A vicar in south west London is embarking on a 12-hour "preachathon" from dawn until dusk, in aid of a soup kitchen and church bell repairs.
Rev Robert Stanier is preaching from Genesis to the Gospels at St Mary Magdalene Church Richmond, on Tuesday. A number of special guests will help with discussions between segments, including journalist Sophie Raworth, BBC broadcaster Rev Canon Dr Giles Fraser and the Gruffalo books illustrator Axel Scheffler.
He has also been trained by former Olympian Professor Greg Whyte, who is the trainer behind multiple high-profile celebrity challenges for Comic Relief.
Rev Stanier told Premier Christian News that he wanted to show how the Bible relates to today. He was inspired by the motivation from the church’s congregation since he joined five months ago, and the words of 2 Timothy: “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season” (4:2).
The preach begins in Genesis, aiming to explain some “classic” passages along with those he believes are “less well known” including the Tower of Babel; moving through the Old Testament to Jesus in the Gospels, miracles and the people he met in the afternoon.
“We’ll be talking about the nature of the church at about 4pm, and then finishing off with a grand – well, it’s not going to be grand, I’m just going to collapse in a heap at 6:59pm when we hit dusk,” he said.
Along the way, Rev Stanier said he is looking forward to conversations about creativity and ideas with Scheffler, the relationship between church bells and community with Raworth, and being “challenged” by former BBC executive Greg Dyke on the place of faith in society.
Funds raised through a crowdfunder are being split between the Richmond Soup Kitchen and the restoration of bells at St Mary Magdalene, of which a significant sum has already been raised.
On the bells, the vicar said: “Once they get restored, when the bells ring, you’ll have one bell which rang for the accession of James II, and you’ll have one bell which was cast in 2026. So it’ll be the extraordinary old and new happening together.”
The soup kitchen is hosted by St John the Divine, also part of Richmond Team Ministry, which Rev Stanier hopes will help those who are homeless or in need with a nutritious hot meal during the winter.