Penshurst, Fordcombe and the Chiddingstone Churches
The Benefice of Penshurst, Fordcombe and the Chiddingstone Churches came into being on 1 April 2021 when the Benefice of Penshurst and Fordcombe was united with the Benefice of Chiddingstone with Chiddingstone Causeway.
Recruitment for a Rector for the new Benefice is currently underway with Revd Bill MacDougall holding the post of Associate Priest across the Benefice.
Please click on the individual churches below for further news from each parish.
Churches in Benefice
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1
St Luke's
Rochester
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NEW - A return to in-person worship in our Church buildings
We are delighted to have resumed worship in our church buildings, with social distancing measures in place and with everyone wearing a face covering. Please take a moment to read our Covid safety guidance on attending worship.
We plan to record our main Sunday morning services and upload them to our YouTube channel for those who are unable to return in person at the moment.
Please keep an eye on the Services and Events page of this website for details of our forthcoming services. Our most recent Sunday Services will be available on the Watch a Service page of this website, and the most recent Children's Service will be available on the Children and Families page.
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The parishes of St Mary's, Chiddingstone and St Luke's, Chiddingstone Causeway serve the villages of Chiddingstone, Chiddingstone Causeway and Chiddingstone Hoath (collectively known as The Chiddingstones) and the hamlets of Bough Beech, Wellers Town and Charcott.
We come together as one congregation for our main 10am Sunday morning services, rotating between the two churches on a six-monthly basis as follows:
Harvest until the following Easter: 10am Sunday services are held in St Luke's, Chiddingstone Causeway
Easter Day until Harvest: 10am Sunday services are held in St Mary's, ChiddingstonePlease note that due to the boiler failure in St Luke's, all services are currently being held in St Mary's until further notice.
Click here to find out more about our services.
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2
St Mary's
Rochester
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NEW - A return to in-person worship in our Church buildings
We are delighted to have resumed worship in our church buildings, with social distancing measures in place and with everyone wearing a face covering. Please take a moment to read our Covid safety guidance on attending worship.
We plan to record our main Sunday morning services and upload them to our YouTube channel for those who are unable to return in person at the moment.
Please keep an eye on the Services and Events page of this website for details of our forthcoming services. Our most recent Sunday Services will be available on the Watch a Service page of this website, and the most recent Children's Service will be available on the Children and Families page.
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The parishes of St Mary's, Chiddingstone and St Luke's, Chiddingstone Causeway serve the villages of Chiddingstone, Chiddingstone Causeway and Chiddingstone Hoath (collectively known as The Chiddingstones) and the hamlets of Bough Beech, Wellers Town and Charcott.
We come together as one congregation for our main 10am Sunday morning services, rotating between the two churches on a six-monthly basis as follows:
Harvest until the following Easter: 10am Sunday services are held in St Luke's, Chiddingstone Causeway
Easter Day until Harvest: 10am Sunday services are held in St Mary's, ChiddingstonePlease note that due to the boiler failure in St Luke's, all services are currently being held in St Mary's until further notice.
Click here to find out more about our services.
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3
St John the Baptist
Rochester
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4
St Peter's, Fordcombe
Rochester
On the 1st April 2021 the parish of Fordcombe became part of the united benefice of Penshurst, Fordcombe and the Chiddingstone Churches and recruitment of a new Rector for the benefice is underway. At present we are in interregnum and our service pattern has been adjusted accordingly.
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The parish of Fordcombe is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer(s), PSOs. The Diocese of Rochester’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services.
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5
All Souls Chapel
Rochester