Neil shares this latest news on behalf of the Portsmouth Diocese. Ed
An Isle of Wight church organist will be one of 15 church stalwarts to be given a special award by the Bishop of Portsmouth this Sunday (29th April).
John Cheverton will be thanked for a mammoth 63 years as Parochial Church Council (PCC) secretary at St Peter’s Church, Seaview, and 54 years as the church’s organist.
Hardly missed a service since 1941
Apart from holidays, he has hardly missed a service there since he joined the choir as a seven-year-old in December 1941.
He was also organist at the neighbouring St Helens Church for several years, and served as choir director in St Peter’s, Seaview.
St Thomas Award for wife, Molly
His wife, Molly, will also receive one of the St Thomas Awards – the annual award given by the Rt Rev Christopher Foster to faithful churchgoers who have spent years serving their church and local community. Recipients will be presented with the award during Evensong at Portsmouth Cathedral, at 6pm on Sunday (29th April).
Molly Cheverton was responsible for starting Community Friendship Lunches, which have linked lonely and bereaved people together twice a month for the past 20 years. She also ran a youth club locally, has been the mainstay of the local Mothers’ Union, assists with catering at many church events and volunteers as a Communion assistant.
CB radio community call system
John and Molly, who are both now 84, also ran a community call system with two-way CB radios, which brought comfort each morning to elderly members of the community for 20 years.
John said,
“I think I must have some built in loyalty that has kept me with the church – but of course it is also that I like doing everything that I do.
“I am not a person who likes to change very much – I was in my job for 43 years.
“My faith is a very strong part of that too. It is what keeps you going on through everything. If we go on holiday and it happens to start on a Sunday it really doesn’t feel right to me – I always feel I should be going to church on a Sunday.”
Thriving choir
When John and Molly were married at St Peter’s Church back in 1959, the choir stalls were sparsely filled and there were only two children. John made it his ambition to get a thriving choir back in the church.
Initial visits to Nettlestone Primary School involved him recruiting good singers to join the junior choir, and they soon became one of the larger church choirs on the Island.
Other awardees
Among others who will receive awards is Brenda Ellison has given faithful service to St John’s, Sandown, for years, as churchwarden and leader of the monthly Food for Thought service.
She has had a major co-ordinating role on the PCC, she manages the letting of two halls, and is central to many fundraising activities.
Rest in peace David Tamcken
One of the recipients, David Tamcken, from St Catherine’s Church, Ventnor, was preparing to receive his St Thomas Award, but sadly died suddenly last week (Fri 20 April).
He had served for many years as a Reader, confidant, friend and churchwarden to many.
He spent many years visiting and fundraising for the church’s link parish in Ghana, and has been involved in leading worship of different kinds at St Catherine’s, and the project to enhance the landscaping in its churchyard. His wife Shirley and their family plan to attend the service at Portsmouth Cathedral on Sunday (April 29) to receive the award on David’s behalf.
Third year for awards
This is the third year that Bishop Christopher has presented churchgoers with the St Thomas Award.
It is named after our cathedral, which is dedicated to St Thomas a Becket, who was Archbishop of Canterbury almost 1,000 years ago.
