Churchwardens
Our churchwardens are Matthew Shelley and Yara Ziadé. Born and bred in Bethnal Green, Matthew has been a member of our congregation his entire life. Originally from Lebanon, Yara has been attending church for around a decade, along with her teenage daughter. They can be contacted on [email protected].
Rector
St Matthew’s is currently in interregnum. As such, there is no rector at the present time. Services are, at the moment, being conducted by visiting priests.
Parish Secretary
Ben Faulkner is our parish secretary. Born and bred in the parish, Ben was baptised and confirmed at St Matthew’s and spent many Sundays of his childhood serving at the altar.
Parish Bookkeeper & Administrator
A loyal and dedicated servant of this parish for almost two decades, Dawn Bigsby is our Parish Bookkeeper, Administrator, PCC Clerk and Operations Assistant. Her email address is [email protected].
Treasurer
Alfred Kamara-Laye is our treasurer. Originally from Sierra Leone, Alfred and his family have attended St Matthew’s for the best part of two decades. This is his second stint in the role.
Lay Vice Chair
Olivia Blanning, a lifelong churchgoer who has been very active at St Matthew’s throughout the current vacancy, is our lay vice chair (currently Chair in the absence of a rector).
Safeguarding Officer
Zena Hussein, an active local member of our community who has helped around church for many years, is our safeguarding officer. For full Safeguarding information for our Parish and the London Diocese, please visit our Safeguarding page.
Director of Music
Our Director of Music and Sunday organist is Jonathan Ticher. Also a trombone player, Jonathan has spent most of his adult life in London and been at St Matthew’s, heading up our musical events, for the past three years.
Deanery Synod Representative
Zena Hussein is also our Deanery Synod Representative.
Deputy Wardens
Our Deputy Wardens are Andrea Silva-Goncalves and Mario Sepulveda. Originally from Brazil, Andrea and her teenage son have been attending and contributing to the life of St Matthew’s for many years. Hailing from Chile, Mario and his family have been around for two decades, supporting the church with maintenance and looking after our Watch House.
Parochial Church Council (PCC)
Our PCC consists of both ex-officio and elected members. Ex-officio are the two wardens, Matthew Shelley and Yara Ziadé and the Deanery Synod Rep., Zena Hussein. Those elected are Alfred Kamara-Laye, Lyn Shelley, Ben Faulkner, Olivia Blanning, Marilyn Maraj, Ingrid Doris, Stuart Faulkner, Mario Sepulveda and Andrea Silva-Goncalves. Lyn, Marilyn, Ingrid and Stuart are all seasoned parishioners who have played vital roles in the stability and growth of St Matthew’s for decades.
Complaints
Our parish’s complaints policy can be read in full in PDF format here.