Meet the Eldership Team:
Minister - Position vacant
Church Officers
Val Gill - Church Secretary
Val grew up here when it was Goring Congregational Church, going through our Junior Church and Girls Brigade with her sisters, and during her teens she was very much involved with the GURC Youth Club.
She is married to Graeme and they have two grown up children and three grandchildren.
Val has played a major part in helping to lead our Little Fishes Playgroup for pre-school children.
She became a Church Member in 1989 and was inducted to the eldership in 2019 and has been Church Secretary since 2020.
She enjoys a variety of hobbies, and with her husband enjoys cycling on veteran and modern bicycles.
Hilary Redman - Pastoral Secretary
Hilary moved to Worthing, from London in 1958. She, with her family, started to worship at the then Goring Congregational Church, now URC and has been here ever since!!
She became a member of the church in 1968 and later served in Junior Church - she is a retired a Primary School Teacher.
Hilary was ordained as an elder in 1988, and later became the Pastoral Secretary. She also served as Church Secretary for about 5 years.
She trained as an URC Local Lay Preacher and was accredited in 2012.
She and husband, Graham have two sons and two grandchildren.
Matthew Smith - Church Treasurer
Matthew was raised and educated in Scotland, joining the Inland Revenue in 1966, where he spent 42 years doing a wide range of jobs, all financially based, which took him up and down the country.
He met Wilma in 1969 and they were married in 1971. They have a son and daughter, and four granddaughters.
He says he came to the Lord in about 1972, and first became an Elder in the Church of Scotland.
After moving to Worthing he became attached to this church in 1977, and was inducted as an elder of the URC in the early nineties,
He has filled the post of Church Treasurer since 2000.
Serving Elders
( in alphabetical order )
Val Berry
Val grew up in Brockham, a small village in Surrey where she attended Sunday School. She was confirmed in the Church of England.
She started work in the finance department of a psychiatric hospital and then later in a bank.
In 2006 she took early retirement and moved to Goring with her husband, Rick. Sadly he died in 2018.
Val became member here in 2019 and elected to the eldership in 2021.
She likes to spend time with her family, walking and playing croquet.
She has two daughters and four grandchildren.
Valerie Cooper
Coming from a non-church family, Valerie was led to Jesus by a work colleague when she was 17.
Since then, she has been actively involved with church life, initially Congregational then URC, serving on the Guide and Scout Fellowship committee, attending the first Youth Assembly, and going on the first Zambia Journey.
She has been an elder here for some time and has previously served as Church Secretary.
Married to Alan they with their three children moved to Worthing in 1997. Their two daughters are married each having their own families, one locally and the other in Canada.
Their son Jonathan lives at home and can be seen on the sound desk when not at work.
Caroline Hibbs
Caroline grew up in Worthing, joining the Sunday school here when she was 9 years old. She became a full church member in 1995 and was ordained as an Elder in 2017.
Using her considerable experience in admin she is responsible for Pulpit Supply, inviting and engaging visiting preachers to our pulpit.
She also brings to Goring her artistic and practical skills in textiles. She deigns our banners, which enhance our worship and draws friends alongside to help to make them.
Now retired she enjoys walking with her husband David, exploring long distance paths, Monarchs Way and South Downs Way being just two.
They have two girls and two grandchildren.
Mary Redman
Mary joined the church in 2005 when she moved to Worthing shortly after her marriage to Paul.
She was elected and ordained as an Elder in 2018.
She enjoys her favourite pastime every day in her job as a music teacher in both primary and secondary schools.
During the recent lockdown, she spent many hours home educating.
She brings her gift of teaching to us as leader of our Junior Church and founding the Puppet Club. She with others has made lovely films of the puppets, illustrating the Christmas and Easter events. She is Deputy Safeguarding Lead within the Church.
Paul and Mary have two children who keep them very busy.
Ryan Thomas
Mary
Ryan, a local lad, has lived in the Worthing area his entire life.
With Susie he started attending this church in 2002, becoming a member a few years later.
He was called to the Eldership in 2011 and has chaired both the Outreach and Property Management Groups.
He can regularly be seen on the vision desk from where he provides the words, images and videos for the congregation as well as streaming the live services.
He sees one of his roles as modernising the church, in service presentation and behind the scenes work.
He has a career in information and communications technology.