There was a lovely dedication service on Sunday 22 October 2023 at the Holy Redeemer Lamorbey to celebrate the church’s 90th anniversary. The vicar, Rev. Mell Jemmett, gave a very poetic history of the church from its beginnings as a mission hall in 1909, surrounded by fields, woodland and flowing streams, to a unique church which opened on 21 October 1933, the first church to be built entirely of steel and concrete. The Bishop of Rochester, Rt Rev. Jonathan Gibbs, gave a sermon which emphasised that ‘place matters’ – where you live, the people you spend your time with, the community you identify with – these things are all important, and the Holy Redeemer is vital as a space for a broad range of activities for the whole community.

There was also the news that The Holy Redeemer has won the A Rocha UK Eco Church Gold Award for the way it looks after its land and buildings and its engagement with the local community.

Well done to Mell and all the members of the church who made this anniversary weekend so special.