Archbishop Stephen Cottrell of the Church of England recently visited New York City to celebrate a hundred years of friendship between old York and New York. On Wednesday, May 8th, he came by Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church and the Ecumenical Outreach Partnership (EOP). EOP is a collaborative ministry between Fifth Avenue, St. Thomas Church, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral to serve the homeless and other vulnerable New Yorkers.

We were honored and delighted to meet and host Archbishop Stephen, his wife Rebecca, and his team. They toured our church, met with our Senior Pastor, the Rev. Dr. Scott Black Johnston, and helped serve vulnerable New Yorkers as part of A Place at the Table, EOP’s twice-weekly lunch service for those enduring hard times.

“Archbishop Stephen’s visit was a living example of what Christians can do through collaborative ministry and service,” says Christine Boyle, Director of Outreach at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. “He spent real time on the street here and saw the vital work being done every day to help homeless and vulnerable New Yorkers. His attention to individual people and care for them were evident. York is fortunate to have him as a bishop and we are blessed to have him as a friend.” 

You can watch the short video above to see and hear the archbishop’s reflections on his visit to New York, including his day with Fifth Avenue and EOP. We are grateful for his visit and look forward to welcoming him back at any time!