Our prayers have been answered - for 6 years now we have been praying that the right person would be sent to Cowden to lead our ministry here in Cowden Parish. The new Associate Vicar is Reverend Stephen Hills. He is married to a lovely wife called Elizabeth and she plans on getting actively involved in life here too.  

The Reverend Julie Sear (Hartfield and Colemans Hatch) will be overall Vicar, however,  Reverend Stephen Hills will have  day-to-day responsibility for Cowden.  

Stephen has spent his 25 years of ordained ministry in Southborough and Bidborough. As Curate at Christ Church he launched a new service at St Peter’s Church on Southborough Common, and was able to continue to lead there when St Lawrence Bidborough joined the Southborough Team Ministry and Stephen became Team Vicar. A few years ago the parishes were re-configured, and Stephen became Rector of St Lawrence’s and St Peter’s.

Earlier in adult life, Stephen worked in the City for some years, before sensing a call to train for ministry. He and Elizabeth spent a very special two years in Cambridge, with their three young children, during his training at Ridley Hall, before moving to Southborough. Tim, Lucy and Georgina went to secondary schools in Tonbridge, and are now grown up, and the family has grown to include their lovely spouses, and 4 young grandchildren, all nearby in Crowborough.

At the beginning of 2023 Elizabeth retired from 15 years working at ‘Good Neighbours’ in Tunbridge Wells, offering support to the elderly, and she and Stephen began to think and pray about what the future might hold. They sensed a call to serve somewhere where their experience of both village ministry and working in a team with other churches could be used, which led them to pray about the post advertised at Cowden, Hartfield and Coleman’s Hatch.

Stephen and Elizabeth are delighted to be moving to Cowden, and are looking forward to seeing, hearing and joining in with all that God is doing in these three communities through His church, to encouraging folk in discipleship, to making new friends, and to praying and working with others to see God’s kingdom come.

They are also looking forward to the different pace of life and ministry that comes with a ‘House for Duty’ post, and to time for walks on the Ashdown Forest with grandchildren, more sailing, gardening and other assorted hobbies.