Forty people from across Sussex awarded Bishop's Order of St Richard

The Order of St Richard Awards were launched in 2019 by the Bishop of Chichester, Dr Martin Warner to recognise exceptional Christian service in deaneries, parishes and communities.

Each recipient is nominated by their parish clergy and one other supporting person.

Many of those awarded attended the ceremony, travelling from parishes in the east and west of the diocese with friends and supporters from their churches. The Bishop of Horsham, Ruth Bushyager, welcomed them and presented them with a lapel badge and a certificate.

The event was also supported by civic leaders. In attendance were the Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex Lady Emma Barnard, Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex Andrew Blackman, the High Sheriff of East Sussex Mr Richard Bickersteth and wife Rachel and the members of the selection panel: Sara Stonor DL ( Chairman), Fiona Bell, Phoebe Cameron, Paul Legrave, Ewart Woodridge

Among those receiving the order was Sue and Mowle Atkins from Hove. They were married in 1974 at All Saints, Hove, and have continued serving faithfully in the same church ever since.

Sue, 69, has held several roles including safeguarding officer, serving on the Parochial Church Council and as a server, a role she has shared for many years with husband Mowle. They have also been instrumental in maintaining a vibrant culture by running the 1stHove Scout Group for more than 45 years and volunteering for the many activities in the church that support vulnerable people in the community.

Sue said: “It is a lovely thing to receive. We were not expecting it and we are really pleasantly surprised to get the award. It is nice to know that we have made a difference.

“We are all called to serve in one way or another and one of the highlights for me has been to see many fellow servers over the years go on to be ordained into the Church of England.”

Sue works as the PA to the Archdeacon of Chichester and Archdeacon of Horsham and is the stipends administrator at Church House Hove, a role she will retire from in December.

Ebenezer (Eb) Cottingham, 83, has been worshipping at St Mary the Virgin, Barcombe, for about 25 years. He has had many roles including serving as a church warden and as a wedding and funeral verger as well as being a grounds keeper and gardener.

On receiving news he was to be awarded the Order of St Richard he said he felt blessed, adding: “Our rector read the letter I received from Bishop Martin at the end of our morning service and the applause I thought would never end. I just felt so humbled to feel the congregation agreeing with the award. I do want to say, not unto me but unto our Lord Jesus Christ be all the glory, for my prayer is to imitate Jesus in my service to our church and parish.”

Gerald Gresham, 82, moved from London to Tillington, near Petworth, and found the community he had always been looking for.

He was quickly involved in the local church and continues to sweep the path and wind the clock. He also is involved with the local Churches Together at Petworth and is a member of 28 other community organisations.

His faith became real and relevant when he went forward at a Billy Graham event at Earls Court in 1966.

He said: “I am amazed and thrilled to receive the Order of St Richard, thank you on behalf of the community.”

John Bourdon from St Michael and All Angels, Eastbourne, became a member of the church on Easter Sunday 1996. He said: “I became churchwarden in 1998 and continued until 2011 when I took a break. In 2017 I took on the position once again where I remained until 2022. I spent 12 years as Eastbourne Deanery lay chairman working with three different rural deans and I was on the Diocesan Synod for six years.

“During my time as churchwarden, I project managed the reordering of the church, working closely with our PCC, architect, contractors and the Diocesan Advisory Committee. On the completion of the reordering we had a new central altar and the congregation worshipping in the round.

“I feel very privileged and humbled to have been nominated and selected to receive the Order of St Richard. I was most surprised and delighted when I received the letter from Bishop Martin in June informing me of the award.”

Christine Allington from Holy Cross, North Bersted, was surprised when she was notified of the award as she I did not feel she really deserved it.

She said: “On my father’s side I have a number of rectors in my ancestry and, although my father wasn’t a priest his father was and my father and mother always went to church and so did my two sisters and I. So, when my husband and I came to live here almost 50 years ago it seemed normal to join in with activities in the church and so it’s continued to this day.

“At 90 I don’t do so much now but am still a lay minister and enjoy taking communion to housebound parishioners.”

Peter Thompson is from the parishes of Wadhurst, Stonegate and Tidebrook. He said the work he had willingly undertaken, firstly in the Methodist Church and then in the Church of England, was in response to God’s calling. He said: “I was admitted as a Reader in 2014 and also became a member of the finance committee of the PCC and retired as a Reader on April 30 this year at the age of 77.

“I was so surprised to receive the letter from the bishop telling me I had been awarded the Order of St Richard. As well as surprised, I also felt overwhelmed that kind people in the benefice felt I was worthy of the honour.”

Robert Bailey of All Saints Church, Crowborough, was brought up in a Christian household in Hastings just after the Second World War and was a boy chorister for four years. Soon after he was confirmed he moved away from the area for work. He moved to Crowborough with his wife Cynthia in 1988, with both becoming members of the All Saints Church family and undertaking a variety of roles within the church.

Robert was amazed to receive an official looking envelope with a letter from Bishop Martin saying he had been awarded The Order of St Richard. He said: “Without doubt I was astonished, greatly moved and felt most humble in receiving the award recognising my contribution to the local community and the church.”

Sheila Massey from St Laurence, Falmer, has worshipped in the church, part of the parish of Stanmer with Falmer for more than 40 years.

She believes being part of the laity in the Church of England is about being part of a team and that, she says, has been her fortunate experience.

In the 1960s Shirley was a member of the Guild of St Richard (for young communicants) and secretary of the branch of what was then her church, St Thomas a Becket, Lewes. She said: “The mutual support of the congregation in recent long vacancies reinforced the strong feeling of community and as a PCC secretary I welcomed the friendly and skilled assistance of staff at Church House.

“It will be a privilege to receive the award, a good reminder of my formative years in the life of the Church in Sussex.”

The full list of all recipients and the parishes they represent:

Brighton and LewesSue and Richard Atkins All Saints, HoveSylvia Coombe St Luke, SuttonEbenezer Cottingham St Mary the Virgin, Barcombe Jack Harland St Nicholas, Saltdean William Holden St Peter, West Blatchington Sheila Massey St Laurence, Stanmer with Falmer Shirley Ross St Wulfran, Ovingdean John Stamper St Mary the Virgin, Ringmer

ChichesterMichael and Christine Abbott St Mary Magdalene and St Denys, MidhurstChristine Allington Holy Cross, North Bersted Pam Brooks St Peter and St Paul, Rustington John and Elizabeth Clark St Laurence, Lurgashall Christine and Roger Dallyn St Bartholomew, Egdean Gerald Gresham Cooke All Hallows, TillingtonJane Healey St Mary and St Gabriel, HartingAnn Kaiser St Mary, Pulborough Ann Salinger St Mary, SullingtonMaureen Warwick St Anne, East Wittering Wendy Whittle Holy Trinity, Bosham

HastingsRobert Bailey All Saints, Crowborough John Bourdon St Michael and All Angels, Eastbourne Judith Hardy St Denys, Rotherfield with Mark CrossAlan Hooper Christ Church, FairwarpMargaret Kowszun St John Meads, Eastbourne Suzanne Parrott All Saints, Sidley Victoria Patterson St Bartholomew, Burwash Jacqueline Scott St Peter and St Paul, Wadhurst Peter Thompson St Peter, Stonegate Derek Wheatley St Richard, Langney and Sovereign HarbourGillian Youngman Holy Cross, Uckfield

HorshamHoward Bristow Holy Trinity, South Crawley Patricia Burdock St Peter, Henfield with St Giles, Shermanbury and St Peter Woodmancote Vicky Chase St Giles, Graffham Nigel Cheater St Peter, Ardingly Gillian Crook All Saints, Crawley Down Celia Davis St Andrew, Burgess Hill Marion Lott St Giles, Horsted KeynesAnne and Graham Rumney St Mark, HolbrookGill Squires Holy Trinity, Cuckfield