We are looking forward in each of our Archdeaconries to welcoming you all to the Visitation services around the Diocese in the coming weeks.
As we extend a particular welcome to those of you stepping into your responsibilities as warden for the first time, we also acknowledge the many of you who are continuing to serve in this role for consecutive terms.
We gather after our 100 days of prayer, which began on Ash Wednesday and in which Bishop Guli invited the whole diocesan family to join together in prayer as we look to discern how God may be calling us as his people here in Essex and East London.
At the Bishop’s study day in those first days of Lent, attended by over 250 clergy and lay ministers, we were reminded of the essential calling of God’s people to a ministry of prayer, word and sacrament. Whilst each of our churches may approach those elements of community life in different ways, it was helpful to be reminded, not least given the wide-ranging responsibilities of you as churchwardens, that this is our essential calling – that the hard work of maintaining buildings and grounds, organising rotas, overseeing safeguarding and all the while holding one another
together – has as its essential rationale the enabling of the people of God to gather, to worship, to hold our people and our communities in prayer, to break open God’s word in scripture to enable us to grow in faith and holiness, and to break bread and share wine together in the mystery of the eucharist as we invite one another to encounter afresh the Living God who loves us.
As Archdeacons, we know how much time, energy and love is poured out by each of you for the good of the Church, the Body of Christ, and we celebrate and give thanks for each one of you.
The Venerable Jonathan Croucher Archdeacon of Chelmsford
The Venerable Mike Power Archdeacon of West Ham
The Venerable Christopher Burke Archdeacon of Barking
The Venerable Sue Lucas Archdeacon of Southend
The Venerable Jonathan Croucher Archdeacon of Chelmsford
The Venerable Kate Peacock Archdeacon of Stansted
The Venerable Ruth Patten Archdeacon of Colchester
Safeguarding
As you can perhaps imagine I have many conversations with wardens and others about the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of safeguarding.
It is an embedded part of our shared life together – keeping people safe, managing risk and preventing harm is a shared value and of course central to the outworking of our faith. Each person is a precious child of God and deserves to be treated as such –cherished and treated with dignity and kindness.
We have systems and processes in place that encourage training, and that helps us develop our culture to be as safe as possible. DBS checks are normal and routine and safer recruitment helps ensure we have the right people in the right roles, and clearly displayed policies (in our buildings and online) helps transparency and trust. Additionally, the safeguarding dashboard helps us check records and keep on top of this essential administration.
But culture is of course more than systems and processes. Our culture is the ‘water we swim in’ – a bit like the weather, it’s just everywhere and we don’t notice it most of the time. So, what is the safeguarding culture in your church or benefice? Is it on your agendas? Given time in meetings? Discussed and talked about positively? Are you supported in your roles as wardens, and are your PSOs supported and prayed for? Ensuring that our culture is as safe as possible is much more than systems and policies, it is relational – it is ‘how we are together’. How we speak to each other, how we care for one another, how we value everyone,
100 Days of Listening
6 September to 15 December 2026
After a pause for reflection, in autumn 2026 we will begin a conversation about how we can be an enduring missional presence in Essex and East London in the times and context in which God has placed us.
This will be a wide-ranging conversation, addressing the challenges of smaller congregations, reduced financial income, fewer ordinands, clergy wellbeing as well as the changed nature of the communities we serve and the significant missional opportunities that are present in Essex and East London. You can read more about some of these challenges and opportunities
including (and perhaps especially) those we disagree with or find difficult. It is seeing the face of Christ in each and every person.
So, thank you for your part in keeping people safe, especially the most vulnerable people in our churches. And do ponder the culture in your place and what you do positively to influence it, and where necessary, challenge it. Please remember that if you have any concerns, you can contact the Safeguarding team by phone 01245 29 44 44 or email:
safeguarding@chelmsford.anglican.org
Please also know that the Archdeacon’s offices are open to you as well. We would all much rather a conversation early on than a larger problem later on! And we believe in teamwork; we all flourish more when we flourish together.
The Venerable Kate Peacock
in the Sustaining Ministry paper that was presented to the March 2025 meeting of Diocesan Synod.
In an approach developed by a team of clergy and lay people from across the Diocese, the Sustaining Ministry conversation will be shaped by Travelling Well Together.
There will be:
• a focus on prayer, local discernment and participative change
• encouragement to be open to what God is calling us towards with the resources he has provided – to think creatively and courageously and to ask brave questions about difficult situations where anxiety may be present
• an emphasis on using existing structures for conversation, such as deaneries, rather than creating new structures
• efforts to reach beyond those who normally take part in similar conversations, to involve a broader representation of people from our church communities
• data and information to equip those who participate in conversations
• time for participants to explore issues with the necessary depth and creativity and prayerfully discern together.
News from the Church Buildings Team
February 2026
I have met many of you at one of our Church Buildings Roadshows, but I will reintroduce myself!
I am Suzannah Meade, the DAC Secretary and part of the Diocesan Church Buildings Team. I am a chartered building surveyor and have spent my career thus far working on historic buildings. I now have the privilege of working with such exceptional and distinctive places of worship. The team comprises Nathan Medhurst (Church Buildings Support Officer), Paul Thomson, our Net Zero Carbon Officer and Nathan Whitehead, the Head of Service Delivery.
The Diocese of Chelmsford brings together more than 500 Church of England churches and worshipping communities across Essex and East London and has huge diversity in its church buildings. Stretching from coastal towns of Harwich and Manningtree in the north-east to East London’s urban churches in the south-east and encompassing the rural
heartland of the county – collectively we have a fascinating and rich religious architectural tradition.
Churchwardens represent a crucial role for the care of buildings in the Diocese, and the feedback from the Church Buildings Support Conversation (begun in autumn 2023) has defined our aim to better provide support for those who care for, maintain and improve our church buildings, support for those trying to reduce the carbon footprint of their church buildings – working with the Diocesan NZC action plan and to signpost grants and fundraising for those necessary repairs.
We are prioritising face-to-face contact with parishes in order to understand the many and varied challenges which churchwardens face and to meet as many of you as possible. To date, we have undertaken 55+ DAC site visits and 100+ visits from our CBSO Nathan Medhurst since March 2024.
We have held 5 Church Building Roadshows, having been generously hosted by various churches around the Diocese and the positive feedback we have received has encouraged us to do more of these. Topics covered so far include insurance, the faculty process, net zero and heating, church maintenance and fundraising. Watch this space for a Roadshow near you!
Our church buildings newsletter is also available – this is a general update on building-specific matters and goes out quarterly. Scan the QR code to sign up.
Contact details for the whole team are located here and you can drop us a line or arrange a visit any time.
Suzannah Meade
Saving our Swifts
Once a familiar sight in summer skies, swifts –known for their high-pitched calls and dazzling flight – are disappearing fast.
The UK population has fallen by 68% since 1995, and they are now on the red list of endangered species. If nothing changes, swifts could vanish as a breeding bird within 30 years.
Historically nesting in cliffs and trees, swifts have adapted to the built environment, finding homes beneath the eaves and tiles of houses and church towers. However, modern construction and renovations often eliminate nesting spaces. Combined with pesticide use and habitat loss, this has had a detrimental impact on the swift population. Nest sites aren’t legally protected outside the breeding season, so many are destroyed while the birds migrate.
Churches can make a real difference. New colonies can be encouraged by installing nest boxes or specially designed ‘swift bricks’. At Debden parish church, two swift boxes have been installed on the church tower, complete with a calling system. Swifts are sociable and prefer colonies, so adding a calling systemplaying recorded swift calls at set times helps attract them to the boxes and greatly improves success. However, patience is key as it may take a few years for the swifts to settle.
The Revd Lynda Sebbage, Team Vicar at St Mary the Virgin, Debden and All Saints, Wimbish, explains:
“Habitat loss is a major factor in the decline of swifts, and churches are uniquely placed to help reverse this trend. Establishing nesting sites on and around church buildings requires careful planning – considering location, box height, funding, and faculty permissions – but the effort is well worth it, and it’s one of the ways we are caring for God’s creation in the parishes of Debden and Wimbish.
“With support from Norwich Diocese, Essex Birdwatching Society, Save Our Suffolk Swifts, and Suffolk Wildlife Rescue, we are currently developing a comprehensive guide to swift conservation. This resource, endorsed by Bishop Roger, the Chair of the Diocesan Environment Group and the Revd Sandra Eldridge, our Diocesan Environment Officer, will be available to every church in the new year.
“We invite churches across our diocese to make use of this resource. By implementing a swift programme, churches can help ensure these extraordinary birds continue to grace our skies for generations to come.”
The Revd Lynda Sebbage
Dates for your diary
Bradwell Pilgrimage
Starting at St Thomas, Saturday 4th July.
Barking Area LyCiG Conference
St Katherine’s Limehouse, 11th – 12th September.
Ordination of Deacons
Chelmsford Cathedral, Sunday 13th September.
Ordination of Priests
Parish churches across our diocese, Saturday 26th September. Look out for more details nearer the time.
Colchester and Bradwell Areas LyCiG Conference
The Salvation Army Chelmsford, 17th – 18th October.
Colchester Area
Vocations Morning, Great Notley, Saturday 7th November.
Church Buildings Support
What’s Available & Where?
One of the key responsibilities of Churchwardens is taking care of the church building and its contents, which can seem a daunting task. There are, however, several resources and support staff available to help you.
The first place to look is the Churchwardens support pages on the Diocese of Chelmsford website found via the following address:
See also below showing its location on the website.
Looking more closely at church buildings support, there are resources and guidance available on the Church buildings and the DAC page of the Diocese website found at this address (see below also for menu location):
This will help you when you are looking at undertaking maintenance or other changes to the fabric of your church buildings as well as the right people to talk to who can help with this, see below for a shortlist of key contacts in the Church Buildings Support Team.
Key Contacts
Nathan Medhurst
Church Buildings Support Officer
nmedhurst@chelmsford.anglican.org 01245 294 416
Suzannah Meade
DAC Secretary
dac@chelmsford.anglican.org 01245 294 423
Nathan Whitehead
Head of Service Delivery
nwhitehead@chelmsford.anglican.org 01245 294 412
Paul Thomson
Net Zero Carbon Officer
pthomson@chelmsford.anglican.org 01245 294 406
Sarah Odell
Historic Buildings & Funding Support
sodell@chelmsford.anglican.org 07736 669 739
We have also produced a number of helpful guides that can take you through several key areas of the church building such as The Faculty Jurisdiction and Quinquennial Inspections (as seen below), which can be found on the guidance page via: www.chelmsford.anglican.org/support-for-parishes/ dac/guidance-notes
or these can be sent to you if you contact Nathan Medhurst
