Revd. Mike Coe – Rector

Mike is married to Lisa with 4 children aged from 12 to 28. He comes from Romford, Essex, and became a Christian aged 14. He has worked as a satellite dish salesman, a marketing executive, a Christian youth worker, an evangelist and a part-time college lecturer. He trained to be a minister in Oxford, followed by a three-year ‘apprenticeship’ in Northampton before coming to St. Matthews in the autumn of 2003. He is an avid supporter of West Ham United.

Alan Freeman

Alan is a member of the PCC and is on the Preachers and Teachers team.  He also leads one of our Home Groups.  He is married to Anne and they have three children. He enjoys nothing more than listening to The Beatles and reading Ian Rankin books.

Pauline Blythe

Pauline is our Church Administrator.  She keeps us all organised and manages the bookings for the St Matthew’s Church Centre.

Nigel Brett

Nigel is in his second term on the PCC and on the Property  sub committee.  He is married to Evelyn and they have two grown up children, Laura and Stephan.  His hobbies include model making, electric vehicles and reading.

Shirley Coulthard

Shirley is one of our deputy Churchwardens, a Deanery Synod representative, on the PCC and a homegroup leader.  She grew up, went to school and church in Tunbridge Wells, moving to St Matthews when getting married to David. After being widowed she continued at St Matthews and in the NHS, escaping in 2006 after 40 years service in Microbiology.  She is enjoying retirement and catching up on holidays and travel.

Jim Cox

Jim was elected to the PCC in 2009.  He is a member of the property sub-committee, a relief sidesman and a home group member.  Jim is a voluntary driver for the Hospice Day Therapy Centre and Association of Carers.  His hobbies include photography, embroidery and stamp collecting.  Jim disappears for 3 months each November to visit his daughter and family  in Tasmania.

Ed Towner

Ed is on the Preachers and Teachers team, a PCC member, Deanery Synod representative and a Home Group leader and has a Degree in Religious Studies. He also looks after our church website. Why am I writing this in the third person? Anyway, I support Harlequins Rugby Club, enjoy sailing and play the classical guitar really, really badly. My wonderful family are either really supportive or completely tone deaf.

And several others … who are either shy or who have yet to provide the poor, long-suffering Website Janitor with some text and/or a photo.