About Hope and anchor

About us

Hope and Anchor Community Church started as a handful of passionate people, a word from God & a passion to see the citizens of the city of London and Camden Town moving in a loving relationship with Jesus and achieving their full potential in life.

In June 2015 we started meeting in the basement of a coffee shop. When we realised that we were filling the whole basement and that we almost could not tell the difference between the people that came for the meeting and the other customers, we knew that it was time to move. We began renting a building called The Upper Room, and for a while, we were overwhelmed by the space and by the ability to have our own worship. In 2017, we had to re-design our set-up to be able to accommodate the new members in the church from both our community and from different parts of the city. While the interior of the buildings where we have met continually changes, our heart has not. We still want to be observed as a place where the people of Camden, no matter who they are, feel welcomed.

Our church is not only for us to worship God, but for others in the community that are far from experiencing His love to have a place where they can belong. Today, it is with great joy that we see God expanding the horizons once again as we move to a bigger venue. The services are being held at the ODEON Cinema in Camden Town from 10:30am.

Meet our leadership team

Christian & Johanna

Although they are the head pastors and founding family, the Vargases are more likely to be known for the God-given heart and passion to see Camden and the city of London transformed through knowing Christ. They are often found in the streets talking with anyone and everyone, and are driven by a servant's heart of love and hospitality that seeks to equip and encourage.

Courtney

Courtney Mills is part of both our welcome and media teams. She will always make sure that you’re up to date on the latest happenings, initiatives and activities going on in the church life, and she encourages everyone that comes to bring something new and fresh to the table.

Kelcey & Joel

The Louridos head our setup team and our Sunday school programme. They love bringing people together and creating the inclusive atmosphere of a family setting as they both hold an amazing heart for our community. Together, they have a heart for discipleship and love encouraging and walking through life with people.

Eric & Ina

Eric and Ina Johnson are part of our set up and welcome teams. On any given Sunday, you’re likely to find Eric serving with the tech and sound team during each service, and Ina making you feel at home with a hot tea or coffee. Together they have a heart for people and bring an atmosphere of community wherever they are.

Elin & Federico

The Cancelos also known as our worship leaders and are responsible for all aspects of the worship team. Their heart is to see people meeting with God in deeper levels of intimacy and vulnerability. They have a heart for ministering to the people of the local church, Camden and the overall city of London.

Jorien

Jorien de Vries is heavily involved in our community work. She has a big heart for being connected with the local community, as well as for mercy ministries. Jorien is often found outside on the streets serving people in need and connecting with people who don’t always feel like they have a place in the church.

Seba & Pao

Seba and Pao have a heart for worship and seeing the church come together in an intentional way to see the city transformed. On any given Sunday, you’ll likely find Seba drumming on the worship team, while Pao organises our weekly connect groups. Together they bring a family feeling wherever they are.