Welcome to the Benefice of St Mary’s, Lamberhurst and St Luke’s, Matfield

It is our great pleasure to introduce you to our parishes of St Mary’s Lamberhurst and St Luke’s Matfield, situated in beautiful West Kent. Our church buildings are different (one quite ancient, one more modern) and much loved by church members and visitors alike.

Each Sunday morning at we hold a worship service in one or both parishes. On a Thursday morning we hold a shorter service of Holy Communion at St Mary’s, Lamberhurst. Our worship, like our buildings, shifts between more modern hymns and songs together with old classics. We have a range of activities and support for different age groups wthin our two communities. Each year we are pleased to hold services of baptism/christening, weddings and wedding anniversary blessings, funerals in church and at the local crematorium.

Our Benefice has been vacant for a year - but we are now so excited to report that we have a new Vicar!!

Reverend Karl Carpani will be joining us in July as Vicar of the Benefice of St. Mary’s Lamberhurst and St. Luke’s Matfield.

Karl served his curacy at St Marks Biggin Hill (Diocese of Rochester) after training for ordination at St John’s College Nottingham. Karl was the Incumbent of The Benefice of Green Street Green with Pratts Bottom in the London Borough of Bromley, for 16 years. Karl then became a Chaplain with Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and then Deputy Lead Chaplain.

Karl writes: “I look forward, with prayerful anticipation, to working alongside the congregations of St Luke’s and St Mary’s in their mission and ministry to the people of Matfield and Lamberhurst. I received a warm welcome throughout the interview process and experienced a strong sense of God’s call to the Benefice.

As we seek together to discern God’s will for the future, I am eager to come to know the two villages and their surrounding areas, as well as the communities who live within them. I look forward to listening to the heartbeat of the Benefice and to learning the story of how the Christian faith has been faithfully lived and explored there over time.

Together with colleagues from the Deanery and Diocese, I am excited to see how God will lead and shape us in the months and years ahead”.

If you would like to know more about us feel free to come and visit us on a Sunday, you don’t need to dress up or make an appointment just come along. If you would like to speak with a member of our team please get in contact.