Who’s Who at Eltham Park

Minister: Rev’d Richard A. J. Grocott BSc

Richard has been our minister since September 2018. He came to us from Wandsworth where he had served two multi ethnic churches. He also served for 11 years as a Methodist Mission Partner in Italy, this included 5 years at the English language Methodist Church in Rome (Ponte Sant’ Angelo) and 6 years as minister to two Italian Language Methodist Church in the Veneto region of North East Italy.

Richard is married to Carol and they have a son named John. Richard has a passion for gospel preaching and pastoral ministry. He loves working with children both in the life of the church and in schools. He plays the guitar and encourages worship that embraces a variety of styles from traditional to contemporary.

Richard writes, ‘I am delighted to serve as Minister to Eltham Park Methodist Church. My prayer is that together to we can build a happy church which engages with its community and offers the Gospel of Jesus Christ all who come seeking truth and meaning in their lives.

Organist: Augustine Aaron

On 11th January, our organist, Augustine Aaron, had been playing for our Sunday services for a wonderful 25 years! He is so very faithful and reliable that we rather take him for granted, but at our Minister’s suggestion, we felt that this occasion should be marked in some way to show our very real appreciation of all the lovely music he has brought to our services week after week – for 25 years! And still going strong!

On Sunday 14th January, Rev’d Stephen Maunder presented Gus with a glass bowl inscribed with an engraving of the building and a message from the church: To Gus, from your friends at Eltham Park Methodist Church, in appreciation of 25 years of beautiful music’. This was appropriately incorporated into our annual Covenant Service.

Local Preacher: Garry Young

Garry Young regularly leads services in this and other Methodist churches in the area. He has been a local preacher since 1998, but this is not his job.

“I do it because I believe I have a very important role to play in proclaiming the Christian message of God’s love for all. In a practical sense, the Methodist church relies heavily on its local preachers as they lead about four out of every five church services. But their importance is much larger than this.

I believe that it is essential that ordinary men and women can stand up and talk about their faith and relate it to the world around them. A crucial aspect of this is that we come from all walks of life and often have very different perspectives.

My own background is that I am a Londoner and I work as a professional economist giving advice on setting interest rates. Other local preachers have different backgrounds and so are able to talk about their faith from different angles and apply it to different situations.

We are not saints, although we try to live good lives, and we are not experts on the Bible, although we are fairly well versed in it, but together we are able to present a faith that connects with the experiences of the people who come into the church.

Faith is mysterious. I believe, many don’t. Why is this?
I think it’s deliberate. God reveals just enough of himself that there is room for both faith and doubt. This gives us a choice of whether to follow him or not and it is in the following that we find him.

For all his words, John Wesley’s testimony to God is that he found his ‘heart strangely warmed’. I think I know what he means”.

Marion Thompson
Toddler and Messy Church Leader and Church member

Eltham Park Methodist has been my family’s Church since the 1920s.

To support the church’s aim of involving local community, particularly young families, in worship and activities at Eltham Park, I am a member of the teams who deliver Toddler Church and Messy Church.

I have a role in the Church’s responsibility for the Safeguarding of children and the vulnerable. I am also part of the Property team looking after the buildings.

My Christian faith is important to me and I try to demonstrate the meaning of my Christian faith in the way I live my life.

Megan Roberts

I have been going to Eltham Park Methodist Church for about 55 years and was once a Sunday School teacher here.

I am currently a church steward and Missions Secretary. I am involved in a number of voluntary projects in the local community, including those which work with people with learning difficulties and mental health issues, and a Trustee of the local Almshouses.

I have been part of the team organising our Church’s monthly Lunch Club for the last 25 years or so.