www.wonershchurch.com
The Parish of
Wonersh with Blackheath
A Church Family
Background
The two villages
of Blackheath and Wonersh in Surrey are served by two churches, St Martin’s in Blackheath and St John the Baptist in Wonersh. Wonersh was part of the parish of Shalford
until the end of the 13th Century when it became a parish in its own
right. Wonersh was originally a very
large Parish, but in 1864 Christ Church Shamley Green was built as a chapel of
ease for Wonersh and it was formed into a separate parish in 1881. During the 19th century non church responsibilities were devolved
to Civil Parishes
geographically similar to their ecclesiastical counterparts and the civil parish of Wonersh still covers the combined area.
This is a Church of England Parish (in Surrey), in the Doicese of Guildford, in the Deanery of Cranleigh.
Select the link for Who’s Who in the Diocese:- The Bishop of Guildford is Rt Revd Christopher Hill, the Suffragan Bishop of Dorking is Rt Revd Ian Brackley, and the Archdeacon of Surrey is Revd Stuart Beake.
Both parish churches had been traditional Anglican churches with small congregations until 1981, when the new incumbent (Tom Farrell) brought a vigour to Wonersh with a clear evangelical churchmanship. This style continues to the present day.
Revd Jeff Wattley came to Wonersh in 1996, and his prior experience and passion for working with young people brought enthusiasm and growth to Youth Work in the Parish. This encouraged many new families to join the congregation and a full time Youth Worker was appointed. Our Vicar is Revd Ian Scott-Thompson who took up his appointment autumn (2006).
There is a PCC for the Parish of Wonersh with Blackheath with a District Church Council for matters relating specifically to Blackheath.
In 2007 the electoral roll numbers for Wonersh were 239 (2006
was 284), and the congregation is drawn from within the parish and outside in
approximately equal numbers. Our tradition is valued by neighbouring
parishes in the Deanery. There is a wide range of ages from new babies to very
senior citizens. The average age of the
adults is probably high for a balanced congregation, partly as a consequence of
the high price of housing, which means that few people in their twenties or
early thirties can afford to live in the area.
The church has a substantial investment in outreach
to the village community and sees it as its main
mission field.
In St
Martin’s Blackheath the electoral roll numbers 50 (2006 was 44) mainly from
within the village. The congregation has
been used to a fairly high church style of liturgy, using traditional language
and hymns with a strong biblical base introduced into the preaching. A number of younger families have become
involved since the joining of the parishes, and there is a real interest in
reaching out to the whole community.
There is an informal monthly family service and an outreach “Fourth Bridge
The Parish Magazine is an important method of Communication in the Parish and helps to demonstrate the links between the church and the community, and that the vicar is available to all, not just the church members. There a section in the parish magazine devoted to Blackheath events and issues and a separate St Martin’s Church Newsletter.
There are two churches in the Parish
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St John the Baptist Church, Wonersh
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The other buildings in the parish include Wonersh Church Hall - Lawnsmead , and the Vicarage. The Cemetery lies in a secluded location midway between Wonersh and Blackheath.
Outreach to the Villages
We want to show our love of Jesus by reaching out to all the people of the surrounding area. The Care Team coordinates pastoral care. In particular we organise activities and care of the elderly, responding to needs as they arise and organising regular events. Other specific events include teas after special services at Christmas and Easter, and lunch in Lawnsmead Hall at Harvest. Care in bereavement is also offered. Other activities are arranged in partnership with Age Concern, which takes the lead, for example, in organising weekly lunches at Lawnsmead. United Village Charities covers Wonersh, Shamley Green and Blackheath. The vicar is a trustee (along with the vicar of Shamley Green and others).
Schools
The vicar of Wonersh is an ex-officio governor of Wonersh and Shamley Green Infants School, as well as being a trustee of the School House Charity. The Charity owns the school buildings and grounds, which includes a flourishing private nursery that generates useful income for the school. There are currently five other foundation governors, all committed members of the church family. The governors meet about 5 times a year, with a similar number of sub-committee meetings. Blackheath also have connections with Chilworth CofE Infants School.