Diocese of Chichester

The churchwardens and congregation of St Barnabas Church in Sea Road, Bexhill have much to celebrate, even though the church is on the National Churches Trust (NCT) At Risk register.

Thanks to a grant from the NCT the church can now look forward to a bright future.

St Barnabas has a rich history, both in the building and its presence in the town, and is held in special affection by the local community.

The Grade 2 listed building (Bexhill’s second largest) was designed by distinguished Victorian architect Sir Arthur Blomfield and plans for the future of the church are in line with its history of social outreach.

Churchwarden Angela Wyle said, “Sadly, St Barnabas needs much repair and updating and has been placed on the A list of Heritage at risk.”

A feasibility study was conducted which noted: "St Barnabas is a treasure to celebrate - a lovely generous space, with some fascinating and unusual features - well worth investigating.”

But there is no doubt that major interventions were needed, to meet the costs of major repairs and to adapt the building to ensure a long-term viable future.

Angela said: “To support our plans to transition St Barnabas Church into a community hub, the National Churches Trust (NCT) granted £9,000 towards paying for an architect to give a design for the future. For this, I would like to express my grateful thanks to the NCT for their support.

"Finding the best way forward takes bravery, thought, and specialist help - and the National Churches Trust grant has enabled St Barnabas to grapple with the challenges it faces.”

The history of social outreach at the church was started by its first vicar, the Revd. Mortlock. He supported the poor of the town, providing a nurse to help with their medical needs. Recognising the need for children’s education, he also opened the first primary school — the building now houses the Bexhill library.

St Barnabas’ outreach continues today by accommodating the Homelessness Unity Group (HUG), and other support work such as bereavement and support groups and other social activities. Of course, the primary purpose of St Barnabas is worship and the pastoral care of the community.

The Parochial Church Council (trustees) are delighted to have the backing of Dr Edward Dowler, Archdeacon of Hastings, who has offered much practical advice and spiritual support. He says “I am delighted to be able to support the transition project at St Barnabas' Church. Since it was built in 1891, the church has stood as a beacon of the Christian faith in its town centre location. We hope that the project will continue to enable it to do so for many more years, whilst also opening up this spacious and sumptuous historic building and the surrounding land for a range of wider community uses”.

Deputy Churchwarden Russell Meredith said “This exciting news will help us prepare for the future. St Barnabas is a splendid building with a vast amount of space that needs to be adapted so that more in the community can make use of it.

Currently, we are without a vicar but we are looking for new ideas and volunteers to help expand our outreach and would be pleased to hear from anyone interested.”
St Barnabas aims to be a fully-committed community church and meeting point for everyone.

Please email judithdmeredith@yahoo.co.uk if you are interested in helping.