About St Mary’s

We are a church of all ages, from diverse backgrounds and with the whole range of faith experience. Wherever you are on your journey of faith, whether you’ve been a believer for years, or you’ve never stepped foot in a church, you will find a community ready to welcome you. Whether you like the lively and loud, or the quiet and contemplative, St Mary’s offers something for everyone, we’d love to meet you.

- Revd Ben Baker

At St Mary’s Bearwood our life together is shaped by three core commitments :

  • We find joy and purpose in connecting with God. Everything flows from this relationship as we delight in and live from His everlasting love. We worship in different ways, united in prioritising His presence.

  • We are all somewhere on the journey of following Jesus. His life showed us the best way to live, and his death and rising again gives us the power to live a life like him. We want to be shaped by him and support one another in living out his word and example.

  • We believe that Jesus is good news for our community. We are led to share the good news of God’s love in both our words and our actions, as individuals and together. We pray that God’s will be done, and his kingdom come in Bearwood as it is in heaven.

St Mary’s Church has a rich history of over 130 years, built to serve the growing community of Bearwood in the 1880s. It has now for over a century been at the heart of Bearwood, both in its location opposite Aldi on the Bearwood Road and in its community activity which serves the needs of local people.

In 2022, with support from Church of England Birmingham and St John’s Harborne, St Mary’s embarked on a new chapter of revitalisation, seeking new life in our church and community.

This brought renewed energy to the church’s mission to be sharing the good news of God’s great love with all in the Bearwood area. With old and new we are a diverse church that brings together a breadth of tradition and personality, united in our desire to share the love of God with our neighbours. We’d love you to join us on this journey.

Meet the Staff Team

  • Ben Baker

    VICAR (STAFF TEAM)

  • Sarah Down

    CURATE (STAFF TEAM)

  • Roz Tang

    CHILDREN & FAMILIES WORKER (STAFF TEAM)

  • Raphael Odor

    OPERATIONS MANAGER (STAFF TEAM)

  • Millie Ferguson

    COMMUNITY OUTREACH CO-ORDINATOR (STAFF TEAM)

  • Jasmine Palmer

    COMMS & MEDIA LEAD (STAFF TEAM)

  • Ruth Downing

    BUILDINGS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT MANAGER (STAFF TEAM)

  • Ben Tucker

    ORDINAND (STAFF TEAM)

  • Pete Dalton

    REVITALISATION LEAD (STAFF TEAM)

Our PCC are our elected trustees who are responsible for the governance of St Mary’s.

The PCC is comprised of:

Our elected Church Wardens, Frank Herbert and Ben Prentice.

Our clergy, Rev Ben Baker, Rev Sarah Down and Rev Pete Dalton.

Our elected lay reps, John Bamford, Alison Carter, Ian Chadwell, Ben de Waal, Chris Midgley, Eric Ngugi, and Jennie Walsden.

Our elected reps to Deanery and Diocesan Synod, Elizabeth Brazell, Will Tomlinson, Ben Tucker and Ian Thorley.

Join us on SUndays.

Sundays