we would like to extend a very warm welcome to Bertie our Curate in training.

​

'I believe I have met most people in the Barming and Teston congregations now, but despite being terrible with names I do recognise faces so please keep reminding me your names when we meet, and hopefully I will get the names and faces correctly attached in my brain by the end of my three-year curacy with you all. I was ordained a Deacon at the end of September last year, in Rochester Cathedral, and as I'm working parttime I still feel pretty new to it all though have now been with you all for almost four months. I just looked up the word curate and the definitions include "a member of the clergy appointed to assist a parish priest", someone who "carefully chooses, arranges, and presents different items in order to get a particular effect" and "an assistant barman". I'm very much looking forward to the latter part of my training. If you want to know more about my current role I suggest you do an online image search for the following terms: "Dave Walker curate cartoon" and you will have a full pictorial job description (except the barman part, about which Mr Walker is curiously silent).'

​

In the words of our Parish Councillor Fay Gooch "What a cracking afternoon cream tea this afternoon, so well organised, my congratulations to everyone concerned, working hard to make it such an enjoyable success"

We would also like to thank you all for your support, donations, time, and help. Without your support this event would not have been a success, the sun shone and the community really came together, thank you again. See you again next May!

Paul said "It was an honour to be commissioned yesterday (14th May 2023) as Deputy Warden of Lay Ministry for Tonbridge Archdeaconry at Rochester Cathedral during a wonderful service of licensing of new Lay Ministers. Congratulations to all those that were licensed"

Congratulations from all of your church family too!

Message from Fay Gooch Barming Parish Council.

Barming Parish Council is a member of the Kent Association of Local Councils – KALC. Each year KALC runs a Community Award Scheme, inviting nominations for a Community Award to acknowledge and give recognition to those that have made a significant contribution to their local community.

The successful nominee (s) receives a framed certificate signed by the Chairman of Kent County Council and the Chairman of KALC. It should be presented by the parish council Chairman at the annual meeting. We had ours in April, but Wil was on his sabbatical, so we thought the Church Cream Tea event would be an ideal opportunity to present the award. Unfortunately, we were limited to 30 words, which was very difficult, but the certificate reads:

“Barming Parish Council would like to nominate Reverend Wil North for a KALC Community Award for sustained and positive contribution to all members of our community, dedication to the well-being of youngsters e.g. setting up a football club; as Chair of Governors, successfully leading Barming School through major change