ON Sunday March 8, a full church witnessed the installation and licensing of Rev Terry Hemming as the new Master of St Cross granted by the Rt Rev David Williams, Bishop of Basingstoke.

The trustees, brothers, staff, parish and friends of St Cross welcomed Terry and his wife Ruth to the hospital, the oldest almshouse in the country.

He said: “I feel extremely privileged and very happy to be serving where I first learned the fundamentals of Christianity. I am also daunted at the thought of following so many men whom I have known and respected and who have taught me so much.”, he added.

Despite the weather and the then increasing uncertainty about health issues St Cross Church was full for the installation of the new Master with both current Brothers and Brothers emeritii there for the occasion.

Under the direction of the organist, Derek Beck, St Cross choir sang Anton Bruckner’s anthem Locus iste. Terry was presented to the Bishop by William Corbett, Chairman of the trustees, and with his prayer book by the senior Brother, John Hodges. Bishop David preached the sermon.

Mr Hemming emphasised his and his family’s long connections with St Cross when he spoke at the end of the service. He went to school at St Faith’s followed by Peter Symonds’.

He trained as a journalist on the Hampshire Chronicle and more recently wrote in the Christian Comment section being appointed by and following Canon Keith Walker. He was ordained to the Christian ministry at the then Stanmore Evangelical Free Church and later ordained deacon by Bishop Michael Manktelow and then priest in Wolvesey Chapel by Bishop Colin James.

Terry’s life has involved ministry in Bournemouth, Nigeria and Europe as well as time spent as Chaplain at St Swithun’s School. In the Winchester Diocese Terry has had ministries at All Saints’ in Highcliffe and then St Nicholas’, Longparish with the other churches of that benefice.

His teaching career has taken him from Africa to America to Europe to Thailand/Myanmar and in Winchester at Winchester College and St Swithun’s School.

He and his wife, Ruth, have just returned from Romania where Terry was the locum priest at the Church of the Resurrection, Bucharest.