The Rt Revd Vivienne Faull, Bishop of Bristol, is delighted to announce that Revd Steve Paynter has been appointed as the next Rector of Lyddington and Wanborough, Bishopstone with Hinton Parva. Bishop Viv says: “I am delighted that Steve will be the next Rector of Lyddington and Wanborough, Bishopstone with Hinton Parva. He brings a wealth of experience from his ministry in London, where he has worked with all ages and connected with the community. I know that the villages will give a warm welcome to Steve and Jennie.”
Revd Steve grew up in Hampton Middlesex, studied Physics at Bath University before teaching in Wellsway School, Keynsham, for four years. He studied theology at Trinity College, Bristol, before being ordained in 1989. He served his curacy in Nailsea and then moved to Farnborough in Hampshire before taking up his post as the Vicar of the Parish of Ealing.
Steve says: “I look forward to joining the communities of Lyddington and Wanborough, Bishopstone with Hinton Parva in their worship and service of God, to begin to get to know them and find out what God is doing among them, and through them, and where that might lead us in the future. Just as these communities formed around sources of fresh water flowing from the Downs, so I pray that our ministry may open up new channels for God’s life-giving Spirit to flow into these places and its people.”
Steve’s special interests are mountain walking, cycling, sailing, bee keeping and virtually all things to do with the natural world. He has served as the Creation Care Lead in the Willesden Area of London for the past few years. He is married to Jennie and has four grown up sons: Jono, Dan, Matt and Luke and one enchanting granddaughter Lily.