Rachel has been administrator since March 2011 and is responsible for church admin, activities in the Parish Centre, supporting the Vicar and any ad hoc projects.

Rachel first came to St James family service in September 2009 after thinking “there must be more to life.” After much reading, chatting and excitement she came to faith in Jesus soon after. During this changing time she was working in the Learning and Development team at Cambridgeshire County Council but decided to give it all up and see what happened. Months off work followed where she could help out with church activities like First Steps, youth group and even the Parish Council for a short time.

Rachel, who hales from Yorkshire and loves to visit whenever she can, lives in the village and has been married to Jim for 23 years, is mum to Maisie 21, Lola and Pip (the dogs!). She enjoys family time and visits back to Yorkshire.

Tim grew up in Wiltshire before moving to the Northeast to train for ordination and ended up staying to serve his Curacy. He has a particular interest in Anglican Ecclesiology, currently completing further study in this area. Tim is married to Beth who works across the globe as a Norland Nanny. They have two bouncy labradors, Deisel and Dottie. Tim and Beth have a passion to see lives transformed by the Gospel, believing that we are the hands and feet of Jesus, they encourage others to live out their Christian faith in ways that are corporate as well as private.

Heather can be contacted on 01480 830707 or by email on: safeguarding@churchbytheriver.org.uk
If you have a concern relating to safeguarding, please feel free to contact Heather.

This could be a concern about somebody else or about something which has affected you personally.

Catherine took over doing the accounts for the church in 2021 after 11 years out of paid employment to raise her children.  Having moved to Hemingford Abbots during covid she attends St James’ regularly with her husband Simon and two children.  She also enjoys sailing and volunteering with 1st Hemingfords Scout Group.

Ben oversees all the ministry for children and young people as well as families.
Ben joined in November 2017. Ben grew up in Portsmouth and enjoys going to watch Portsmouth Football Club when he visits. Ben studied for 4 years at Oak Hill Theological College in London. He enjoys playing a number of different sports and currently plays hockey with St Ives Hockey Club. Ben is married to Grace and they have two boys, Andrew and Greig.

Liz has a particular focus on preaching and ministry to the adults in the church. Married to Mike, they have three adult children and three grandchildren. She studied business and worked in book-selling and publishing before a complete career change to Chiropody, running her own practice for 12 years. Becoming a Christian at the age of 19 and, even after that, she spent a long time away from the church. This experience informs her passion to communicate the Bible using creative ways to connect with people; making sense whatever their state of faith.

Having always enjoyed textiles as a hobby.  She runs Create Space a group that meets to play with textiles, painting, writing, craft, baking and more, enabling people to be what we were all made to be – creative!

Liz completed her term as Chair of the Ely Diocesan Board of Readers (Licensed Lay Ministers) in 2020.

Gerald chose to be follower of the Lord Jesus Christ in his late teens and later became an Authorised Lay Minister in the Diocese of Chelmsford. He was licensed as a Reader (LLM) in 1990 and after moving to this area his license was transferred to the Ely Diocese in 2012. He enjoys leading worship and preaching when the opportunity arises. Gerald is a retired church architect and retains an interest in architecture, both ancient and modern. He is married to Jenny and they have two children and five grandchildren, and a garden that they do their best to maintain to the standard required by the more critical passers-by.

Judith helps to plan services as part of the ‘Sunday Team’ bringing classical skills and drawing from a variety of sources.  She plays the violin her father made for her in the 1950s, loves choir music and sings.

Judith had a career in teaching, last working in Special Needs support and loved seeing boys especially learn to read successfully  working as a Shrievalty Clerk assisting a High Sheriff and staff before she retired.

Judith has lived in the village for many years and enjoys family time with her 2 adult children and their families. Judith is well established in the village.  Half of their house was once the vicarage.  Since early Sunday School years Judith has grown up always believing that loving Jesus was the obvious thing to do.