Parish of Mickleham - Rev Barbara Steadman-Allen

Parish of Mickleham - Barbara Steadman-Allen
About Barbara
Barbara’s Birthday Bash 2003
Barbara's last Sunday, 5th September 2004

Barbara Steadman-Allen - Priest in Charge 1999-2004: Barbara was born into the world-wide famous Salvation Army family, and was a happy member for over 30 years.

Attended Wycombe Abbey School (Anglican boarding school) and maintained links with local Anglican Church on leaving - so always truly ecumenical.

Trained as musician at Birmingham University and taught music in a variety of secondary schools - Manchester, Southampton, Chichester and Guildford.

From Guildford Barbara went into training for the ministry at Durham. Her first title post was in Chessington, then Chertsey, then Mickleham - bouncing between exits 9 and 11 on the M25. As Chaplain in Box Hill School her main task was building bridges to young people, through informal encounters and timetabled teaching groups.

Having united benefice with the Parish of Leatherhead, Barbara was "seeking the mind of God for what's next". Her interests - 2 Border terriers, long distance footpaths, watching drama - on TV, video or theatre. Her latest hobby is dinghy sailing. Now she's off to be Team Vicar at South Holmwood.

Barbara’s Birthday Bash [from July/August 2003 magazine] Over 100 parishioners, family and friends, including many from her past parishes of Chertsey and Chessington, celebrated the birthday of the Rev Barbara Steadman-Allen in Mickleham Village Hall on Easter Saturday, 19th April. The hall was festooned with banners and balloons showing that it was a special birthday and, as is usual in Mickleham, guests partook of an excellent buffet. Barbara was presented with an Easter Egg (of course) and a cheque from the parish enabling her to buy a new soprano saxophone. An amazing number of guests stood up to have an enjoyable and energetic lesson on how to dance the salsa and the evening ended with a jazz session led by Barbara and her guests.
Joan Carter

Mary Huggins adds … ‘Yesterday I was 49, today I’m 30’. So proclaimed the badges on Barbara’s jacket on Easter Saturday. What could be more appropriate than celebrating your 50th birthday at the same time as the Christian world is rejoicing in their most important festival. The newly-blonde birthday girl, elegant in floaty designer black (with Pentecostal flames), responded to John Banfield’s toast, blew out her candles and cut her (delicious, chocolate) cake. We all ate far too much, as the spread surpassed even the parish’s usual gourmet excellence. We attempted a quiz: ‘How well do you know BSA?’ Jolly difficult – colour of eyes and is there a second Christian name – not too taxing, but how many times has she changed the colour of her hair? And that meant in a lifetime – not just this year!

After all that eating and thinking we got down to the serious activity of the evening – learning to salsa. What fun that was. It was almost more fun watching the antics of the great and the good on the dance floor – it would be invidious to mention names – oh, well, if you insist, a certain soon to be re-elected councillor strutted his stuff with aplomb!
All too soon the evening came to an end with brilliant jazz performed by a small combo of family and friends. It was a splendid evening; a great way to kick off the Easter celebrations; and most of all Brilliant, Salsa-fying and Amazing.

from Canon David Eaton, in the September 2004 parish magazine
An ending and a beginning
We say goodbye this month to Rev’d Barbara Steadman-Allen as parish priest in Mickleham after five-and-a-half years of ministry here. Barbara has made a strong contribution to church and village life. She has brought vision, enthusiasm and a caring and spiritual ministry which has been much appreciated. She moves now to serve as Incumbent in the Parish of South Holmwood and we wish her every happiness as she does so. Barbara’s last service at St Michael’s will be at 10 o’clock on Sunday 5th September. I hope that as many people as possible will be able to attend and come to the reception afterwards.

One of Barbara’s achievements has been to see through a pastoral reorganisation of the parish, in ecclesiastical terms, so that Mickleham is now part of the United Benefice of Leatherhead and Mickleham. This means that the next priest at Mickleham, who will live in the Rectory, will be on a House-for-Duty basis. This arrangement is quite common throughout the church. A priest is appointed to serve for usually three days a week, including Sunday, in exchange for living in the parsonage house. In addition, in Mickleham’s case, it is hoped that the same person will continue with the Chaplaincy at Box Hill School, although this is a separate and independent arrangement. The Vicar of Leatherhead is the Incumbent of the United Benefice, has overall responsibility and will appoint the House for Duty priest. I am progressing these arrangements in liaison with the bishop, the churchwardens and the headmaster of Box Hill School. I hope to be able to make an announcement during this coming autumn. I do not anticipate a new priest being in post before the New Year.

In the meantime services will continue as at present at St Michael’s with services on Sundays at 8 and 10am. There will be one monthly service at Westhumble on the second Sunday of each month at 11.30am. This will be Prayer Book Matins. I am not able to continue the monthly Communion service at Westhumble for the time being, but Prayer Book Communion will be celebrated at 8am at St Michael’s on the fourth Sunday, as on other Sundays.

The Rev’d David Ireland serves as non-stipendiary priest in the parish and his ministry is widely appreciated and respected. I am grateful to David for being willing to take the lion’s share of services during this coming autumn. I will also lead, as will my colleague, Rev’d Briony Martin. There will be some occasions when a locum priest will be required to cover services.

Like any parish, Mickleham is dependent on not only its clergy but also on an able team of lay people who carry out responsibilities and ministries in their own right. I am grateful to everyone for being willing to do so. Both myself and the churchwardens are available if you wish to contact us. Enquiries for baptisms and weddings should be made initially to Rose Spence: 01372 377201.
David Eaton

Barbara's last Sunday, 5th September 2004

At the Reception at Box Hill School, David Eaton had this to say of Barbara: "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, thank you for coming. Our sincere thanks to Mark Eagers and Box Hill School for today's Buffet and hospitality, and apologies from both churchwardens who are abroad at the moment.

Over the last five years Barbara has combined two roles in this parish - Priest in Charge of St Michael's and Westhumble and Chaplain at Box Hill School. Mark will speak about Barbara's school role in a moment.

Barbara has achieved a number of important things during her time at Mickleham & Westhumble. She has combined the roles of Priest and Chaplain successfully: not easy as each role has the potential to make a full time job. Box Hill School is a significant presence in Mickleham and Barbara has been a well-liked and well-loved bridge between school and village, and played a similar role at St Michael's School as well.

When Barbara came here the Bishop whispered sweet nothings in her ear, but one of the things he targeted her with was pastoral reorganisation of the parish. This was because like every other diocese in the country, Guildford needed (and still needs) to 'downsize' on its number of incumbencies.

Bishops whispering sweet nothings? source: Haslam

Barbara has successfuly enabled that transition to take place. I would be the first to say that it isn't easy to have another Vicar arriving on your doorstep thinking he might have ideas about how things should go in your parish! I am grateful to Barbara that we have been able to 'knock along together' successfully and work out a new relationship between Leatherhead and Mickleham.

Barbara has her own distinctive style to work here. She has considerable skill and knowledge in ministry. Her musical expertise and know-how are to the highest level and she has been a member of the RSCM Council. She has keen insight into the world of the Bible and is enthusiastic in teaching and presenting. She has a depth of spiritual awareness and heart for vision and prayer. She has been willing to try new things and believed in other people's gifts and abilities, as well as her own. Barbara has proved able to support others in time of need and believes in the church and its importance in a secular age.

An elderly Bishop recently retired from General Synod. The Archbishop said in tribute "he was someone who brought his own china shop." It's not so much that Barbara brings her own china as the cappucino to put in it! When you meet her she gives you a lift by her zest for life, by her exuberance. Any comparison to bulls is entirely inappropriate - but guide dogs to the blind might be.

Barbara has the gift of friendship and concern for others. She has been loved and accepted by all ages. If china shops rings at all true it is because with Barbara you never quite know what will happen next, she keeps you on your toes - she is sometimes surprising and unexpected. It's an endearing quality and we love her for it.

Barbara, we are considerably in your debt for all you have given and achieved over the last five years. Thank you."

Mark Eagers, Headmaster of Box Hill School and Rev David Ireland, Barbara's colleague during much of the last five years, also spoke.

".. and then of course there was the question of what would the hair colour be this week": source Haslam

Barbara, you will be greatly missed, for the colour you have brought into our lives……even for those like me who are partially colour blind. South Holmwood will enjoy your ministry and your many gifts, and we meanwhile give thanks for them, and would like to show our appreciation

Rose Spence presents Barbara with a print of St Michael's: Barbara gleefully spots 'Look, no pews!'
The other thing Barbara's holding - see below: source Haslam

A signature quilt gift with 120 panels, put together by Alison Wood: source Haslam

Mark Eagers: I've now got the graveyard shift (Monday morning assembly) so brilliantly filled by Barbara: source Haslam

from the October 2004 magazine
Goodbye to Barbara – with music and sunshine
Eighteen months before there had been a flurry of brown envelopes being exchanged between most of Mickleham and Westhumble and Alison Wood. What did they contain? Inside there were comprehensive instructions, a special pen and a piece of white fabric. Around 150 people wrote messages on the strips and Alison pieced them with blue and yellow squares to make a most beautiful quilt – there is a photograph in Rose’s Stores showing it in situ. And what was this all for? Well, it was one of the leaving presents for Barbara Steadman-Allen whose last Sunday was to be 5th September.

For the week before little groups of people had been seen clutching sheets of paper and scurrying secretively to a house (with a piano) in Mickleham. The choir too were preparing a surprise.

The day arrived; the sun shone; and the church was absolutely packed. As Barbara said in her sermon – it was lovely to see so many faces in church that day which she had spent the previous 5½ years hoping would come! But what a testimony to her ministry in the parish of Mickleham and Westhumble that everybody wanted to be associated with her last Sunday. The choir revealed the reasons for their previous secrecy when they surprised her by singing a hymn she had composed nearly 30 years previously. The communicants kept on coming up the aisle – more wafers had to be consecrated – and, after a joyful service, during which at least 11 hymns were sung (a tribute to Barbara’s formidable musical expertise), the choir sent everyone on their way with Parry’s glorious anthem, ‘I was glad’ (no significance in the words whatsoever!).

Box Hill School had done us proud with the food and drink – we enjoyed the sunshine and good company before the speeches and presentations in the McComish Hall. Speeches by three reverends and one head-master – that’s pretty good – we don’t usually run to that sort of grandeur. David Eaton and David Ireland paid tribute to Barbara’s work in the parish: successfully uniting the benefice with St Mary’s, Leatherhead, her friendliness, her musicality, her Christian ministry, her work with the young… The list is endless.

Mark Eagers gave us a graphic description of the most recent Flag Service – which appeared to feature most of the components of a small boat – and thanked Barbara for all she had done at Box Hill School. Rose Spence presented her with a nicely large cheque and a print of the interior of the church, before its Victorian ‘improvements’; The Sunday Club made another presentation, including balloons; and Alison presented the quilt. It was lovely to look at it afterwards and see the good wishes and thoughts of so many people. Alison had spread participation far and wide – even Doug Kirkpatrick in South Africa was there, and we were both sad and thankful to see Beryl Icke’s signature. Barbara’s affectionate speech of thanks was shorter than most of her sermons – but just as enjoyable. And we then sent her on her way with two more songs – the first a solo by Juliet Lowes with choir accompaniment specially arranged by John Batt, ‘If I can help somebody’; and then finally a very rousing rendition of ‘Goodbyee…’

It was a joyful, friendly day and so appropriate that the sun shone so brilliantly. South Holmwood is only down the road – so it is not Adieu but Au Revoir. Barbara has been such a huge part of this community – we shall miss seeing her rushing around the village. We wish her well and great happiness in the future.
Mary Huggins

from the November 2004 magazine
Barbara Steadman-Allen writes ... A short word to say thank you for the send off - over 200 gathered to make sure I'd gone (only joking) which was brilliant, since I had many genuine apologies from those who generally attend church. It was just good to see all my friends together, and to share the warmth of the occasion. I loved the friendship quilt put together by Alison et al from the individual blocks some of you had made and I hope you have seen a coloured picture of it in Rose's Stores. Thank you for all the things you have said to me both publicly and privately, the encouragements meant a lot.

Thinking of you and praying for you as I hope you are for us six miles down the road. People here are very warm and open and longing to forge ahead.

from the November 2004 magazine
Celebration of a New Ministry About five pews full of Mickleham and Westhumble parishioners were to be found in the wilds of South Holmwood at the Licensing and Installation of Barbara to what the service booklet called 'the cure of souls' at St Mary Magdalene Church on the evening of Thursday 7th October.

The theme of the service was Partnership - that between God and the 'people of God' - the whole Church, clergy and laity together. It was a splendid occasion, with not only the Bishop and the Rural Dean of Dorking taking a large part in the service, but also members of the congregation, local councillors and the MP. After hymns and prayers of preparation, Barbara was presented to the Bishop for licensing, swearing oaths of allegiance to both the Crown and the Church. She was taken to the belfry where she tolled the bell to signify the acceptance of office, next came the installation.

Barbara was welcomed by representatives of the Surrey Weald Team (South Holmwood, Newdigate and Capel) and parish - the churchwardens, the MP, representatives from the Mothers' Union and the WI, the Parish Council, the District Council and the Chairman of the local produce society.

A hymn was sung during which a procession went around the church stopping at the font, the altar, the lectern and the door, for symbolic presentations of water, bread and wine, the Gospels and the keys of the church. And then it was time for Barbara to lead the prayers, the exchange of the Peace and the notices - her first official duties as Team Vicar at South Holmwood. Delicious refreshments were then served in the church and we all had time to catch up with old and new friends. It was a lovely, friendly, welcoming service, much enjoyed by all who were there.
Mary Huggins

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last updated 1 Nov 2004