Editing St Sepulchre-without-Newgate (section)

=== Recent history ===
The church was known as the National Musicians' Church for 70 years, until August 2017 when hiring of the facilities for non-religious events was banned, against assurances which had been given when HTB took over in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davies |first=Madeleine |date=2017-08-24 |title=Music luminaries protest at St Sepulchre's plans |url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2017/25-august/news/uk/music-luminaries-protest-at-st-sepulchre-s-plans-to-end-concerts |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250321173426/https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2017/25-august/news/uk/music-luminaries-protest-at-st-sepulchre-s-plans-to-end-concerts |archive-date=2025-03-21 |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=[[Church Times]]}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Fifty figures from the musical world, including [[Aled Jones]], [[Julian Lloyd Webber]], [[John Rutter]], [[James MacMillan]] and [[Judith Weir]], signed an open letter urging reversal of the ban and preservation of the church's "unique national cultural remit".<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Sherwood |first=Harriet |last2= |first2= |date=2017-08-23 |title=UK's leading musicians fight church's ban on secular bookings |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/23/uks-leading-musicians-fight-church-ban-on-secular-bookings-aled-jones-judith-weir |access-date=2025-03-12 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> 7,800 people signed a petition asking for the decision to be reversed. Acting Bishop of London [[Pete Broadbent]] tried to convince the church to reverse its ban. Andrew Earis, director of music at [[St Martin-in-the-Fields]] and former director of music at St Sepulchre, regretted that the church had not changed its decision, which he said was "doing irreparable harm to the church as a whole".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sherwood |first=Harriet |last2= |first2= |date=2017-09-28 |title=London church rebuffs bishop's efforts to get it to remain concert venue |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/sep/28/london-church-st-sepulchre-without-newgate-rebuffs-remain-concert-venue |access-date=2025-03-12 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

In 2017, the vicar ceased parish funds financing the requiem and allowing of most free rehearsing time. A protest was held and many prominent musicians including [[John Rutter]] sought continued benevolence from the wider congregation and church patron. Attempts to mediate failed.{{Clarify|date=March 2025}}

Nick Mottershead became Priest-in-Charge of Holy Sepulchre in 2021.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Davies |first=Madeleine |date=2024-01-12 |title=HTB's allies alarmed by bid to resist same-sex blessings |url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/12-january/news/uk/htb-s-allies-alarmed-by-bid-to-resist-same-sex-blessings |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240112185525/https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/12-january/news/uk/htb-s-allies-alarmed-by-bid-to-resist-same-sex-blessings |archive-date=2024-01-12 |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=[[Church Times]]}}</ref>

In 2024, Mottershead clarified that the church is not a member of the [[HTB network]]. He described work to "rebuild a reputation around being the Musicians’ Church and to redefine and communicate that this is a place that is welcoming to all. Faith or no faith, meeting people where they are — all that language is super-important to me." He welcomed the introduction of same-sex blessings and expressed support for same-sex marriage in the future.<ref name=":02" />