The Revd Richard Watson

Rector of St Mary’s, Area Dean of Barnet & Associate Minister at Barnet Brookside Methodist Church

Richard’s blog, with random thoughts, prayers and recent sermons can be found here.

Richard was installed as Rector of East Barnet in June 2003, authorised to serve as a Methodist minister in January 2005 and commissioned as Area Dean of Barnet in February 2005. A native of the London Borough of Barking, he is married to Linda (who is full-time Administrator and Volunteer Co-Ordinator for the Greenbelt Festival) and they have three children – Daniel, Rosie and Luke. After leaving school Richard studied theology and sociology at Avery Hill College in Eltham, South London and then worked for two years in the publicity department of The Queen’s Theatre, in Hornchurch, Essex. His next post was as Manager of an ecumenical youth project in the London Borough of Redbridge, before training for ordination at Trinity College, Bristol, after which he served his title as Assistant Curate at the Church of the Transfiguration in Kempston, Bedfordshire. From 1997-2003 he was Team Vicar of St Augustine of Canterbury in the Dunstable Team Ministry, and co-ordinated the St Albans Diocesan HIV Network. He has been involved with the work of the Diocesan Youth Service, the Diocesan Board for Christian Development, and often works with the Diocesan Board of Education in resourcing Church Schools. Richard is currently a member of the Diocesan Mission & Pastoral Committee and Diocesan Synod.

Richard is a Tertiary in the Society of St Francis, a member of the Society of Catholic Priests, a Priest Associate of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham and a Director of the St Peter’s Bourne Christian Spirituality and Education Centre in Whetstone, N20. He is currently reading (at length!) for an MA in Spirituality at Heythrop College, University of London.

In addition to an ongoing interest in theatre (with ENO being favourite at the moment!), he has an almost pathological love of books, and on his day off can usually be found in the bookstores and coffee shops of London, Cambridge or St Albans — which he finds to be an effective way of avoiding hoovering and emptying the dishwasher. Since his 40th birthday and a chance meeting with the 10th Doctor on an old sofa under a railway arch, he has become a fully fledged Dr Who geek and now shares his study with an inflatable Dalek.

The rectory of East Barnet is a Crown appointment, which means that since the Reformation the Rector has been appointed by the reigning monarch. Follow the links here for information of the Rectors of East Barnet, and to read the Letters Patent from Her Majesty the Queen

The Revd Becky Leach

Assistant Curate at St Mary’s

Becky joined the ministry team at St Mary’s after her ordination as deacon in June 2008 and lives in St Albans with her husband Phil and three children – Anna, Katy and Mary. She was a Geography teacher for 18 years, having studied at Durham University and then completed her teacher qualification in Bristol. Her first teaching job was in Oakham (Rutland), but she then moved down to London (Islington) when she married and taught in Mill Hill for five years. Much of her time since moving to St Albans fourteen years ago has been taken up with the family but Becky continued to teach part-time in Ware. They have worshipped at St Mary’s Church in Marshalswick, a suburb on the north of St Albans, where Phil and the girls continue to be based during Becky’s curacy.

Originally from Sheffield, Becky lived from the age of six in several parishes in Norfolk – the daughter of an Anglican Priest and Lay Reader mother. Her love of Geography and the outdoors stems from the wonderful coastline there.

Becky spent 12 months teaching English in Kenya on a ‘gap year’ before university which was hugely influential – so much so that she went back to Africa after her degree, this time working for TEAR Fund as a hospital administrator in Malawi.

As well as interests in all things geographical and African, Becky has always been a keen sports person, though doesn’t get to play very much these days. She also enjoys a ‘good sing’ and has tried to keep up her piano playing. With the family she enjoys walking and camping, as well as the theatre. The most recent addition of a rather addictive past-time has been reading theology!

Becky trained on the Eastern Region Ministry Course (ERMC) and was ordained deacon on 29th June 2008 in St Albans Abbey.

The Revd Colin Smith

Minister of Barnet Brookside Methodist Church, Superintendent Minister of the Barnet & Queensbury Circuit and Associate Minister at St Mary’s

Colin has been the Methodist minister in East Barnet since September 2001. He also serves as superintendent of all the Methodist churches in the borough of Barnet as well as one in Brent. Since January 2005 he has had permission to officiate at St Mary’s. He is the Chair of governors of St Mary’s School.

Colin was born in Buckinghamshire and brought up in Wales. Through his mother he is half Irish. He studied law at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and later qualified as a barrister at Gray’s Inn. He worked for a number of years as the manager of the Citizens’ Advice Bureau in Thamesmead, south-east London. Colin trained for the ministry at Wesley College, Bristol (unknowingly leaving that city just as Richard was arriving) and served as a minister in Brighton and Hove from 1991 – 1996. He was superintendent of the Richmond & Hounslow circuit from 1996 – 2001, serving also as minister in Putney and Twickenham. Colin has an MA in Christian Spirituality at Sarum College and is the British Secretary of the Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies, an international gathering held under the auspices of the World Methodist Council.

Colin has even more books than Richard but collects some rather odd things. He has some of John Wesley’s hair, a bit of a tree chopped down by Gladstone and a walking stick that may have once belonged to Sir Walter Scott. He is a long standing member of the Trollope Society, and enjoys discovering more about his family history. He is descended from the ancient Kings of Leinster, and from a long line of seamen.

Martin Horton

Parish Reader

Martin is a North Londoner and has lived around Southgate, Barnet and Potters Bar most of his life, except whilst at school at Berkhamstead. He began working as a Chemistry Technician at the Northern Polytechnic, abandoned a Chemistry degree and changed to Electronics Servicing. Nearly 40 years later he took early retirement, having reached the giddy heights of Chief Technician, Servicing, Testing & Maintenance of the Science Faculty, in what had now become the University of North London. It was at the Poly where Martin met Kathy, then a Chemistry lecturer, but now retired from teaching, and they have been married for ‘some time’, with two sons, Chris and Pete, now living in Washington DC and Southampton respectively.

Early retirement only lasted two months, before a phone call sent him off to Barnet to help a small company called Hazard Evaluation Laboratories, who were short of electronics technicians – in spite of Martin’s best efforts, the company is still going. Rumours that it was the presence of a C of E Reader that caused the company name to be shortened to HEL Ltd, are totally unfounded. Martin has now retired again, and is trying to ensure that this time it lasts.

Martin was licensed as a Reader in March 1997. Since then he has done many of the varied jobs that Readers do in the church nowadays, particularly Baptism and Marriage preparation, funerals and standing in for the Rector whilst he is hiding in bookstores in London, Cambridge and St. Albans (see above)! Martin has also led several Parish Retreats and Quiet Days, helps lead the weekly Meditation Group, is now a Tertiary of the Order of the Holy Paraclete, and enjoys reading the Psalms and Terry Pratchett. He used to spend a lot of time, and money, on motor rallies, hill walking and rock climbing, but age and common sense have prevailed, so nowadays it’s the allotment and watching wetland birds. He has always enjoyed early music – plainsong and Elizabethan – and also the working folk music of these islands. He also has a love for the Celtic Church, which probably comes from his Celtic grandparents and is starting to research the life and times of his Grandfather, a Primitive Methodist minister and author.

David Griffin

Reader in Training

Dave (or David when he was in trouble with his mum) is a trainee Reader at St Mary’s currently struggling his way through the Reader Training Scheme which will take him approximately three and a half years to complete. Dave says that “it is really hard work balancing his studies with all his other priorities and commitments but he is thoroughly enjoying the experience and feels that he is learning so much”.

He is married to Helen and has two children, Christina and George. He likes gardening which you would never guess if you saw the state of his garden but “liking” and “being good at” don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Dave is a Training Consultant and spends his working life designing and developing training solutions for Managers in business. He is a huge “Beach Boys fan” who according to Dave “are the greatest pop group ever”. Dave likes all kinds of music from Country to Motown and has also been known to hum a tune from the current “hit parade” as well. Dave is an avid reader which is just as well with all the study he has to do, he loves the cinema especially the films of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s and is a season ticket holder at Arsenal.

Amanda Duncan

Parish Ordinand

Amanda is training for ordination on the Easter Region Ministerial Course, and is currently in her second year.

She works part-time as a teacher, juggling a busy family and professional life – as well as her preparation for ministry in the Church of England!

Amanda heads up the Healing Team at St Mary’s, and for many years led the teenage youth work.

She is to be ordained deacon in 2011 – just in time for the Olympics!

Andrew Earwaker

Director of Music

Another native of Barking, Andrew was appointed Director of Music at St Mary’s in June 2004, following sixteen years as Assistant Organist at St Margaret’s Church, Barking. Andrew joined his local church choir at the age of seven, reckoning that being some physical distance from his Mum would less likely result in a ‘clip round the ear’ if he misbehaved in church; a reckoning swiftly proved wrong.

This, along with three years as a chorister in the Westminster Abbey Special Choir instilled an ongoing interest in choral music, music in worship, and a love of hymns in particular.

In the summer of 2008, Andrew composed the East Barnet Mass for use in our weekly worship at St Mary’s, and other compositions have been performed by the choir.

In addition to his work at St Mary’s, Andrew also directs a small occasional choir who perform at St Mary’s once or twice a year. In his spare time, Andrew can often be found somewhere between London and Northampton where much of his partner Dinah’s work as a choreographer is based.

After many years, he is still trying to avoid that ‘clip round the ear’.

Anne Kruse

Parish Co-ordinator

Anne became our Parish Coordinator in September 2008.  She is a former teacher and a relative newcomer to St Mary’s, having joined the church after attending our Wednesday evening Meditation Group.

She is now running the parish office on weekdays from 10am to noon (and some!) and is usually the first point of contact for people enquiring about church like and the many activities associated with St Mary’s.

Anne is mainly Finchley based were she is an allotment assistant and sous chef for the family. She also enjoys digging of a different kind and hopes to help with Roman excavations at Vindolanda this year.

Jon Simpson

Church warden

Born and brought up in London in the very early 1960s Jon spent his teenage years in Cheshire, hence his unwavering support for the now defunct Chester City FC. He returned to London after 6th Form and joined the Metropolitan Police where he has tried to keep the Queen’s Peace for nearly thirty years with many adventures along the way and insights into human life in all its up’s and down’s.

The son of a clergyman, the traditions of the Church of England run through his veins and he soon felt very much at home at St. Mary’s when he moved to East Barnet in 1992. He has been on the PCC for a number of years and can be seen occasionally seen swinging the incense around as part of the Sacristy Team.

Married to Sue and with two lovely teenage daughters; Emily and Elle, Jon can be spotted in the Village nipping in and out of Ladbrokes and the Prince of Wales.  All those years as a Copper have made Jon very much a pupil of the “Johnny Walker School of wisdom”, although he prefers Jameson’s.