east
barnet parish church
st mary the virgin
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st mary the virgin
home · about us · people · services · groups · school · churchyard · history · mary · contacts · deanery · diocese · links
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People First!
The Church is made up of people, not buildings - however beautiful, historic and inspiring they may be.
There isn't enough space (even on the web!) to list everyone, but you can find out a little about some of the individuals who make up the leadership teams at St Mary's and help keep things running smoothly (ish)!
► The Parochial Church Council
► The 'Vision for Action' Team
Some of St Mary's folk on the holiday weekend to Great Yarmouth: October 2004
► Rector ► Associate Minister ► Readers ► Director of Music ► Administrator ► Churchwardens
Rector of St Mary's, East Barnet and Area Dean of Barnet and Associate Minister at Barnet Brookside Methodist Church
Richard has been Rector of East Barnet since June 2003, authorised to serve as a Methodist minister in January 2005 and commissioned as Area Dean of Barnet in February 2005.
A native of the London Borough of Barking, he is married to Linda and they have three children - Daniel, Rosie and Luke. After leaving school Richard studied theology and sociology at Avery Hill College in Eltham, South London and then worked for two years in the publicity department of The Queen's Theatre, in Hornchurch, Essex.
His next post was Manager of an ecumenical youth project in the London Borough of Redbridge, before training for ordination at Trinity College, Bristol, after which he served his title as Assistant Curate at the Church of the Transfiguration in Kempston, Bedfordshire. From 1997-2003 he was Team Vicar of St Augustine of Canterbury in the Dunstable Team Ministry, and co-ordinated the St Albans Diocesan HIV Network. He has been involved with the work of the Diocesan Youth Service and the Diocesan Board for Christian Development, and is currently a member of the Diocesan Communications Advisory Group and DiocesanSynod.
Richard is a Tertiary in the Society of St Francis, a member of the Society of Catholic Priests, and is also a Director of the St Peter's Bourne Christian Spirituality and Education Centre in Whetstone, N20. He is currently reading (at length!) for an MA in Spirituality at Heythrop College, University of London.
In addition to an ongoing interest in theatre (with ENO being favourites at the moment!), he has an almost pathological love of books, and on his day off can usually be found in the bookstores and coffee shops of London, Cambridge or St Albans — which he finds to be an effective way of avoiding hoovering and emptying the dishwasher.
The rectory of East Barnet is a Crown appointment, which means that since the Reformation the Rector has been appointed by the reigning monarch.
► The Rectors of East Barnet ► Letters Patent from Her Majesty the Queen ► The Society of St Francis (SSF)
Minister of Barnet Brookside Methodist Church Superintendent Minister - Barnet & Queensbury Circuit and Associate Minister at St Mary's
Colin has been the Methodist minister in East Barnet since September 2001. Following recent reorganisation he also serves as superintendent of all the Methodist churches in the borough of Barnet as well as one in Brent. Since January 2005 he has had permission to officiate at St Mary’s. He is the vice-chair of the governors of St Mary’s school.
He was born in Buckinghamshire and brought up in Wales. Through his mother he is half Irish. He studied law at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and later qualified as a barrister at Gray’s Inn. He worked for a number of years as the manager of the Citizens’ Advice Bureau in Thamesmead, south-east London.
Colin trained for the ministry at Wesley College, Bristol (unknowingly leaving that city just as Richard was arriving) and served as a minister in Brighton and Hove from 1991 – 1996. He was superintendent of the Richmond & Hounslow circuit from 1996 – 2001, serving also as minister in Putney and Twickenham. He was deputy district chair of the London North West district of the Methodist Church from 2003 to 2006. Colin completed his MA in Christian Spirituality at Sarum College and received his certificate in Salisbury Cathedral in July 2006. He is the British Secretary of the Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies, an international gathering held under the auspices of the World Methodist Council.
Colin has even more books than Richard but collects some rather odd things. He has some of John Wesley’s hair, a bit of a tree chopped down by Gladstone and a walking stick that may have once belonged to Sir Walter Scott. He is a long standing member of the Trollope Society, and a life-long fan of Coronation Street.
►The Methodist Church of Great Britain ► Anglican-Methodist Covenant ► Barnet & Queensbury Methodist Circuit
► The Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies
Parish Reader
Martin is a North Londoner and has lived around Southgate, Barnet and Potters Bar most of his life, except whilst at school at Berkhamstead. He began working as a Chemistry Technician at the Northern Polytechnic, abandoned a Chemistry degree and changed to Electronics Servicing. Nearly 40 years later he took early retirement, having reached the giddy heights of Chief Technician, Servicing, Testing & Maintenance of the Science Faculty, in what had now become the University of North London. It was at the Poly where Martin met Kathy, then a Chemistry lecturer, but now retired from teaching, and they have been married for ‘some time’, with two sons, Chris and Pete, who spend most of their time living and working away from home.
Early retirement only lasted two months, before a phone call sent him off to Barnet to help a small company called Hazard Evaluation Laboratories, who were short of electronics technicians - in spite of Martin’s best efforts, the company is still going. Rumours that it was the presence of a C of E Reader that caused the company name to be shortened to HEL Ltd, are totally unfounded. Martin has now retired again, and is trying to ensure that this time it lasts.
Martin was licensed as a Reader in March 1997. Since then he has done many of the varied jobs that Readers do in the church nowadays, particularly Baptism and Marriage preparation, funerals and standing in for the Rector whilst he is hiding in bookstores in London, Cambridge and St. Albans (see above) or has double-booked himself. Martin has also led several Parish Retreats and enjoys reading the Psalms and Terry Pratchett!
Martin used to spend a lot of time, and money, on motor rallies, hill walking and rock climbing, but age and common sense have prevailed, so nowadays it’s the allotment and watching wetland birds. He has always enjoyed early music – plainsong and Elizabethan - and also the working folk music of these islands. He also has a love for the Celtic Church, which probably comes from his Celtic grandparents and is starting to research the life and times of his Grandfather, a Primitive Methodist minister.
►Reader Ministry in the Church of England Reader in Training
Dave (or David when he was in trouble with his mum) is a trainee Reader at St Mary’s currently struggling his way through the Reader Training Scheme which will take him approximately three and a half years to complete. Dave has just completed year one and says that “it is really hard work balancing his studies with all his other priorities and commitments but he is thoroughly enjoying the experience and feels that he is learning so much”. Dave is one of the youth leaders at St Mary’s and helps with the youth group that meets every Sunday during the 10am service.
Dave is married to Helen and has two children, Christina and George. He likes gardening which you would never guess if you saw the state of his garden but “liking” and “being good at” don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Dave is a Training Consultant and spends his working life designing and developing training solutions for Managers in business. He is a huge “Beach Boys fan” who according to Dave “are the greatest pop group ever”. Dave likes all kinds of music from Country to Motown and has also been known to hum a tune from the current “hit parade” as well. Dave is an avid reader which is just as well with all the study he has to do, he loves the cinema especially the films of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s and is a season ticket holder at Arsenal.
►Reader Ministry in the Church of England
Director of Music
Andrew is another native of Barking, and has been Director of Music at St Mary's since June 2004. He was, for many years Assistant Organist at St Margaret's Church, Barking and is a former member of the special choir of Westminster Abbey.
In addition to his work in East Barnet, Andrew directs a small choral group called Sine Nomine, who also contribute to the musical life of St Mary's from time to time.
Parish Administrator
Pat has worked as our Parish Administrator for over ten years.
Peter Weller
& Hilary Middleton Churchwardens
Peter was born in Worcester during the Battle of Britain, as the faithful few fought bravely overhead to guard the nation's life. He was educated in (but not at) Harrow, and then gifted a red brick degree in Physics. He is still married to just the one wife after 41 years and they have 3 "grown-up" children. He was employed for 35 years as an examiner in the Patent Office near Chancery Lane and was enjoying a quiet and well earned retirement, playing gentle badminton and squash until he was elevated to the office of Churchwarden in 2004. Peter once assisted the Astronomer Royal in measurements of binary star systems at the Royal Observatory, but was not invited again, though.....
Hilary became Churchwarden in 2006. She was born 5 minutes walk from Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, (although not in the bull-rushes of the River Avon) and graduated 22 years later with a teaching degree from the University of Kent. She have been married for
19 years, and
of bringing up a daughter of her own, now a lively 5 year old. In the past, Hilary has enjoyed the sophistication of the south of France, the sunshine of Tenerife, the laid back lifestyle of San Francisco and was once injured by hail stones on the top of the Empire State Building. She now views zebra crossings with caution, as it was a chance meeting by one with our Rector that resulted in the need to write this CV....
The Parochial Church Council (2005-2006) Peter Aley John Duncan Jill Elliott Denise Habben (Lay Co-Chair) Pat Hills (Parish Administrator - ex officio) Martin Horton (Reader - ex officio) David Howard Chris Mears Roy Mears Roger Melling (Deanery Synod) Hilary Middleton (Church Warden) Dick Selby (Treasurer) Jon Simpson (Deanery Synod) Jamie Topham Peter Weller (Church Warden) |
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after
15 years teaching the children of others, retired to enjoy
the many challenges