The St. Mary's Island Church (LEP)
has sprung from a desire to plant a new church in the residential development
that is taking place on the Island. St. Mary's Island was part of Chatham
Dockyard. An earlier creek cut off the island from the main land but the
area was taken into the naval Dockyard in earlier centuries. Three large basins
were built over the creek and maintained the island as we know it today.
In 1994 the island was planned to be developed for mixed residential development
of some 1700 properties.
The island area of this time was
within the parish boundaries of St. Luke's Church. But the Diocese of
Rochester with the agreement of St. Luke's and St. Mark's PCC's decided that the
parish boundaries should be changed. This change put the new development
within St. Mark's Parish which it was decided was better equipped to provide a
church plant.
Earlier in the planning stage it was
agreed by the Education Authority and Diocesan Board of Education to provide a
Church AIDED Infant/Primary School on the Island. The School hall was
designed to have a dual - purpose primarily for School use but acting as a
Worship Centre for the island as well. While the development commenced an
Ecumenical Group met as an inter church committee and planned the way forward.
A number of Social events were held and services held at Christmas and Easter in
the open air.
The Church commenced as an Informal
Partnership of Anglican, URC (United Reformed Church) and Baptist denomination
and now meets every Sunday at 11am. It is anticipated that in the coming
year a formal LEP (Local Ecumenical Partnership) but already the Church on St.
Mary's Island is growing and making known the Good News of the Kingdom.
The new church has now been functioning for some 10 years, and has grown each
year with the members of the church after a service of confirmation members of
all 3 denominations who founded the church. You do not have to be a member
of all the denominations, but can, if you wish to retain your denominational
preference as some members have.
The people of St. Mary’s
Island Church enjoy doing things together and many of our activities
revolve around ‘food’. We hold regular socials e.g. Wine and Wisdom
evenings; Barn Dances etc. We have had trips to the theatre;
day trips to France and Family Fun days with BBQ’s . We also enjoy
walks/rambles together etc. But we remember that although our church
life revolves around food, we do remember that Our Lord Jesus Christ is
the 'Bread of Life' .
