Leadership Team - Who we are, and what we do
Ministry
John Chitham
Rector
John became a Christian as a teenager and found that being with Jesus has been the sure guide for the whole of his life. After university he worked as a teacher in York and then went to Jordan as a teacher for 5 years as part of the Church Mission Society. There he met and married Basma who is a Jordanian Christian. Basma was brought up as a Christian from a Christian family. Although Greek Orthodox by birth she has been influenced by a number of different churches and came afresh to Jesus in her twenties. She worked as a Child Psychologist and now as an interpreter.
John was called to ordained ministry and spent time in Syria and Lebanon, where he was Vicar of Beirut. After coming to England from the Middle East he spent 18 years in churches in Worthing, where he was Vicar, and more recently in Blackburn where he was Chaplain to the Diocesan Bishop. John and Basma have one son, Jack, who often works overseas.
Caroline Franks
Licensed Lay Minister
Caroline has been a Reader (a Licensed Lay Minister) at St Mary’s since March 2008.
She leads and preaches at some of our services, and conducts some funerals. She helps pastorally where she can, and sometimes leads home groups or other events.
Caroline is an accountant by training, and also serves as PCC treasurer.
Administrative
Marion Smith
Benefice Administrator
Marion has been the administrator since March 2014. She also sings in the choir, acts as verger at weddings and funerals and occasionally plays the organ. Before taking up her role as benefice administrator, she was a pharmacist.
She has led home groups and teaches piano at home.
Churchwardens
Angie Adamson
Standon Churchwarden
Angie is a new to the role of churchwarden. However she has for several years been a sidesperson and welcomer at St Mary’s. She has also been on the deanery synod. She has worked in the NHS for the past 35 years both as a chartered physiotherapist and a manager.
Michael Smith
Standon Churchwarden
Michael is one of the Churchwardens at St Mary's as well as being the Director of Music for our benefice. This involves playing the organ at worship and leading our choir and music group. Michael is a former primary school Headteacher who now works as a freelance musician, music teacher and tutor for the Faculty of Education at Cambridge University.
Derek Wheeler
Sacombe Churchwarden
Derek has previously served on the PCC of All Saints but is a 'novice' warden. He makes his living as an accountant.
Peter Hudson
Sacombe Churchwarden
Peter looked after the choir at All Saints' and at St Catherine's for some 37 years, but soon after the Benefice was enlarged to include St Mary's, he was very happy to hand over the reins to someone younger and wiser, and to move to the back row of the choir stalls.
Before his retirement in 2005, he held administrative posts in the wool trade and in education.
Colin Jenkinson
Little Munden Churchwarden
Jeremy White
Little Munden Churchwarden
Jeremy has lived in the parish of Little Munden since 1977 but his connection with the area goes back much earlier than that. He worked in biomedical science research and in health and safety, specialising in biological and genetic modification safety. He has been retired for several years now and manages to find a few things to do, such as music, to pass the time.