By Rev Stewart

As I prepare to leave High Ongar, I’ve found myself lingering a little longer than usual—pausing at the church gate, noticing the way the light falls across the fields, listening to the quiet hum of village life that has become so familiar. It’s funny how, when a chapter is drawing to a close, the ordinary things suddenly feel precious.

Serving here has been one of the great privileges of my ministry. High Ongar has a way of welcoming people in without fuss or fanfare—just a steady warmth, a gentle humour, and a willingness to look after one another. I’ve seen it in the conversations after services, in the kindness shown to neighbours, in the quiet faithfulness of those who keep this church and community going week by week.

So I want to say thank you. Thank you for your patience, your encouragement, your honesty, your laughter, and your trust. Thank you for letting me share in your joys and sorrows, your celebrations and your questions. Thank you for the cups of tea, the doorstep chats, the stories, and the moments of prayer that have shaped my time here more than you know.

As I move on, I do so with deep gratitude—and with real hope for this place. Because the heart of Christian faith is not nostalgia for what has been, but confidence in what God is doing next. Scripture reminds us that “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases… his mercies are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22–23). That promise has carried me through many seasons, and I believe it will carry this community too.

We follow a Lord who specialises in new beginnings, who meets us on the road ahead, who turns uncertainty into possibility. Jesus says, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age”—a reminder that wherever we go, we do not go alone.

High Ongar has a future held firmly in God’s hands. And I believe that the seeds of faith, kindness, and community already planted here will continue to grow.

My prayer for you is simple: May you keep discovering the God who walks beside you, who strengthens you, who surprises you with grace, and who leads you into life.

Thank you for everything. You will remain in my prayers and in my heart.

With gratitude, Stewart