When the Rev Chris Hill announced he would be retiring, he was adamant he didn’t want any fuss but the congregation of St Mary’s Parish Church had other ideas and plan a farewell party on 29th April for the Rector and his wife Debbie before their move to Sussex after ten years in Ely.
His Christian faith has been central to Chris’ life since he was in his teens. He graduated from university with a degree in economics, starting work as a computer programmer at the Bank of England in 1978 and going on to build a successful career marketing software, a role which involved extensive travel to the Middle East, Africa and the USA.
A midlife decision to train for the ministry at Ripon College Cuddesdon, a theological college near Oxford, meant combining study with his work for Microsoft. At the time Chris, Debbie and their three children were living at Bracknell in Berkshire where the couple had “planted” a church which had grown to a congregation of 250.
It was Stephen Cottrell, then Bishop of Reading and now the Archbishop of York, who encouraged Chris to apply for a full-time post and the family came to Ely ten years ago, attracted by the chance to grow the work of a parish church at the heart of a medieval market town with a rapidly expanding population.
Retirement comes six months after the completion of the project to turn the interior of St Mary’s medieval church building from ‘Sunday only use’ to a multi-purpose space for use by the whole community, seven days a week.
Chris pays tribute to the energetic and far-sighted members of the congregation who made it happen. For him, leadership is about encouraging and supporting people to discover their God-given talents, and then giving them the confidence and authority to put them into practice.
As an example he cites Christ Church which is flourishing in the north of Ely, the area of the city where so much development is taking place. It is led by lay people who have established special links with the newly opened Isle of Ely primary school and the sheltered accommodation for the elderly nearby.
If you walk past the noticeboard outside St Mary’s, or look on the church website, you might see the message: ‘Whoever you are, wherever you come from, you are welcome here’ . “Those are the values we share and I’ve witnessed St Mary’s becoming more inclusive and diverse,” said Chris.
There are now three congregations at St Mary’s every Sunday morning: the Eight15, the Nine45 and the Eleven15, as well as a Thursday morning market day communion service.
The Nine45 began as Covid lockdown restrictions were lifted and has brought together all ages, families with young children, elderly people, teenagers, and young couples and people living on their own who have moved to Ely.
During the week, Warm Space on Wednesday mornings continues into Spring, there are groups for under-ones and under-fives and their parents or carers, Jam Packed, an after-school group and Pathfinders, a Sunday evening youth group, as well as sessions to promote mental well-being and creativity and others exploring prayer and meditation and Bereavement Cafe, for anyone trying to navigate their way through loss and grief.
Chris chairs Ely Trinity Dole and Needhams Foundation, charities which do so much to relieve poverty and improve education outcomes in Ely while Debbie Hill has found a fulfilling role as Diocesan Development Officer for Families and Children.
“We will both miss Ely very much indeed. I will always be grateful for the guidance that brought us here,” said Chris.
Chris’ last services will be on Sunday 30 April at 8.15am, 9.45am and 11.15am at St Mary’s, and at 4.00pm at Christchurch.
The process to appoint a successor has begun as St Mary’s church wardens, Poppy Crooks and Liz Taylor, with the support of the church’s parochial church council, prepare a parish profile for applicants.
For more information about St Mary’s log on to: http://stmarysely.org
Press release from St. Mary’s Church, Ely
You must be logged in to post a comment.