the clergy team

Most people see us in action on Sundays at one of our services in either Holy Trinity or St Mary’s churches, but we also pray in Holy Trinity every day of the week (except for Fridays). On Sunday mornings we celebrate the Eucharist (also known as the Holy Communion), the special meal of bread and wine Jesus invited his disciples to share just before he died. On Sunday evenings we hold a service called Evensong. As the name suggests, this involves singing with our fantastic choirs. During services we preach sermons in which we explain passages from the Bible and speak of God’s love for us.

When we’re not in church we work out and about in Guildford. One of our responsibilities is what the church calls ‘the cure of souls’ and our clergy team share in this task around the parish. What does this mean? It means that we are here for and care for everyone in the parish. That’s not just the people who come to services on a Sunday, but everyone who lives here. We really enjoy meeting people who are curious about the church, what we do and how they might be part of it.

The clergy coordinate pastoral care so each week we spend time visiting people who are unable to come to church, often taking Holy Communion to them, as well as to those who are unwell or in hospital. Pastoral care isn’t just for people who are sick – it covers just about every type of need.

The Rector often attends school assemblies at Holy Trinity Pewley Down, the local infant and junior school connected to our parish. We have excellent links with other schools where the Rector is a governor, and many of these use our churches for special services throughout the year, especially at Christmas.

Another special part of our job is to baptise (christen) people and take weddings. These are moments of celebration in our lives and we love to share in them with you, your families and friends. We also do funerals. Losing loved ones is one of the hardest things we ever face, but we are here to plan the service with you and to help you to say goodbye.

If you need to contact anyone, in the first instance please contact the Rector, Simon Butler or the Office.

Not all clergy work for the church all the time and here we are fortunate to be assisted by five associate ministers, Jonathan, Rod, Ben ,Brian and Corinne who help with pastoral care, organising parish activities and taking services. We have a great team of colleagues to work alongside. You can find out more by clicking here.

Would you like to know more? Why not get in touch or come and visit us on a Sunday? We’d be delighted to see you just as you are, no need to dress up, and you can be assured of a warm welcome!