runs local outreach activities like food banks, shelters for the homeless, and youth programs addressing poverty in the Clapham area. It also partners with groups like CAP (Christians Against Poverty), combating debts and inequality. The Church encourages professionals to live out the faith within their sector, akin to Clapham Sect’s cultural elites. It also supports destitute within the environment and contributes to refugee support and racial reconciliation.
HTC is also working in alliance with Holy Trinity Brompton and other churches to reshape UK spirituality through the Alpha initiative. It hosts concerts, exhibitions, and debates on faith and society, reviving the Clapham Sect’s use of culture for influence. HTC echoes the reliance on prayer by having regular prayer gatherings to intervene for the nation. The Church’s biggest expectation is to restore dignity and bring hope to the suffering, forgotten, and marginalised by reaching out to the most vulnerable in its community and answering God’s call to love.
In conclusion, the “Clapham Sect” worked in a Christian culture in the past. Unlike the 19th century, Holy Trinity Clapham operates in the post-Christian United Kingdom, where direct church influence on policy is weaker. However, its model of faithful presence, local impact, and strategic partnerships keep the Clapham legacy alive. Their power is not in political dominance but persistent, sacrificial presence, like yeast in dough (Matthew 13:33).
Holy Trinity Clapham may not single-handedly change the UK today, but it is a vital node in a broader network of gospel-driven transformation. Holy Trinity Clapham’s legacy isn’t confined to one church alone, it’s a blueprint for networked faithfulness. The UK’s following “great change” might come from a new generation of “Wilberforces” and a coalition of churches such as Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) – London, Kings Cross Church (KXC) – London, Gas Street Church – Birmingham, Emmanuel Church Brighton, Redeemer Church (Edinburgh) etc., each doing their part.
I support your arguments on what pastor Jago have done to transform the church by bringing in new ideas and programmes which are very engaging especially to the youth and adults which is very encouraging to other church’s.
This is a great post. I’m really happy to see how you’ve carried out additional research on the church, and integrated this with your own experience from the site visit.
Your comment around the changed political and spiritual context is really insightful. There certainly was a day in Britain when a handful of people from a single church could in fact shape national policy. That can’t quite in the same way today. But as you note, there are other ways to exert influence.