United Benefice
St Mary’s, Slindon is a parish church within the United Benefice of Slindon, Eartham, and Madehurst.
Our United Benefice falls within the Diocese of Chichester which is led by Bishop Martin Warner. Website: www.chichester.anglican.org.
St.Margaret’s, Eartham and St Mary Magdalene’s, Madehurst are, like St Mary’s, ancient Grade 1/2 listed buildings and play a significant role in their communities.
United Benefice Services held in one of the three churches during the year bring the congregations of all three Parishes together.
People
Revd Peter Dyson, Rector
Revd Peter Dyson, Rector
Tony Richards
St Mary's Church Warden
Debbie Stevens
St Mary's Church Warden
Clare Bacchus
Treasurer
Glen Hampshire
Parish Safeguarding Officer
Gareth Williams
Choir Master
Ven Lionel Whatley
Retired Archdeacon
Ven Lionel Whatley
Carolyn Ball
Eartham Rep on PCC
Carolyn Ball
Christine Tanner
Authorised Lay Minister
David Slee
Helen Ball
Adam Stone
Carolyn Ball
Annie Simson
Andrew Foakes
Nick Horton
Mark Midgley
Christina Wilkinson
There is a separate Building Committee that oversees the maintenance of the church and churchyard.
The team comprises:
Tony Richards
Paul Wilkinson
Colin Stevens
Glen Hampshire
Oliver Diamond
Gareth Williams
Nick Horton
Richard Meynell (appointed architect)
We have an active programme of events each one of which requires an organising team. Currently Andrew Foakes leads that process on behalf of the PCC and puts together the appropriate people and skills for each project. They take place mainly in the Church or the Coronation Hall and its adjacent Forge Field. These events add considerably to the life of the village and are much enjoyed by residents and non-residents alike. However, they do not happen by chance and we are always keen to hear from people who think they may be able to help in any way.
Part of the vision for St. Mary’s is to enable the church to be used as a meeting place or venue for village events. Enquiries about using the church as a venue can be made to the Churchwardens or the Rector.
Vision Statement
Recognising the importance of our role as the Parish Church in our lovely village, St. Mary’s seeks to be a welcoming and inclusive presence through which the love of Christ is shared and celebrated through worship, learning, care and service.
We seek to do so by building on the past, in the present, for the future.
Giving
St. Mary’s, a Grade 1 listed building, is over 900 years old and, as with all old buildings, there is always maintenance work to be done. It costs more than £40,000 p.a. to run the church and we rely on the generosity of our faithful givers (including legacies) and the profit from our fund-raising events to cover this large sum.
Over the last decade, we have carried out a major programme of repair and renewal at St Mary’s that has put the building into the best possible state to meet the needs of current and future generations of worshippers and visitors. That has been possible because so many people have recognised the central role the church plays in the history and the current life of the community, positioned at the very heart of our beautiful village.
If you would like to support St. Mary’s by becoming a regular giver please contact the Treasurer, Clare Bacchus for more information. A Gift Aid Declaration Form can also be obtained from the Treasurer. Telephone 01243 814 264 or email clare_bacchus@live.co.uk You can also donate to the church at any time by clicking on the Donate button on this website.
Legacy Giving: We welcome all gifts in wills, however large or small, and we promise to use your gift to make a difference in our parish. We have been fortunate to receive such generous gifts in the past.
Legacy gifts are used to help fund maintenance and development projects or to provide enhanced facilities and resources in line with the needs of the parish. Since needs change over the years, we encourage you to leave a gift in your will for the general purposes of the Benefice or a specific church building, rather than for a restricted purpose. However, we will of course discuss possible uses of your gift with your executors and family when the time comes, bearing in mind any known areas of interest in the church (e.g. music, buildings, churchyards, children and young people) and the church’s priorities at the time. You can be confident that your gift will be used to make a real difference to our future mission and ministry.
We will acknowledge gifts in whatever way the donor and/or his/her executors feel is most appropriate. Equally, we can make sure that gifts remain anonymous if the donor prefers.
If you would like to talk to someone in confidence about the sorts of purposes your gift might fund, and how/if you would like your gift to be acknowledged, please contact either our priest or one of the churchwardens. If you would like to make a gift in memory of a loved one, please do come and discuss this with us, too.
The Church of England has a dedicated website with a lot of useful information about legacy giving for both those considering the idea and their advisers. It can be found at: https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-life/church-legacy
Find Us
We are 2.5 miles west of Arundel and 6.5 miles from Chichester.
We do not have a car park next to the Church. Please park in Church Hill or one of the surrounding roads.
From the A27 Fontwell Roundabout take the A29 north. At the first cross roads turn left into Reynolds Lane. Drive for approx. half a mile (passing the Forge shop and cafe) and take the second left into Church Hill: after the duck pond there is a sharp bend and then St Mary’s is 50 yards on the left. Parking can be difficult but is usually available beside the College wall on Top Road, opposite the Catholic Church of St Richard.
Take Southern train service to Barnham or Arundel: it is a short taxi ride from either.
There is no regular, public bus service serving the village – the nearest services stop at Fontwell or Eastergate.