Dear Cowfold Parishioner

As you may already be aware, our parish priest Father Keith has recently moved to a new position having given eleven years’ service to St. Peters in Cowfold.

This means a vacancy of indeterminate length, at least nine months and possibly 1-2 years. Responsibility for the running of the parish during a vacancy falls to the churchwardens, jointly with the Rural Dean. The purpose of this letter is to introduce ourselves if you do not already know us and to send a clear message that it is business as usual!

Our intention is that the broad pattern of current church services will continue. This does depend upon retired and visiting clergy being able and willing to help out, so please bear with us if it does become necessary to change things or cancel a service at short notice.

Please feel free to contact one of us over any church-related matter and we will do our best to help. Should the matter be of a pastoral nature, we will arrange for a priest or Licensed Reader to call by appointment. Baptisms and marriages will continue to take place, so do make us aware of your plans at an early stage so that dates and personnel can be booked well in advance. Anyone suffering a bereavement is entitled to an urgent response, depending on the individual circumstances.

We will shortly commence discussions with the diocese how the vacancy is to be filled and shall endeavour to keep you informed. The post may be advertised. A new incumbent will be appointed by the Bishop in consultation with the churchwardens and others. This process inevitably takes time. Patience may be necessary to allow the most appropriate candidate for Cowfold to emerge in due course.

We are here to help keep the life of the parish in good heart during the vacancy.

Yours sincerely,

Aidan Favell Churchwarden Tel 07973 195137 [email protected]

Mary Chamberlin Churchwarden Tel 01403 864405 [email protected]