Previous Staff
Information about people who have worked at St Edmund's Church in the past - where they are now and what they are up to.
Clergy:
Peter White (Vicar 1956-1962)
Colin Lee (Vicar 1962-1967)
Keith Johnson (Curate in Residence 1967 - 1969)
Chris Channer (Vicar 1970 - 1975)
Bernard Ingram (Vicar 1975 - 1983)
As the longest serving vicar of St. Edmunds BB (Before Bob) I have fond memories of dividing my time between the Parish and Joyce Green Hospital. In those days both enclosed communities. Council Housing Estate and Hospital.
Community is a word that has always typified Temple Hill and I remember my time there as part of the community that held activities for all. From Age Concern lunches, to, Saturday Morning Pictures and everything in-between. Part of my time was spent as Industrial Chaplain to Halls whose apprentice school built slides and roundabouts for the playgroup and I seem to remember being involved in the wine circle, makers of superior communion wine, and the Labour Party, holders of superb dances. (The Church did some good ones too, even once without a licence!!)
In 1983 I moved further down the railway line to St. Francis Strood where I was Vicar until 2004. Following a minor stroke in 2000 I took early retirement in 2004 and moved back to the village on the Malvern Hills where Gwen and I lived for a year when we were first married in 1965.
I do still do a bit of “ministering” especially since our rector has just retired but my main hobby, apart from DIY, is being part of a Canal Restoration Group The Hereford & Gloucester Canal Trust cutting down trees and rebuilding aqueducts.
Nicholas Kerr (Vicar 1984 - 1990)
I was Vicar of S. Edmund's 1984 until 1990. At the same time I was part-time Chaplain of the now invisible Joyce Green Hospital.
I was born in south-west London, I attended Dulwich College, and then Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where I studied Modern Languages. After university I spent three years in Brussels teaching English to Belgians (and some French to foreigners). In 1971 I took up a teaching post at a boys Grammar School in Leicester, where I became a Christian, was baptized and confirmed, joined the Cathedral choir and was accepted as an Ordinand.
Ordained in 1977 worked at S. Mary the Virgin, Merton Park, near Wimbledon. Judy and I married in Merton Park in december 1979. Judy is a Registered Nurse. We met in the Nelson Hospital, where she was a Staff Nurse and I was Assistant Chaplain. Judy had an eight-year-old daughter, Nadia.
Shortly after we were married I became Assistant Curate at S. Margaret's, Rainham. While we were in Rainham, we jointly adopted Nadia as our daughter, and a year later Rebekah Yasmin was born.
We seem to have caused a trail of destruction in our wake, or even ahead of us! Just after it was agreed that I should come to Temple Hill, but long before we'd moved, a storm took the roof off the old church. We spent the rest of 1984 replacing the roof and securing finance to pay for it. The scaffolding came down on Christmas Eve! Then, skipping over the Great Storm of october 1987, when some damage was done, in january of 1990 another storm ripped the roof off the Vicarage. Judy found a post at Joyce Green Hospital and set about training as a Theatre Nurse.
One great memory of S. Ed's was the innovation of broadcasting the Sunday Service live from the church over Hospital Radio. It was very well received, although it did have its occasional problems. There was one occasion when J., arriving late with her boys, slipped over on the parquet floor and fell on her bottom with a loud expletive, which they can't have failed to hear on the wards!
On S. Valentine's Day, 1990, Bishop Michael Turnbull offered me the living of The Holy Redeemer, Lamorbey. We left Temple Hill in july and have been in Sidcup ever since. In my time here I've been Rural Dean of Sidcup, Chair of the Diocesan House of Clergy, and I'm currently one of the four Members of the House of Clergy of the General Synod, representing the Diocese of Rochester. I was made a Canon of Rochester in 2002. I've been particularly involved in a variety of activities concerned with inclusion. For a long time I supported the Movement for the Ordination of Women, I'm now involved in Changing Attitude, campaigning for the full inclusion of Christians in all parts of the Church's life, without regard to their sexual orientation. I minister regularly with a Deaf congregation in Orpington, and am a member of the Canterbury and Rochester Committee for the Deaf. Since 2006 I have been the Diocesan Link Person to the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns, part of the Archbishops' Council. Contact Nicholas here.
Joy Horton (curate St Edmund's 1997-2001)
Joy was born and bred in south London , coming to St Edmunds from a teaching background. Having trained for the ministry at SEITE and completing an MA in Applied Theology at the University of Kent , she was ordained in 1997.
Joy is married to Alan, Email Joy if you want to get in touch.
Sue Brewer (Curate 2002-2005. Associate Vicar 2005 - 2007)
Sue came to St Edmund’s as Curate in 2002, and became Associate Vicar in 2005. Initially she qualified as a Chartered Accountant, but decided quite quickly that that wasn’t the right career for her. Sue became an authorised Pastoral Assistant in Rochester Diocese in 1998, and started her training for Ordination by a part time course with SEITE in 1999. Sue is married to Jeremy and they have 3 grown-up children. She is currently completing an MA about ‘Fresh Expressions of Church’. Sue moved from St Edmund's to become Vicar of Christ Church, Gravesend. In her free time she visits art galleries and loves travel and holidays. Sue and Jeremy share their home with Scooby (a loveable but neurotic collie) and Cinders the cat. You can email Sue here.
Gap Year Volunteers:
A number of young people have worked at St Edmund's during their 'gap year', through 'Time for God'.
Matthew Peck / Rose (Time for God Volunteer 1991-2)
Mary Marcia McMahan (Time for God Volunteer 1992-3)
Chris Ruppenthal (Time for God Volunteer 1993-5)
Stephanie Hertrampf (Time for God Volunteer 1995-6)
Graham Adams (Time for God Volunteer 1997-8)
Well, the story so far ... umm ...
Having studied law at Exeter University, where I met Sheryl, I did my 'Time for God' placement at St Edmund's (1997-8) while candidating to be accepted to train for the ministry with the Congregational Federation (a small mainstream denomination in the UK). I enjoyed all the chaos of St Ed's for a year - the variety of tasks, the wine, the mix of people, the Easter champagne breakfast (which made playing 'Thine be the glory' on the hand-bells interesting in the main service afterwards), and then went on to train for ministry at the Partnership for Theological Education, Manchester, an ecumenical venture between Methodists, Baptists, URC students, Congregationalists, Moravians and Unitarians. I really enjoyed college - including the ecumenical placements - and in the final year Sheryl and I got married, we found a local church in Manchester mad enough to risk it (Lees Street Congregational Church ), and Sheryl started a new job. Oh, and we went on honeymoon to New Zealand, which was great. The ministry post was/is only half-time, giving me time to undertake a PhD through Leeds University, which I'm in the final stages of editing for imminent submission! And last autumn I took up a half-time teaching post at my old theological college - on a year one-year contract, while they worked out what they were doing about particular courses ... and Sheryl has started teaching 6/7 year-olds this year, so she's lost her voice!
Caroline Zint (Time for God Volunteer 1998-9)
Hello,my name is Caroline and I was born and grew up in Fulda (Germany). After I finished my A-levels in September 1998 I stayed at the church of St. Edmunds during my European volunteering service (EVS). The decision to go abroad was not very easy for because it meant not to see my family and friends. However once I came to Dartford they all had a very warm welcome for me that helped me to cope quite easy with homesickness and missing my friends.
To my pleasure I was responsible for ABC group twice a week and really enjoyed to work with the children. Besides this activity I also set up church on Sundays, joined the music group, visited people at home, went to the homegroup and had a lot more to do – no time to get bored. Due to all the fantastic work at St. Edmunds and my frequent trips to London City I meet many nice people and think I also took the opportunity to evolve personally.
This year was such an important time of my life that nowadays I get “homesick” from time to time for England. I think this shows that Dartford became some sort of a second home to me.
After leaving Dartford in 1999 I moved to Ulm to begin my studies in mathematics and biology. In 2004 I finished my studies and decided to stay in Ulm to do the practical training to receive teaching license . A few months ago I finally passed my last exam and started to work as a graduated teacher in a grammar school in Ulm. In May 2008 Caroline married Michael her long term boyfriend. Some of St Edmund's went to the wedding! Contact Caroline by email.
Tinka Hermann (Time for God Volunteer 1999-2000)
Jenny Bohling (Time for God Volunteer 2000-2001)
Noomi Wardh (Time for God Volunteer 2002-3)
Noomi got maried in the summer of 2007
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Julia Palme (Time for God Volunteer 2003-4)
I came as I volunteer from to St. Edmund’s Church in Dartford in summer in 2003. Mainly to be of support to St. Edmund’s congregation but also to get involved in community work. Within this time I gained a lot of experience or to put it differently, I had to finally grow up. Leaving home with 18, this was the first and longest time of taking responsibility for myself. This was not always an easy task however it was made a lot easier by many people of St. Edmund’s, who welcomed me warmly and were understanding vis-à-vis my shortcomings.
While I was there, the congregation was without church-building. A new church was under construction and everybody was waiting and wishing for its timely completion. Even so this situation certainly put a strain on church life, everybody was making a huge effort not to be discouraged by that situation yet to look forward to what was to come. The more amazing is it for me to see pictures showing what I know as building-site as a completed church full of life and buzz.
After my year at St. Edmund’s, I decided to stay in London and begun my studies in International Politics at the Brunel University , West London . Currently, I am awaiting my graduation. I am very happy about my choice of subject and will continue to pursue the same by applying for a M.A. Programme in Berlin . I would be more than happy to refresh the contact to St. Edmund’s. I am not very good at picking up the phone, because I am working a lot. However, I will reply ‘swiftly’ to emails. I look forward hearing from you!!! You can email Julia - click here.