THE bells rang at St Andrew’s Church on Thursday, September 29, as parishioners closed a murky chapter in their church’s 900 year history and welcomed the new Rector of Farnham, Reverend David Uffindell and his family.

More than 300 people packed into St Andrew’s for the joyous occasion, which brought to an end a near-three year vacancy at Farnham’s landmark parish church after the suspension and eventual conviction of its previous vicar Simon Reynolds for fraud.

The service was led by the Bishop of Guildford Andrew Watson, whose sermon likened St Andrew’s struggles to Paul the Apostle’s search for salvation and, quoting the New Testament, repeatedly urged parishioners to “forget what is behind and strain towards what is ahead”.

This was followed by Rev Uffindell’s presentation, oaths, collation, induction and installation, as well as personal welcomes from key figures in the community including the Mayor of Farnham, John Ward.

Originally from Hull in East Yorkshire, where some of his family still live, Rev Uffindell, 54, has studied both law at Cambridge and theology at Oxford universities.

He has worked in church leadership for nearly 30 years, in Kingston-upon-Thames and in Tolworth, Surbiton, for 10 years, before going to Sunningdale in 1998 where he served as rector for 18 years before his appointment in Farnham.

He is married to Kathryn who is now a maths teacher at a girls’ comprehensive school near London after having spent 20 years as a solicitor. They have three grown-up children, Zoe, Tim and Josh, and an elderly springer spaniel called Fizz.

In his free time, Rev Uffindell lists his interests as music, reading, walking, entertaining, theatre, film and TV.

Addressing his new parish for the first time, Rev Uffindell said: “Thank you very much indeed for your kindness and your lovely welcomes. Thank you for coming this evening and being part of this wonderful celebration.

“We’re really delighted to be here and very much looking forward to getting started, at last!”

The family’s arrival in Farnham concludes a process that began with the preparation by the St Andrew’s parochial church council of a statement of the traditions and needs of the parish and its people, followed by meetings between the new priest and the elected parish representatives who, together with the Bishop of Guildford, agreed to the appointment.

Rather than dodge the controversies of St Andrew’s recent history during last week’s installation, the bishop Rt Rev Watson instead tackled Rev Reynold’s conviction and two-year jail sentence for defrauding his previous parish in Yorkshire head-on.

He based his sermon on the story of Paul the Apostle who was dedicated to the persecution of the early disciples of Jesus but found salvation not through “slavish obedience to the law” but through faith and his newfound belief in Jesus.

And, adding it is “extraordinarily powerful to think that Christians have worshiped on the site of St Andrew’s Church for nearly three quarters of the 2,000 year history of the Christian church”, he challenged parishioners to “pick yourselves up, dust yourselves down and continue the race with David alongside you as your new rector”.

“St Andrew’s as we know has just gone through one of the most challenging years, or series of years, of its long history,” said the bishop.

“It has been humbled, but seasoned, and while we should be deeply thankful to those who have kept their heads during that troubling time, we should also recognise that this church and its place within the community has somehow stumbled along the way.

“Tonight is not the night revisit the controversies surrounding your previous rector and his conviction for fraud. Nor is it the time to analyse the various responses to that troubling painful period, or to try to sort out exactly who was right, and who was wrong, which we will probably never be able to do.

“It may not even matter, as it didn’t for Paul. The prescription that the apostle would give us for tonight is just the prescription that he gave himself - forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead.”