About Us

Our parishes

The South Tamar Mission Community is a group of 4 Church of England parishes with 6 historic church buildings.  You can find us in the rolling farmland of the Tamar Valley AONB, broadly between the River Tamar and the River Lyd.  We have 2 primary schools in the area, and our schools volunteers also work in another on our borders. All our volunteers have DBS checks and undergo regular safeguarding training.  We also have a strong pastoral team who work with people in local residential care settings, and trained Anna Chaplains specialising in spiritual support for the older age range.  As well as a strong team of volunteers, we have a full time vicar - Priest-in-Charge, Reverend Gill George.  She is supported by our Local Lay Minister, Richard Searight, and a retired priest, Revd Canon Tim Thompson. 

The broader context

What is a Benefice?

You might sometimes hear the word 'benefice'.  A benefice is a group of parishes who are grouped together formally in order to share resources (such as a parish priest!).  It is very useful.  For instance, if a couple are eligible to get married in one church in the benefice, they will have the option of any of the others too.  Good to know!  Our Benefice of Milton Abbot, Dunterton, Lamerton, Sydenham Damerel, Marystowe and Coryton comprises the South Tamar Mission Community.

The Mission Community

We are sometimes asked what a Mission Community is.  It is simply the words used across the Diocese of Exeter to refer to a group of parishes who work together.  "Like a benefice?" Yes, like a benefice.  So our benefice is also known as the South Tamar Mission Community.  But, that is not strictly true because there's more...

Together with the parishes of the North Tamar Mission Community, we form the Tamar Mission Community.  In practice, there are two 'benefices' with two parish priests between them working together across the benefice borders as far as is practical.  It all adds to the sense of us not being an island, which is good and thoroughly in keeping with the porous edges to God's church in the world.

The Diocese of Exeter

The Mission Community isn't on its own.  We are part of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter (exeter.anglican.org) and you can see a picturesque introduction to the diocese and people in the video below.