Editing St Martin-in-the-Fields (section)

===Recent times===
[[File:Michael Elwyn on St Martin in the Field.ogg|thumb|Audio description of the church by [[Michael Elwyn]]]]
[[File:2005-06-19 - United Kingdom - England - London - Cafe in the Crypt.jpg|thumb|right|The ceiling of the café in the [[crypt]]]]
Because of its prominent position, St Martin-in-the-Fields is one of the most famous churches in London. [[Hugh Richard Lawrie Sheppard|Dick Sheppard]], [[Vicar]] from 1914 to 1927 who began programmes for the area's homeless, coined its ethos as the "Church of the Ever Open Door". The church is famous for its work with young and homeless people through [[The Connection at St Martin-in-the-Fields]],<ref name=conn>{{cite web| url=http://www.connection-at-stmartins.org.uk/| title=History| publisher=The Connection at St-Martin-in-the-fields| access-date=15 January 2014}}</ref> created in 2003 through the merger of two programmes dating at least to 1948. The Connection shares with The Vicar's Relief Fund the money raised each year by the [[BBC]] [[Radio 4 Appeal]]'s Christmas appeal.<ref name=stmhistory>{{cite web| url=http://www2.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/page/care/appeal.html| title=History| publisher=St Martin-in-the-Fields| access-date=15 January 2014| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016020637/http://www2.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/page/care/appeal.html| archive-date=16 October 2012| df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The crypt houses a café which hosts [[jazz]] concerts whose profits support the programmes of the church. The crypt is also home to the London Brass Rubbing Centre, established in 1975 as an art gallery, book, and gift shop. A life-sized marble statue of [[Henry Croft (pearly)|Henry Croft]], London's first [[Pearly Kings and Queens|pearly king]], was moved to the crypt in 2002 from its original site at [[St Pancras and Islington Cemetery|St Pancras Cemetery]].

In January 2006, work began on a £36-million renewal project. The project included renewing the church itself, as well as provision of facilities encompassing the church's crypt, a row of buildings to the north and some significant new underground spaces in between. The funding included a grant of £15.35 million from the [[Heritage Lottery Fund]]. The church and crypt reopened in the summer of 2008.<ref name=give>{{cite book| title=At the heart: The Renewal of St. Martin-in-the-fields| url=http://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/page/campaign/downloads/brochure.pdf| publisher=St Martin-in-the-Fields| year=2006| access-date=15 January 2014| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507130849/http://www2.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/page/campaign/downloads/brochure.pdf| archive-date=7 May 2012| df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Its present vicar is [[Sam Wells (priest)|Sam Wells]] (since 2012), who as well as being a priest is a renowned theologian and writer.

Twelve historic bells from St Martin-in-the-Fields, cast in 1725, are included in the peal of the [[Swan Bells]] tower in [[Perth]], Australia. The current set of twelve bells, cast in 1988, which replaced the old ones are rung every Sunday between 9{{nbsp}}am and 10{{nbsp}}am by the St Martin in the Fields Band of Bell Ringers.<ref name=bells>{{cite web| title=St Martin in the Fields Band of Bell Ringers Website| url=http://www.smitf-bells.co.uk/about/| publisher=St Martin in the Fields Band Of Bell Ringers| access-date=10 February 2015| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212164335/http://www.smitf-bells.co.uk/about/| archive-date=12 February 2015| df=dmy-all}}</ref> The bells are also rung by the Friends of Dorothy Society each year as part of [[Pride in London|London Pride]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boyz|date=2018-12-20|title=Putting the camp into Campanology: Bellringing with the Friends of Dorothy Society|url=https://boyz.co.uk/2018/12/putting-the-camp-into-campanology-bellringing-with-the-friends-of-dorothy-society/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526204246/https://boyz.co.uk/2018/12/putting-the-camp-into-campanology-bellringing-with-the-friends-of-dorothy-society/ |archive-date=26 May 2021 |access-date=24 January 2025 |publisher=Boyz|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Friends of Dorothy Society - LGBT Archive|url=https://lgbthistoryuk.org/wiki/Friends_of_Dorothy_Society|access-date=2021-09-10|website=lgbthistoryuk.org}}</ref>