In The Press

I thought it could be useful to add some links to press and publications about my work, particularly the pieces about Sunday Assembly, which is so relevant to being a celebrant.

Sunday Assembly, is the movement of secular congregations I co-founded with my friend Pippa. The two of us both felt the desire for something like church, but without the God-part (though people who believed in God, the Goddess, or anything else were always welcome).

My hope is these provide a greater understanding for what I will bring to your service, or ceremony.

Radio 4 Documentary on Sunday Assembly

In this 2016 Radio 4 documentary, the wonderful psychotherapist, philosopher and ex-vicar Mark Vernon investigated the rise of Sunday Assembly.

A Profile in VICE

In 2013 Sunday Assembly launched and lots of things started to happen very quickly. We ended up going on a tour of the US to help people start communities across the country.

The journalist Harry Cheaver of VICE Magazine wanted to do a profile of us (which I thought was the coolest thing at the time). What I like about the piece is that Harry sees how my love of connecting with people runs through my career.

"Sanderson has a résumé that makes him uniquely qualified to be an evangelist. Before his comedy career allowed him to quit his day job, he sold advertising at the Economist, and before the Sunday Assembly his most well-known venture was a live performance called the “Comedy Sale”. For the production, Sanderson would hawk tickets to the show on the street, quickly memorise the names of ticket buyers, research them online and poke fun at them onstage. Most comedians go through a phase of their careers where they have to hand out flyers to get people in the doors before they can perform their acts – but, according to Pippa, Sanderson may be the only comic who ever liked the flyering part."

The First Humanist Remembrance Sunday Service

One day the TV historian Dan Snow got in touch with Sunday Assembly suggesting we do a humanist Remembrance service, which we thought was a wonderful idea. Unbeknownst to us, it was the first ever non-religious commemoration. Simon Hattenstone was there on the day, and he did a wonderful job of capturing the service:

"The service is lovely. It closes with a rendition of the Cranberries’ 1990s hit Zombie (“It’s the same old theme since 1916./In your head, in your head they’re still fighting,/With their tanks and their bombs,/And their bombs and their guns./ In your head, in your head, they are dying … ).

And, as I watch a couple of hundred people swaying and singing this classic anti-war song at the top of their voices, I find myself welling up."

This piece is particular relevant in the context of being a celebrant, because Remembrance Sunday is such a sensitive subject. We still brought the same joy, pop classics and uplifting spirit to the occasion, while honouring the sacrifice of the fallen.

Further Reading

Below are further articles on the Sunday Assembly, which I add to show how inclusive and impactful secular services can be.