My name is Anthony Smith, and I’ve been the vicar here since August 2023. It’s a pleasure to welcome you, and I hope to meet you in person before long!

I’m the vicar of four churches, in what we call the Riverside Parishes: Middleton St George (St George & St Laurence’s Church), Hurworth (All Saints), Low Dinsdale (St John the Baptist), and Girsby (All Saints).

Our four churches have been at the heart of their communities for many centuries. We believe that the Christian faith is as relevant today as it ever has been.

I was an astronomer for a few years before I became a vicar. I had been into science from an early age. I grew up in church, but when I was ten years old, I decided I didn’t believe all this religion stuff. But God seemed to have other ideas. and I found myself returning to the faith when I was 15. I’ve been enthusiastic as a Christian ever since.

Since that time, I’ve gradually come to see how everything makes much more sense in the light of Jesus.

Why is there something rather than nothing? Is our existence just a random ‘blip’ in the history of the universe, or do we actually have significance?

These questions are much easier to answer if there is a God. But this kind of God can be very distant. The Christian message is that the God who made everything has come near to us.

When people met Jesus on earth, they encountered someone who was fully human. But they soon realised he was much more than that.

Jesus seemed to embody the love of God. But he also spoke and acted as if he was God. He healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, and spoke of God as his Father.

When Jesus was executed by crucifixion, his followers immediately assumed it was all over. But then, a couple of days later, to their complete surprise, Jesus was alive again!

Millions of people have come to know God personally through Jesus and through the presence of God’s Holy Spirit in their lives. We’d love to help you to find out more!