Woolwich

[Home]  [Index]  [Search]  [E-mail]

Who we are

The Woolwich Area Mission Team (WAMT) is a multidisciplinary group of eight, headed by the Area Bishop of Woolwich, with the two Archdeacons, two Advisers, two PAs and one part-time Resources Co-ordinator. We work closely together and meet regularly to spend time together as a team and discuss areas of mutual concern. The Youth Adviser and Community Development Adviser are accountable jointly to the Woolwich Area Mission Team and to the diocesan board of their field.

What we stand for

Members of the Area Mission Team, believing that all people are made in the image and likeness of God and equally loved by him, make a commitment to social and racial justice, caring, evangelism, participation, partnership and integration, in sharing the good news in our urban setting.

We commit ourselves to be an integrated and co-ordinated resource team, available to encourage and help in parochial ministry, through offering expertise, experience, training and resource materials and time. We commit ourselves to work collaboratively with other agencies and denominations, at all area levels from parish to borough and beyond.

[Mission Grants]

Where to find us

We are based on the first floor of Trinity House. Alongside our office, the Stricklen Room (dedicated to a former member of our team who strongly influenced its development) is available for bookings for Area events and meetings, and houses the new Woolwich Episcopal Area Resource Exchange.

[Resource Enquiry Form - 30kB Word document]

Who's who on the Team?

Christopher Chessun
Area Bishop of Woolwich
Tel: 020 7939 9400
Fax: 020 7939 9467
E-mail: bishop.christopher@southwark.anglican.org

Christopher was consecrated Bishop of Woolwich in April 2005, at the same time making the momentous move across the Thames from London Diocese. He was previously Archdeacon of Northolt and prior to that was Rector of Stepney and Area Dean of Tower Hamlets. Previous posts include Chaplain and Minor Canon at St Paul’s Cathedral and London Episcopal Area Vocations Advisor. Bishop Christopher trained at Westcott House, Cambridge and was ordained a priest in 1983.

Maggie Elkin
PA to the Bishop of Woolwich
Tel: 020 7939 9400
Fax: 020 7939 9467
E-mail: maggie.elkin@southwark.anglican.org

Maggie enjoys the challenges of dealing with enquiries and helping out wherever she can, and sees them as a way of broadening her own experiences. Within her own parish, she tries to fight the corner of teenagers, aiming to keep in touch so they know they are always welcome.

Christine Hardman
Archdeacon of Lewisham
Tel: 020 7939 9408 (office)
Fax: 020 7939 9467 (office)
E-mail: christine.hardman@southwark.anglican.org

Chris has been Archdeacon of Lewisham since 2001. She began her ministry as a deaconess in a village parish and then joined the staff of the St. Albans and Oxford Ministry Course. Her most recent appointment before moving south of the river was as a Vicar and Rural Dean in Stevenage in Hertfordshire. Chris chairs the Ministry and Training Committee and is a member of General Synod and the Archbishops' Council Finance Committee.

Michael Ipgrave
Archdeacon of Southwark
Tel: 020 7939 9409 (office)
Fax: 020 7939 9467 (office)
E-mail: michael.ipgrave@southwark.anglican.org
 

• Archdeacon's responsibilities in the Archdeaconry of Southwark, covering the London Borough of Southwark.

• Chair of the Mission, Evangelism, Spiritual Formation and Church Growth group in the Diocese.

• Chair of the Southwark and London Diocesan Housing Association.

• Anglican Borough Dean for Southwark.

• A particular interest in inter faith and ecumenical ways of working.

Michael joined the team at the end of 2004 as Archdeacon, having previously worked as national inter-faith advisor to the Church of England. His earlier ministry has been in inner city parishes in Leicester and Japan and a (not very inner city) curacy in Rutland. He has a particular interest in inter-faith and ecumenical work and chairs the Diocesan group for mission and the Diocesan housing association.

Jenni Parton
PA to the Archdeacons
Tel: 020 7939 9413
Fax: 020 7939 9467
E-mail: jenni.parton@southwark.anglican.org

Jenni started working for the diocese in 2004 in the Kingston Episcopal Area Office as PA to the Archdeacons of Lambeth and Wandsworth and moved to Trinity House in 2006 to take on the Archdeacons of Lewisham and Southwark.

Sue Hutson
Diocesan Community Development Adviser
Tel: 020 7939 9417
Fax: 020 7939 9467
E-mail: sue.hutson@southwark.anglican.org

Sue joined the team at the end of 2004, from grass-roots experience, and is involved with parishes who wish to begin or develop their community work. This might be as a small group project or a big new site and partnership development. Her priority is to work with those parishes who serve and minister to areas of multiple deprivation. She is available to come and meet with PCCs and work groups to help you think through, develop and augment your vision. She works closely with Steph Blackwell who helps parishes, from identified areas, access funding to deliver sustainable parish programmes. Sue also runs the Diocesan Community Development workers group and the Parish Development Network. She is editor of the Community Works quarterly newsletter and also helps teach on some modules of the SPA training schemes.

More on the Community Development page

Sue should also be contacted regarding the Woolwich Episcopal Area Resource Exchange, which is in the Stricklen Room in Trinity House. The Exchange is generally available to visitors during office hours Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5.30pm. However, to be certain, please check first as the room is very occasionally used for meetings.

Dean Pusey
Diocesan Youth Adviser
Tel: 020 7939 9416
Fax: 020 7939 9467
E-mail: dean.pusey@southwark.anglican.org

Dean works as Youth and Children's Officer for Woolwich and Youth Adviser for the Diocese as a whole. He is working to develop relationships and strategies with young people and those who work with young people within churches, in order to engage its structures effectively. Dean works in partnership with the Diocesan Children's Adviser, the Diocesan Children and Youth Development Group (CYDG), the Area Council, local parishes and other related agencies, to produce relevant guidelines for full participation and inclusion of children and young people in the Church's life and mission.

Children's and Youth Policy Advisory Group

Woolwich Area Representatives
Hugh Ridsdill-Smith - Greenwich YFC
Gail Exon - All Saints, Blackheath

Child Protection

Diocesan Safeguarding and Child Protection Adviser:
Jill Sandham
Tel: 020 7939 9423
Mobile: 07982 279713
E-mail: jill.sandham@southwark.anglican.org

Parish Development Network

The Parish Development Network (PDN) was set up in 2003. Its team of advisers and specialists provides a service to parishes by offering training and workshops in such areas as:

• Church growth

• Management of change

• Conflict resolution

• Vision and strategy

• Education and training in welcoming, belonging, intercessions & running meetings

• Training for PCCs and Churchwardens

Beside a series of workshops available for anyone interested to attend, the PDN will also offer tailor-made sessions by request, to meet the specific needs of individual parishes.

PDN Team members include:

For more information contact Sue Hutson

Borough Deans

Southwark:
Ven Michael Ipgrave
Tel: 020 7939 9409
E-mail: michael.ipgrave@southwark.anglican.org

Lewisham:
Ven Christine Hardman
Tel: 020 7939 9408
E-mail: christine.hardman@southwark.anglican.org

Greenwich:
Rev Dr Malcolm Torry
Tel: 020 8858 3006
E-mail: malcolm@mtorry.freeserve.co.uk

Woolwich Episcopal Area Resource Exchange

The Resource Exchange is available to resource your church in several different ways:

• Printed and multi-media materials available for reference or on loan

• A database of information on other sources both local and national

• A central point for exchanging information between parishes - advice, materials, people resources, recommendations etc

Categories include: group study materials, pastoral issues, children's activities, youth work, worship materials, videos & DVDs, fundraising, teamwork, new models of being church, conflict resolution, training, community projects and many more …

Full details and catalogue ...

Zimbabwe Link

The Woolwich Area is twinned with Manicaland, the eastern diocese in Zimbabwe. The Bishop of Manicaland, Dr Sebastian Bakare, is currently president of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, and has taken a very public front against the arbitrary cruelties of the Mugabe regime. We endeavour to support him as far as possible in that. A large part of the diocese (nearly half the size of England) is rural and the clergy have large numbers of congregations to serve. There is usually food available though drought can make things precarious; but there is very little fuel in the country, virtually no drugs, enormous difficulties in paying for schooling, AIDs everywhere (often not admitted) and little obvious sign of hope for the future. A team lead by Bishop Colin went there in 2001, and a diocesan officer from Manicaland should be visiting us here in the relatively near future.

Contact Person: Rev Naomi Whittle 020 8856 5858

Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (MEAC)

When the Diocesan Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns Committee was established it was determined that issues affecting race relations at Episcopal Area level were vitally important and that a local presence should be maintained. The Woolwich Area responded to this challenge by launching a small group to monitor such issues within the area. The Woolwich Area group has the following aims and objectives:

• To assist with and oversee the implementation of the 'Institutional Racism Report' in the area - the report expects each and every department and institution in parishes and deaneries to take initiative in implementing those parts of the report that concern them.
• To identify local issues that need to be addressed and initiate action with assistance from the Diocesan MEAC.
• To help publicise the Diocesan wide empowerment programmes and increase participation of minority ethnic Anglicans within these programmes. These include Racial Justice Sunday, Black and Minority Ethnic Forum's annual conference, Summer Youth Conference, Vocations Road Shows and work with young people.
• To identify areas of limited participation of minority ethnic Anglicans in the life of the Church.

For further information, contact:
Susan Findlater-Dainton
Tel: 07765 027600
E-mail: susan.f-dainton@lineone.net

Ecumenical Advisers

Southwark:
Vacant

Lewisham:
Vacant

Back to top of page