Fr Christopher’s Report to the APCM May 2026
To my surprise this is my eleventh report to the annual meeting. Surprise, because as I’ve often said I fully expected to have to leave All Saints’ Church in March 2023 when my licence as Priest in Charge expired. But for me it is a delightful surprise because All Saints’ has been my spiritual home now for very nearly twenty years and it will certainly be a great wrench when the time comes for me to leave.
In my previous reports I have thanked the various groups and individuals who contribute so much to our lives together here. Today I’m going to leave most of that to Roger. I’m going to make a couple of exceptions – firstly, publicly to thank the church wardens Roger and Chris for all they do. After all, Roger is unlikely to thank himself! Another reason for thanking the wardens is that we are in an interregnum and it is up to the Area Dean and churchwardens to provide cover. And, so far at least, they’ve not sought to find alternative cover. And as a second exception, I must thank Jenny who as parish administrator does so much. Rather than thanking other groups and individuals by name I want to say a big thank you to everyone in the church for all you do. And in particular for allowing me to continue to exercise my ministry here and for the kindness shown to me.
At the risk of repeating what is in the Annual Report, I’m glad to say that during 2025 we were able to provide our usual pattern of Masses, Junior Church, and Evensong and Benediction. Numbers have held up quite well, and in particular we have seen more children attending than before. It was a great joy in May for many of us to go to the Fulham Festival in Southwark Cathedral when Bishop Jonathan confirmed a large number of candidates from Fulham parishes, including James, Isobel and Christian. And it was also a great joy to welcome Bishop Peter Wheatley, former Bishop of Edmonton, to celebrate and preach at our Patronal Festival on All Saints’ Day. Bishop Peter often reminds us that he first came to All Saints’ about fifty years ago for the funeral of his friend Fr Robert Short, a former vicar here who died far too young. Bishop Peter has very kindly offered to help out on other occasions and I’m sure we would wish to take him up on that offer. Other priests who helped here during the year while I was at Walsingham and on holiday were Fr Michael Hazelton, Fr Peter King and Fr Graham Piper and I am very grateful to them all.
We had four baptisms during 2025. Sadly, we also held the funeral for Maureen Wells in Church in April last year. And as you know, since our last APCM we have also held the funeral Mass of Jean Telfer. There were no weddings in 2025 but lots of banns of marriage
were called for couples returning to their home parishes for their weddings. We also held our annual pilgrimage to Walsingham in July. The school came into church for the major festivals, their carol service, and end of term services, and I went to the school for Ash Wednesday, for their Remembrance Day service and laying of wreaths at their memorials, and for their Harvest Festival. Various classes from the school came into the church during the year for talks by Roger and me, and in June for the first time in many years – possibly ever- we welcomed into the church a year 4 group from Garfield Primary School.
As many of you know, the Bishop of Southwark, Bishop Christopher Chessun, retires in August. Last October I invited him to visit us again before his retirement but there were many such requests to him and, sadly, he has not been able to come. He has been very supportive of parishes like ours. We must hope that his successor continues that tradition for I’m sure a time will soon come when a new priest will be appointed to look after All Saints’ Church. Until then, thank you all very much for letting me share in your worship as we work and pray together to maintain the faith in this corner of South Wimbledon.
All Saints' Church, South Wimbledon 